FEATHER FLOWERS

1584. The art of making feather flowers, though a very easy and inexpensive accomplishment, and yielding pretty ornaments for the mantel-piece or the chiffonier, is but little pursued.

1585. Many persons are under the impression that they can only be made from the feathers of exotic birds, and that these are expensive. But the following instructions will dispel this misconception, and remove the difficulty.

1586. Procure the best white geese or swans' feathers, have them plucked off the fowl with care not to break the web, free them from down, except a small quantity on the shaft of the feather.

1587. Having procured two good specimens of the flower you wish to imitate, carefully pull off the petals of one, and, with a piece of tissue paper, cut out the shape of each size, taking care to leave the shaft of the feather at least half an inch longer than the petal of the flower.

1588. Carefully bend the feather with the thumb and finger to the proper shape; mind not to break the web.

1589. _To make the Stem and Heart of a Flower._--Take a piece of wire six inches long: across the top lay a small piece of cotton wool, turn the wire over it, and wind it round until it is the size of the heart or centre of the flower you are going to imitate.

1590. If a single flower, cover it with paste or velvet of the proper color, and round it must be arranged the stamens; these are made of fine India silk, or feathers may be used for this purpose.

1591. After the petals have been attached, the silk or feather is dipped into gum, and then into the farina. Place the petals round, one at a time, and wind them on with Moravian cotton, No. 4; arrange them as nearly like the flower you have for a copy as possible.

1592. Cut the stems of the feathers even, and then make the calix of feathers, cut like the pattern or natural flower. For the small flowers, the calix is made with paste. Cover the stems with paper or silk the same as the flowers; the paper must be cut in narrow strips, about a quarter of an inch wide.

1593. _To make the Pastes of the Calix, Hearts, and Buds of Flowers._--Take common white starch, and mix it with gum water until it is the substance of thick treacle; color it with the dyes used for the feathers, and keep it from the air.

1594. _To make the Farina._--Use common ground rice, mixed into a stiff paste with any dye; dry it before the fire, and when quite hard, pound it to a fine powder.

1595. The buds, berries, and hearts of some double flowers are made with cotton wool, wound around wire, moulded to the shape with thumb and finger.

1596. Smooth it over with gum water, and when dry cover the buds, berries, or calix with the proper colored pastes; they will require one or two coats, and may be shaded with a little paint, and then gummed and left to dry.

1597. Flowers of two or more shades or colors are variegated with water-colors, mixed with lemon-juice, ultra-marine and chrome for blue, and gold may also be used in powder, mixed with lemon-juice and gum water.

1598. The materials required are some good white goose or swan's feathers; a little fine wire, different sizes; a few skeins of fine floss silk, some good cotton wool or wadding, a reel of No. 4 Moravian cotton, a skein of India silk, the starch and gum for pastes, and a pair of small sharp scissors, a few sheets of colored silk paper, and some water-colors, with the following dyes:--

1599. _To Dye Feathers Blue._--Into two pennyworths of oil of vitriol, mix two pennyworths of the best indigo in powder; let it stand a day or two; when wanted shake it well, and into a quart of boiling water put one tablespoonful of the liquid.

1600. Stir it well, put the feathers in, and let them simmer a few minutes.

1601. _Yellow._--Put a tablespoonful of the best turmeric into a quart of boiling water; when well mixed, put in the feathers.

1602. More or less of the turmeric will give them different shades, and a very small quantity of soda will give them an orange hue.

1603. _Green._--Mix the indigo liquor with turmeric, and pour boiling water over it; let the feathers simmer in the dye until they have acquired the shade you want them. (See 289.)

1604. _Pink._--Three good pink saucers in a quart of boiling water, with a small quantity of cream of tartar. If a deep color is required, use four saucers. Let the feathers remain in the dye several hours.

1605. _Red._--Into a quart of boiling water dissolve a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, put in one tablespoonful of prepared cochineal, and then a few drops of muriate of tin.

1606. This dye is expensive, and scarlet flowers are best made with the plumage of the red Ibis, which can generally be had of a bird-fancier or bird-stuffer, who will give directions how it may be applied.

1607. _Lilac._--About two teaspoonfuls of cudbear, into about a quart of boiling water; let it simmer a few minutes before you put in the feathers. A small quantity of cream of tartar turns the color from lilac to amethyst.

1608. _Black._--Use the same as for cloth.

1609. _Crimson._--Dip in acetate of alumina mordant, then in a boiling-hot decoction of Brazil wood--and, last of all, pass through a bath of cudbear.

1610. _Before the feathers_ are dyed they must be put into hot water, and let them drain before they are put into the dyes.

1611. _After the feathers_ are taken out of the dye, rinse them two or three times in clear cold water (except the red), which must only be done once. Then lay them on a tray, over which a cloth has been spread, before a good fire; when they begin to dry and unfold, draw each feather gently between your thumb and finger, until it regains its proper shape.

1612. _The leaves of the flowers_ are made of green feathers, cut like those of the natural flower, and serrated at the edge with a very small pair of scissors.

1613. For the calix of a moss-rose the down is left on the feather, and is a very good representation of the moss on the natural flower.

1614. _To Preserve Sea-Weed._--This is a delicate process, and may be made like beautiful pictures.

1615. _First Process._--Wash the sea-weed in fresh water, then take a plate or dish (the larger the better), cut your paper to the size required, place it on the plate with fresh water, and spread out the plant with a good sized camel-hair pencil in a natural form. Picking out with the pin gives the sea-weed an unnatural appearance, and destroys the characteristic fall of the branches, which should be carefully avoided.

1616. Then gently raise the paper with the specimen out of the water, placing it in a slanting position for a few moments, so as to allow the superabundant water to run off: after which place it in the press.

1617. _The Press._--The press is made with either three pieces of board or pasteboard. Lay on the first board two sheets of blotting-paper; on that lay your specimens; place straight and smooth over them a piece of old muslin, fine cambric, or linen: then some more blotting-paper, and place another board on the top of that, and continue in the same way.

1618. _The Finishing._--The blotting-paper and the muslin should be carefully removed and dried every day, and then replaced: at the same time, those specimens that are sufficiently dried may be taken away. Nothing now remains but to write on each the name, date, and locality.

1619. _The Specimens._--You can either gum the specimens in a scrap-book, or fix them in, as drawings are often fastened, by making four slits in the page, and inserting each corner.

1620. This is by far the best plan, as it admits of their removal, without injury to the page, at any future period, if it be required either to insert better specimens, or intermediate species. Some of the larger Algæ will not adhere to the paper, and consequently require gumming.

1621. _Another Way._--After well cleaning and pressing, brush the coarser kinds of Algæ over with spirits of turpentine, in which two or three small lumps of gum mastic have been dissolved, by shaking in a warm place; two-thirds of a small phial is the proper proportion, and this will make the specimens retain a fresh appearance.