Day 363 – Feather Leaves

Remember Tangled Snakes and Rattlesnake? What will happen if we take that basic design and fill it with feathers instead?

This is a great way to practice stitching one half of the feather shape. If you struggle with getting one side to flow and bend just right, this design will help you practice the shapes without having to reverse the opposite side.

Difficulty Level – Advanced. This design does require a lot of careful travel stitching and space estimation to fill your quilt. Make sure to check back to the article on 5 tips for Travel Stitching and maybe try stitching a few simple feather designs before tackling this design.

Design Family – Branching. This design is formed by first branching out with a long flowing leave shape. You then stitch inside with a single row of feathers, bending them slightly so they fill the space with a soft texture. Once you finish filling the space, stitch outside and echo the feather leaf one time. This puts a bit of space between this shape and those around it so they don’t get all jumbled together.

Directional Texture – All Directions. I think a raccoon has gotten into the chicken coop – feathers are everywhere! Definitely place this design in a space that needs lots of movement and flowing texture.

Suggestions for Use – Do you want to learn how to quilt feathers? Why not create a quilt devoted entirely to this goal?

Pick a quilt top and start stitching the feather designs you like best. By the time you finish, you’ll have mastered these fun designs and finished a beautiful quilt at the same time!

Funky New Pattern – Tangled Snakes #227

Day 280 – Rattlesnake