Cloth Feathers: An Alternative for Your Craft Projects

I made a large number of cloth feathers for a studio project. I describe how they were made and show a few examples. These feathers are on sale at the Agosia Arts shop on Etsy.

[@michaelaschmid]

They are so pretty! I'm sure you'll find someone who can make use of them.

[@AgosiaArts]

My favorites are the white ones. They look like swan feathers. Very elegant!

[@jashton8710]

Sewing in a spine...dang, that's the missing link I didn't think of. Thanks!

[@AgosiaArts]

It takes a while to do by hand, but the spine looks quite real. You could do it by hand, but for me, it didn't look as good. What are you using your feathers for? Are you making a costume?

[@jashton8710]

@@AgosiaArts I am indeed...a full body raven. I've come to the realization that real feathers would be cheaper and faster, but I think they would get damaged easier.

[@AgosiaArts]

@@jashton8710 Real feathers will be A LOT cheaper, and save a huge amount of time. They hold up surprisingly well (after all, they last a year or so on the live bird). The big difference is that you, unlike a live bird, won't be preening them after each wearing to keep them neat and clean. A garment of cloth feathers will be heavy and hot, unless you're using silk (organza is great!). You could try french crepe paper (which is sturdier and more elegant than the stuff at craft stores here in the U.S.), but it will rustle with movement. Same with dyed corn husks, but those are cheap and darned sturdy. Of course, it is difficult to get a really good black... What follows are my thoughts. Perhaps you have experience with costumes; if so, ignore me. I was making these feathers for a large roadrunner puppet/doll - about 3 feet tall. After much experimentation, I decided not to use the fabric feathers because they looked too shaggy. I think you may have the same issue I did - you want the idea of birdness, as simply, but realistically as possible. With my artdolls, working small, I can't apply all the details so I have to decide which elements of the animal convey the recognizable aspects of that animal. I am creating a caricature. A costumer does the same thing, but is working life-sized. When I need to convey actual placement of feathers, or more usually, patterns of scales for reptiles, I try to create an overall appropriate texture, then apply patches of fake feathers or scales. It doesn't take much to convey the idea that the whole body is covered. You could try to create a garment with quilting or stitching that has a feather look, then add feather elements where it makes sense. I would focus on the chest, shoulders, and thighs. I would guess you're doing something for wings, so that takes care of the arms. Well, good luck! I'd like to see your finished project!

[@jashton8710]

@@AgosiaArts Thank you for the detailed feedback, that was awesome. My (limited) experience with feathers taught me that they are ok when used on the upper body, where they won't come into contact with anything. However, this is going to be a full body suit and feathers do not like to be sat upon. Also, your vid was the nudge that opened the floodgates. This technique formed a base design, upon which many custom designs can be applied. I may create my own vid on how I mass produced these. Also, I cut thin strips of PVC and sewed them into the fabric to create a rigid, yet flexible spine for the wing feathers. I'll try to keep you posted....I'm quite excited about this.

[@robyn3349]

They would make a great cape!

[@AgosiaArts]

I wish I had enough for cape, but sadly not. One thing about them is that they are heavier than real feathers, so a cape would be very heavy. Very cool for Halloween though!

[@meskeremtasew3194]

you must show us the result

[@haiquyen6217]

Hello my friend do you teach everyboby make vegetarian taxidermy? Tks ❤️

[@aspiepunkheatherlewis5518]

Don't have money...so I'm making my own, for halloween costume