Good job, you are well on your way. Even though writing with a pencil and paper (or whiteboard and marker) is different than quilting them, the muscle memory still translates even if you don't realize it. Also you have ingrained in your mind where to go next so you don't accidentally take off in the complete wrong direction while LAing!
If you want to do feathers, I recommend going here and doing her tutorials:
http://featheredfibers.wordpress.com...ksheet-series/