A FMQ Feathering Ponderable ............
 

Today, I have been doing some feathers, and switched how I had done my earlier ones, so it left me pondering what was good? or bad? about either ways.


So ...... Here's a ponderable for all of you?? ....

When you do continuous feathers (eg. along a border) ....
Do you do both sides as you go along?
Or all up one side and then feather the other side of the spine?

I know, I know ... there are no rules, but as a neophyte in this,
I am curious what those that do feathers, find works best for them ...
and what the pros/cons are of each way.


Please discuss and share with everyone your experiences!
..... Thank You!!!

And PLEASE feel free show us some photos of your feathered work!!!

When doing feathers I can only go up the spine for some reason so I position my quilt so I can do that. If I try to go down the spine, I get hot dogs instead of feathers. :D just watched a YouTube video of a woman using a husquavarna FMQ thick foot and an acrylic feather ruler. Totally cool!

Quilt E, Quilt E, Quilt E. You're just going to make your head hurt. Don't over think it. Which felt best for you. Which method gave you the most natural movement, the smoothest track.
Whether you have a pre set spine really determines the method. And of course if you have a spine with dimension, you don't usually cross over.
There. Have I messed with you head enough for today?
LOL :D :D :D

I always make the spine first, go down again, do the feathers on the right side, go down again and do them on the left side. This works best for me. Sometimes I draw the spine but most of the time I don't. On a border I might make the spine first but not always, I would just go round on the right side and second time on the left side.
Here are a few pictures of my feather practice piece :)

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Thank you for asking this question! I too have wondered the right way to do feathers. But still afraid to try them and figure it out as I go. I will be checking back here for more comments.

Anael, that is your practice piece! Wow! Beautiful.

Anael, wow, I'd love to see some of your 'real' work.
I'm kind of a Rambo feather quilter, in that I don't mark anything. I just sew a spine so I know where I'm going. As others have mentioned, I can only go one way up the spine. I usually do bump back feathers and do pretty well retracing the short distance at the top of the feather, but I have problems retracing long spines so I usually do them backward. I start with a tear drop which is at the end, do the spine then do the feathers back up to the teardrop. If I am not going to echo the feather, I have to tie off and restart at the bottom again. All my feathers come out differently, but I'm OK with that. When you look at something I've quilted, you know that it was not computerized quilting! I tried other techniques and found this to be the easiest for me. Just pick the one that you like most to do.

I am really new and this discussion is very helpful to me. Feathers have eluded me, heck I would settle for hot dogs if I could get them to all look like they belonged together!

Here's a suggestion .... it's Summer in Australia so take your quilt to Anael :)

Seriously ... MaryKatherine hit the nail on the head. What feels best to you? Do it on paper every which way you can and see what works best. I simply cannot do a "double bump" feather (where the traveling is just on the outer "bump" of the feather). I have to travel the entire length of each feather edge.

While at work, on the phone (on hold usually), or in meetings (boring), I flip over my steno pad and doodle feathers. I force myself to make feathers in every direction. I have tried and tried to do the "double bump" method and I just can't. I also prefer to do both sides of the spine as I go. I find it more difficult to mimic the shape/angle of the feather if I do the right side then the left side.

Get that paper and pencil out and doodle!!

:D :D :D :D DHM, I don't live in Ozz, that's Mirabelle. Here where I am it's winter also but not as cold as where QuiltE lives! Still, she's very welcome here :)