Not knowing your level of machine quilting I love the idea of the feathers, too. For me the size of the quilt and complexity would dictate if I'd tackle it myself or send it off. So far all of my quilts have been quilted by me, but I stick to smaller ones. Anything larger than a twin, I think or with feathers would probably go off to a long-arm quilter.
Wonderful quilt top by the way!