Using feathers to create hair accessories seemed like a chance to reconnect with a sense of whimsy and create items for gals that enjoy mother nature. Feathers are nature’s original accessory, it seemed they were a perfect fit. I hit the internet, ordered feathers wholesale and I created, but sometimes I noticed the feathers smelt a bit odd. And that smell got me to thinking about the origin of some of the feathers I was getting.

Where were these birds? Why did they no longer need their feathers? I mean it’s not like I order chicken feathers that are a a bi-product of the meat industry.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that some of the feathers were coming from China - and I am sure they come from poor circumstances. I began to feel guilty about supporting such an industry and, more importantly, I felt it was very contradictory to what I am trying to create with my headbands. Many of my specialty feathers like parrot and peacock have come from  safe source. Where the bird molts the feathers annually. I decided that I would like to source the rest of my feathers this way also. I made contact with a hunter who hunts pheasant for food and I  purchased two pheasant pelts, complete with thousands of feathers. Thousands of feathers that I am going to pluck myself for my craft.

I began last night, and let me tell you I have a new respect for the generations of woman before me. plucking a bird is challenging. It takes a while to get into a rhythm, but it’s worth it. I feel great about the cource of these new feathers and the quality of the feathers is unbeatable. I will continue to use up my previous supply of feathers, but my primary feather creation focus will be shifting from head bands in to headpieces =) I hope you will enjoy the unique creations about to come to my Etsy store!