Feathers that have just come out of the dyehouse for the first time
require paring, which consists in removing the quill from the inner
portion of the feather, thereby making the feathers more elastic. The
feathers must first be thoroughly dried; they are then taken, one at
a time, held between the thumb and two fore fingers of the left hand,
while, with a knife held in the right, the inner quill is rapidly
removed close to the flues or fibres. This branch of the business is
in itself a trade, and requires a great amount of skill and caution to
prevent cutting through the quill. The feather can be made still more
limber by scraping the quill with a piece of glass. Of course, this
process of paring the quill is only used in new work. In re-dying old
feathers it is never needed; in old work it is only necessary to dry
up thoroughly, steam and curl. A great many have no knowledge of what
relation steaming has to the finishing of feathers. It has the effect
of making all the flues lie perfectly straight beside each other, and
also dampens the feathers just enough to assist the curler in her work.
It is necessary to have a steamer made as follows: get a kettle that
will hold about one gallon or more of water, made out of plain tin,
with a spout commencing at the base about two inches in width and
tapering up to a half inch in width at top. The spout should be about
eighteen inches in length; the total cost should not be more than one
dollar. Never have it more than half full of water, and you can boil it
on either an ordinary stove or common gas or oil stove.
You may ask why steam from the boiler, or out of an ordinary tea-kettle
would not answer? It is too wet. Instead of having the desired effect
it wets the flues, while the other dampens it just enough. The steam
emitted from the steam kettle is drier than any other.
When the steam is passing through the tube take hold of the feathers
by either end and pass backward and forward for a few seconds about
two inches above the top of pipe, and lay down perfectly flat, one
on top of the other. Curling is a trade that can only be thoroughly
mastered by practice; the principles can be taught, but only practice
will make perfect. It does not, however, require a great while. I have
known persons that within three months had become first-class curlers,
practicing a short time each day.
The feather is held between the first and second finger and thumb of
the left hand and a few flues taken up at a time with the knife held
in the right hand, and gently drawn along the round dull edge of the
knife, and allowed to drop in a half circle; begin at the bottom of the
right hand side of the feather, work up to the top and around and down
the other side; and in laying up take up about three flues at a time,
skipping about six. Feminine fingers are generally better adapted to
this work than others, and, in fact, it is more of a woman's work than
a man's.
Tips are generally bent and branched. You can give the feathers a
nice droop by taking the quill between the thumb and fore-finger,
and with the thumb pressing the quill through between the first and
second finger. Begin about the middle of the feather, and, shifting
about a quarter inch at a time, pass swiftly up towards the top, when
the feathers will have a very beautiful droop. Plain wire stems can
be used. Take thin wire, cut about five inches in length, and twist
one end of it on stem or quill of your feathers so as to hold; then
take tissue paper, cut in strips about a half inch wide, and in color
corresponding with the shade of feathers; wrap it around wire to
entirely cover it up, and then branch tips, two or three in a bunch, as
suits your fancy.