I've been quilting on this quilt the last few days. I thought I'd share a little of my method while I'm taking a wee break.
First I made a cardboard template for the center spine of the feather that goes in each block.
The sewing plan for these is to work on one row of triangles at a time completing one triangle before progressing to the next.
First, I sew the center spine towards me. Next, I free stitch the right side feather lobes working away from me. When I get to the far point of the feather I start sewing the lobes on the left side of the spine. The lobes are shaped so that they fill the triangle space. I have gotten a lot of practice with this the last few days. I suggest that you get out a pencil and paper and practice a bit before trying it with the sewing machine; that will help you get the feather shapes that you want.
I hope to finish the feather quilting this weekend and share the completed quilt later in the week.
edit: When stitching the spine, sew with the fabric moving away as you would sew a seam. For the first side of feather lobes the fabric will move toward you as the feather lobes are stitched going away. I hope that makes sense....
Here's an in progress photo that may help.
