Very nice! I'm going to check to see if there is a pic of the finished dove!...what thread did you use?
I have tried this with an eagle quilt I did...I ended pulling all the stitching out of his head because his head was go close in color to the background, and my background quilting was so similar..the head got lost.
It's my "practice" for a larger eagle quilt...so I chose whatever fabric was close at hand.
I used silver metallic thread on the front & 60 wt poly bobbin thread on the back, both from:
http://www.threadart.com
Size 18 Groz-Beckert needle
I was going to really fill the wings with thread, but, since this is the "sample", I decided to just scribble a bit...making sure the tensions and threads didn't cause me problems on the TL18LS.
The pattern is one I got at a retreat & is supposed to be done in rusts, orange, golds & reds (hence, BLAZE of Glory).. and I bought the fabrics in the correct colors...(the eagle is using the actual fabrics)...but I am a bit frugal, and paide $8.00 a yard (expensive for me) & didn't want to waste it on a sample. I bought enough of the fabric for the eagle to do 5 or 6...so, that was ok...but the fabric for the quilt...only bought enough for one in a king size (bit to spare)...and since the quilt is 48" square...I need to be able to add to the quilt to make it the size I want....and the retreat was 2 years ago...know finding more of a fabric that old is not going to be easy.
I know I need to try to get the "movement" of the feathers better...and it should be easier when I do the larger eagle (yep, enlarging every part of the quilt, instead of just adding rows).
I have been watching videos by Sharon Schamber, Linda V Taylor and others...and taking bits and pieces from them all.