Help with feather trim

[OLChemist]

I need some help. I have always used ermine fur to trim feathers. However, I am trying my hand at the shingled trim work with florettes. I put the ermine on at the end and it looks -- uh -- weird. Sort of like my New York Auntie's poodle on a bad hair day. HELP!

Much Thanks,

OLChemist

[powwowbum49]

OLChemist

I usually use white rabbit fur because it is not so dense and it runs in a certain direction. You will also want to trim the fur up a bit just as you have to trim the florette before applying them. The difference is you are not using the part you trim off this time. Cut the fur so the direction it lays is perpendicular to the way it will be wrapped around the piece. Trim it too about 1/2" or what ever your preference is. I also wet the fur down and brush it to make sure it is straight and easier to work with.

Hope this helps

[OLChemist]

Kewl! I'll try that. I've trimmed the fur in the past and not been too pleased, but then I never wet it so it was less even than it could have been. Thanks!

Any more suggestions? Hints... Tips... Corrections I desperately need to make? (Other than the colors. I was just playing with what I had laying around. Those colors look much better with the scarlets.)

Thanks again,

OLChemist

[Selina]

Hi OL Chemist!
Maybe you could shed some light on for me, cause I have no clue.
What do you use those feathers for?

[OLChemist]

Fans, scalp feathers, trailers... stuff like that.

I am trying to get the technique down before I use it on a set of 9 scarlet macaw feathers I am making into a flat fan.

PB49 --

I tried your suggestion. I think I took two steps forward and one back. But, my other mangled feather (for practice) looks both better and worse (tried to flare out too much I think.)

[Selina]

Thanks for the explanation!
It really looks wonderful.
Are there any rules how to trim the feathers?

[alaskashadowwolf]

OLChemist that's really nice. I like those bright colors. Looks good to me!!!!!!!!!

[powwowbum49]

OLChemist

Actually that looks pretty good with as large as you have the singling. Most of the singling I have seen is much tighter and smaller than that you are showing in the pic. I am no expert on how to do shingling though I think what I have has turned out pretty good (unfortunately I gave away or sold all of them already and have no pics, I need to remember to take pics of my stuff before I send it on it's way). I have also done singling using colored deerhair instead of the florettes and it works well too, though it presents it's own unique challenges.

Can I ask what kind of fan you are planning to make from your scarlets? Loose, flat, or loose but still laid out flat (what I call Navajo style)?

Keep in mind the length you trim the hair to is going to affect how wide it spreads. Longer = wider. What I see used normally is often trim only slightly longer than the hide on the back side. By that I mean if the hide side is 1/4" wide (which is the norm I see) the hair is either trim even with the top edge of the hide or about 1/16" longer. The hair on the surface, which is attached to the bottom of the strip, is actually longer than the hair at the top.

I will search and see if I have any pics of work containing what I am talking about, and then post them.

[OLChemist]

It is a flat fan. It will have a tappered handle with a blue background. I am finally getting a chance to replace my fan which I gave away a couple years ago.

I traded some beadwork for a set of extenders with the "3-D" threadwork and some really nice feathers. Nicer stuff than I have gotten in the last few years, so I have been really nervous about trying this. I have made four attempts after the last pic (which is about 50% larger in the jpeg than the real thing, btw). Things are tightening up. I did the center feather tonight. It came out pretty well I think. At the rate I'm going I sould have the set trimmed by March, LOL.

I really appreciate all the help you have given me so far and look forward to any additional things you can teach me.

With Thanks,
OLChemist

[69_Danny_69]

I wouldn't judge it untill you see what it is like set!
Danny