Feather Fans?

[Nicole]

Hi I'm new and of course have a question :hi:

I should preface this with the fact that I'm not too "crafty" but enjoy making things nonetheless. Do any of you make your own feather fans? Any good websites that show how to make them? I've done a couple of searches on Copernic and haven't come up with anything. What are the best feathers to use? What about the feathers for those big, fluffy head garlands? My daughter has one but I don't have a clue what kind of feathers they are (but it looks easy enough to make, or are those "famous last words"?). Any help/info. will be very much appreciated.

TIA!

[CelticBombshell]

i found one already made for like 2.99 at

http://www.kkdiscount.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=fans

Mel

[Nicole]

Thanks so much for your reply! Those are very inexpensive but I was thinking about something a little "fancier" and thought it would be a fun project (not to mention I thought it would be nice for me to actually make something I'm wearing to the faire).

Nicole

[Magpie]

I'm guessing you want something along these lines?
http://www.ladysmaidjewels.com/Fans/fans.html

similar fans (i'm told) can be made quite nicely using a "silver" or "gold" serving fork as a base (if you want to really use silver or gold go for it!). then just add your feathers, on both sides of the serving piece, starting with the outer ring of feathers, then going to the inner ring of feathers, then add whatever shiny bits to the center.

I haven't done this yet, but there are some directions online at http://www.directcon.net/wander/fan.htm
and you can get spiff patterns (including instructions for a feather fan) at http://www.margospatterns.com/

[Beatriz]

some info on fans in our time period--no instructions for making, but the text and photos might be inspirational:

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/thefansite/text/renaissance.html

one lady's creative way with everyday stuff for a fan:

http://www.sempstress.org/techniques/fan.shtml

I'll try and dig up some more after the move.

Happy fanning!

[Megan Campbell of Feather]

FANCY THINGS FANNE SHOPPE
http://www.featherfans.net/[url]

Susan Cooley makes beautiful fans to match your garb. She made one for my nobles and one for my amiga Allie's wedding.

Hope this helps!

[Nicole]

Thanks bunches! Those are some good links and I'm getting lots of ideas. Now to stop dreaming and start making something!

:D
Nicole

[Wench Robyn]

http://www.geocities.com/fanladycynthia/
Great place with lots of cool fans and other things too!

[Kat]

I make my own feather fans. I also make them for my friends to match there garb.
I use what ever feathers I can find. I have bid and gotten some from e-bay, and from different craft stores.
I made Capi a feather fan to match her Lady Faireheart gown. That is olive green. I found olive green feathers at Cobellas.
The handles I use are new, cheep paint brushes. You can get them in any length or size. I use needle noise pliers to take off the metal that is wrapped around the top with the bristles. I throw that away. (I just want the wood handle)
The handle is tapered perfect for the shape that I want for the fan.
The handle has a hole already in the handle to put in the ribbon. I use what ever trim the dress has on it to wrap the handle. I use hot glue to glue it all on. I also use scraps from what ever dress the person has made to wrap around the larger part of the handle where the feathers go.
Does this make any since? :thinking:
I like to have many feathers to choose from when I am putting a fan together. I always have an idea of what I want but, I start to get creative with it and I never know how it will turn out.
So far everyone has loved what I have made for them.
:D
Good luck, play around with it. You'll find out what you like and make it the way it suites you.