I think the best way would be to make tubes, then fill all the tubes to a certain point, sew across to close that section and keep doing it that way. My MIL gave us a huge down comforter, way too hot, so I've thought about making winter vests or jackets doing the same method.

Barbbrad,
I have to add my 2 cents worth here. I remember my mother making feather pillows and "quilts". Lots of good suggestions here, web site ok but did not say this is at least a 2 person job.
Before doing anything all feathers were washed in soapy water, then dried, (she air dried them, away from any movement of any kind) Probably could be washed and dried in drier if put in tied pillowcase. Her preferance was the down of geese and ducks, usually found on the breast portion of the birds. She never used larger feathers as they came off the bird. They were stripped, pulled off of the spine.. It was my job to hold the case open as she put the feathers in. Very time consuming projects.
I still use the pillows she made 3/4 of a century ago. My pillows are over 65 yrs old. They have had new outer cover put on. Every time I change sheets the pillows get aired out side, fluffed a couple of times during airing.
Fabric for quilt or pillow was very heavy fasbric called feather ticking, don't know if it is still available or not.
Good luck. End product definitely worth it if you have the time and patience to do this.
Keep us posted.

One of my favorite songs! Memories...... :thumbup:

You don't use the "feathers" - it would be really uncomfortable and not that warm.
You use the tiny, tiny "feathers" known as down, even though it's called "feather pillows" etc.
It's the fluffiness of the down that traps the air and insulates from the cold. Kind of the same theory as the puffy fiberglass you put in your house walls for insulation.

we have an artist in our area who paints wildlife scenes on turkey feathers...just amazing. Maybe the same on goose feathers?

If you have the patience to collect enough downfeathers (the really small ones), you measure the size of your bed: king, queen, etc. Add 6ins, make a large pillowcase, leaving approx 12in on oneside to stuff the feathers. After you have it stuffed, stitch your open area closed. The hard part is whether or not you want to hand quilt this to stablize it. You are making a duvet basically.

My mother and grandmother always made feather pillows and they used pillow ticking. It is actually good for making any pillows as it is a heavyer fabric. You only use the down feathers not the wing feathers. I couldn't sleep on feather pillows as I would get ear aches.

oh how this takes me home to england my parants have gone but this memery willstay for ever
thank you

Oh, the sweet memories of sleeping in my grandmothers featherbed (chicken feathers). Thanks for bringing those memories back.

My husband and I have had down blankets for years. Down is the soft feathers under the coarser feathers. You don't want to use the coarser outer feathers for a down quilt. The nice thing about a down quilt is that they keep you warm in the winter and cool (don't ask, I don't know why either) in the summer. You can check at garage/rummage sales and find some old ones, and have them redone in new ticking. I make duvets out of two twin sheets for the case on the blanket, sew on three large snaps and VOILA! just saved about $75.00! I get four twin flat sheets and I have enough duvets for one on and one in the wash! We each have our own feather blanket (in a double bed) and cocoon ourselves! If it were me, I would make channels, stuff the channels and close up the blanket. I would then turn the quilt and make "boxes'. I have learned over the years that the boxed blanket keeps the down in place and they don't wander either to the top or to the bottom. Channeling, alone, would cause that problem. You can wash the blankets, dry them in the dryer. It takes quite a while. You can't really hang them out, because they are settled and will take a million years to dry. You can wash down pillows the same way. We generally get our federbetten from Germany.
They have the best! We think! Edie