besides watching dvds, reading books you must do some doodling........that is if you are going to machine feather.....here is an easy beginnning.....with pencil draw a curved line, do not remove pencil from paper, but on one side of line only, draw half of a heart to stem (line you first drew), then go back out with another half heart.....you are starting at the top of feather so make them slightly larger (if you want to) as you move down. When you get to bottom of that line, go back up that line to top again, and do the other side of that line with the other half of the heart--they don't have to line up evenly, be a bit free with it and you don't try to stay on the line of each finished one, keep a bit of space between these half hearts.....doing it with a pencil or pen and paper embeds it into your brain and then translating it to the movement with the sewing machine is an easier transition. After feeling safe with that excercise, go to a heart, circle, or whatever and just keep making half hearts. Then, further down the road, try different techniques of making feathers, and find one that works the best for you...or like me, whatever works for whatever it is I am doing. It will not happen in a day, or even a week, so be patient with yourself, and keep practicing.
Now if you are talking about hand quilting that is entirely a different technique........that involves "traveling" to the next spot........