Another conversion and upgrade success story done for @missmarinaelaine. We were able to salvage feathers from her previous set and add a fresh row of large top row plumes. These beauties never looked better!
Upgrade Top Row
Category: Fan Type
Flirt Conversion
This was a fun conversion and color change for @boobsradleybq! The set was originally white on acrylic staves. After getting the feathers off, @fancyfeathercom dyed them to gun metal. A little investment can help you get a set of fans used infrequently back to a set you truly enjoy.
Two Color Double
These pretty fluffs went out to a very newbie burlesquer. Standard size on the 12″ staves, this double layer uses light blue and white plumes from @fancyfeathercom. It’s a great size set that can be easily upgraded in the future if needed.
Beige Flirt
Just a simple double layer flirt size in beige with gold staves done for @ginatomorrow. This set is simple, classic, durable and versatile!
Storm Clouds
These feathery storm clouds done for @missjoliepapillon are a set you have to see in real life to truly appreciate!
Jolie had almost 100 of these wide top plumes that had been dramatically curled over. We used as many as we could, I think over 80, on my prong staves. The result is super dynamic with lots of flufftacular movement!
Art Nouveau
This color combo on my art nouveau stave set was an excellent idea of @dashasweetwaters!
Periodically I retired my designs to make sure they remain limited and I think that this beauty is a good one to end on.
Maxi Millions
Catching up on build highlights of work that went out just before baby arrived, this set was a vision for @missmaximillions.
Sometimes seemingly simple things can be very complex. We relied on the dye expertise at @fancyfeathercom to get this custom blue shade and have the transition from blue to black not turn into green mud. The set is assembled on 28 14″ staves in black and uses premium plumes. The fluffy result is simply lovely!
Faggedy Randy
Super unique and completely custom set for Faggedy Randy!
Executing on Faggedy’s booty vision wasn’t easy! The ombre plumes were custom dyed through an experimental process by the very talented Faye Havoc. They are layered on my 3-prong staves. The front plates are Faggedy’s design. For a comical act, these are a beautiful design!
Stormy Upgrade
Upgraded set done for @thestormyknight!
I do wish I could capture the shape-shifting colors of this set better. What appears as a rich purple is actually a complex blue. Those are the feathers we started with from an existing set, added a top row of plumes in gun metal (@fancyfeathercom) and the spiderweb front plate. Such a unique combination that all works so perfectly together!
Tout d’Lou
A lot of awesome is packed into this commission for @tout.dlou!
Tout d’Lou came to me with a hand fan design from a comic book that she hoped could work as a base for pheasant fans. I looped in my design partner @katrina.inprogress to get the design and proportions of the front overlay staves. I then adapted my V-stave as the back stave for the feather attachment. The shape of the design makes for a really clean, hidden quill final look!
The final set uses 6 doubled staves (front gold bar and back fireside copper) and 150 27-35″ sidetails in color #74 from @happinesscathy (which literally look like gold). Although the result is clean and simple, a lot of experience and planning goes into new concepts like this!
Ombre Plumes
I know you are drooling over these Moulin Rouge inspired ombre plume fans commissioned by @its_victoriajade!
This set is a triple layer with slightly shorter feathers on the front and two layers of 25″ plumes expertly dyed by @fancyfeathercom layered on 28 14″ staves in a close pink that blends in.
If you dream in ombre, it’s important to first accept that feathers aren’t ever going to be as seamless as a gradient print or fabric dip. Feathers are natural products making them beautifully unpredictable. Look closely and you’ll notice every part of the feather picks up dye differently. While boas are dipped and soaked in dye at different points, the fluff and overlap helps to even out the sections. With plumes, there isn’t the same luxury! So every feather must be hand dipped, dipped again and dipped again (with multiple steps in between each dip) to achieve this ombre look. Layering then becomes important, overlapping the feathers in ways that even out the ombre and create the end effect. And yes… ombre does add a lot to the cost of a project, but considering the time and expertise needed to achieve an ombre on plumes, I’d say it’s a bargain!
Mega Pheasant
Mega set across 14 flute staves (they are not so bright red) with 200 lady am sidetails in red and natural. Each fan is about 42″ at center and almost 80″ wide.
Degraded Sample
Incredibly unique pheasant set I did specifically to show off how we can achieve a light or pastel color. These are 30-35″ zebra feathers that had to be carefully degraded at #RainbowFeathers. The cream are what they look like after that process and the light teal is after dying. This set is on 6 scallop staves and uses 140 feathers. The extra processing of course adds cost, but it’s the only way to get light colors and downplay the natural black markings.
Personal Refurbish
Refurbish on my own well loved set. Silver top plumes and front drabs, with orange inside plumes on 24 12″ staves in silver.
Light Blue Flirt
Flirt size double layer with 24 8″ staves in silver and two 18-24″ light blue from @fancyfeathercom
White Flirt
Flirt size double layer with 24 8″ staves in white and two 18-24″ white from @fancyfeathercom
Oopsie Tip Dye
Oopsie-dye! Sometimes match dyes are just impossible to get right. This set features 28 8″ staves with a single layer of gorgeously fluffy 25″+ premium plumes purple with grey tips. The set is about 25″ at center and 45″ wide.
Intricate Cutout
NEW stave design! Lovely intricate cutout ready for rhinestoning. The staves are 8″ is flirt size with premium single layer 25″+ plumes from #RainbowFeathers. Each fan is about 30″ at center and 50″ wide. This new design is a great budget buy for it’s size, fluff and style!
Intricate Cutout
NEW stave design! Lovely intricate cutout ready for rhinestoning. The staves are 8″ is flirt size with premium single layer 25″+ plumes from #RainbowFeathers. Each fan is about 30″ at center and 50″ wide. This new design is a great budget buy for it’s size, fluff and style!
Intricate Cutout
NEW stave design! Lovely intricate cutout ready for rhinestoning. The staves are 8″ is flirt size with premium single layer 25″+ plumes from #RainbowFeathers. Each fan is about 30″ at center and 50″ wide. This new design is a great budget buy for it’s size, fluff and style!
Gold Upgrade
How amazing this golden upgrade for @auroramaur_dances turned out even surprised me!
First, the front and inside feathers of this set (which were a dark mustard-topaz) were salvaged from a glued bamboo and fabric structure. Starting with a lot of little drabs and about a row’s worth of wing feathers, we sent them over to @fancyfeathercom for a wash, added a fresh top row of plumes and dyed the entire batch together in their vintage gold. I have no idea what dye wizardry was used, but the new color achieved on the salvaged feathers exceeded all of my expectations! The build for each fan uses 13 12″ staves with an accent stave on the front that is ready to be rhinestoned and really pop!
Triple light blue
Reuse staves? Of course!
This fluffy triple layer with light blue @fancyfeathercom plumes is built on lightly used staves. The performer that had them before decided to change the color of her feathers which meant a darker stave was better. Although it’s difficult to recoat staves in new colors, staves in good shape can of course be used for a different set!
Spite Red
I built these fans in spite of being dropped for a bulk order that would’ve delivered today. It was for a returning large show client (so I trusted it would come through), extremely quick turn that required much coordination with my suppliers and prepaying for a lot of material to pull it off. After jumping through all those planning hoops and pushing my suppliers, they said they’d be going with a different option.
So out of annoyance and to clear my mental energy, I decided to still build one of the beautiful sets they wouldn’t get!
I’m thrilled this fiery set is now going to fellow Leo @lolacoquette!
The set features 28 12″ staves, top 25″ plume and lower 18-20″ plume row in red from #RainbowFeathers. It’s a nice and dense double with premium fluff!
Oopsie Pheasant
The fans feature 148 35″+ lady amherst feathers from @happinesscathy on 12 flute staves. What makes these beauties an oopsie-project? I had ordered the wrong feather color for another project. Only solution is really to build a fun set of fans!
Red Conversion
A red hot conversion for @msgidgetbardot!
Not only was I able to meet Gidget while in Nashville (btw… some of the best kept fans I’ve seen over all the years of doing conversions and upgrades), I enjoyed the insider scoop of how unique the scene and venues are!
A straight forward project for lighter lift and more condensed fluff, we just moved the front layer drabs and double plume over to a 24 count set 12″ in ruby red.
Super Nova Assembly
Celestial inspiration assembled for @originallattedah!
Latte bought the feathers a while back, but they are now ready to explode on stage. This set features 24 12″ black staves, top white plumes and a row of front and inside drabs. Super unique color combination that was a blast to assemble!
Blood Red Double
Color swap! @cervenafox dropped off blue plumes to #RainbowFeathers to have them redyed this stunning blood color. Not saying color swaps are always possible, but this was definitely a great success!
This set features 28 12″ black staves, top 25″ plume and lower 18-20″ plume row. It’s a nice and dense double with premium fluff!
Waterfall Waterfall
Sometimes you try something new and while it’s amazing, it doesn’t achieve the goal. However, these waterfall boa fans turned out looking like waterfalls!
These are built on 24 24″ staves and use 40″ all ostrich boas beautifully ombre tier dyed @fancyfeathercom. In addition to my signature size, NEW features of my boa fans: 1. Reinforced outer stave for one handed weilding (which is definitely trending among #fandancer). 2. Seamless layering that really makes the staves disappear!
Boa fans are such a huge investment and performance commitment. But a good boa handler is a show stopper! My staves are the strongest, lightest and most durable for these types of fans, and while they are still hefty to wield, you’ll have an easier time and more fun doing it!
Custom Blue
This beautiful blue was actually an oopsie-coat as in the stave color wasn’t quite right for another project. So I asked #RainbowFeathers to match dye to the staves.
This phenomenal color is kinda a Robin’s egg blue but has some aqua hues that come out in natural light. So expect these to be somewhat of a shape shifter. The set features 28 12″ staves, top 25″ plume and lower 18-20″ plume row. It’s a nice and dense double with premium fluff!
Green Peacock
Set features 28 12″ staves, 28 single row premium plumes and 84 peacock feathers (with a few extras of both types). The plumes were an oopsie-dye (so not quite the green needed for another project) from #RainbowFeathers, but too lovely to let go. It was a great opportunity to pair them with stem dyed peacock from @thefeatherplace!
Turquoise Peacock
Set features 28 12″ staves, 28 single row premium plumes and 84 peacock feathers (with a few extras of both types). The plumes were an oopsie-dye (so not quite the blue needed for another project) from #RainbowFeathers, but too lovely to let go. It was a great opportunity to pair them with stem dyed peacock from @thefeatherplace!
Drama Peacock
These stunners just arrived with @lily_datura_dancer!
Ah peacock… you’re as irresistibly beautiful as you are finicky to work with. The set features 26 12″ staves with double premium plumes from #RainbowFeathers and around 80 stem dyed peacock feathers from @thefeatherplace. The art gold nouveau front plate with cutouts really pops against the dark fluff. The drama of this set really makes it all worth it!
Waterfall Ombre
These waterfall fans are ready to hit the stage with @nikki_moxiegold_marvin!
Moxie had a lower level boa set originally that I was able to salvage, redye and sell as an upcycle. We worked through a couple of options before settling on the ombre dip. Very similar to her previous pair in terms of color and aesthetic, these pack a much more dramatic punch!
These are built on 24 24″ staves and use 40″ all ostrich boas beautifully ombre tier dyed @fancyfeathercom. In addition to my signature size, NEW features of my boa fans: 1. Reinforced outer stave for one handed weilding (which is definitely trending among #fandancer). 2. Seamless layering that really makes the staves disappear!
Boa fans are such a huge investment and performance commitment. But a good boa handler is a show stopper! My staves are the strongest, lightest and most durable for these types of fans, and while they are still hefty to wield, you’ll have an easier time and more fun doing it!
Natural pheasant
These natural beauties just arrived to @rheagenk!
This set features 100 27-35″ lady am pheasant feathers across 6 scallop staves in heavy black metallic. A great flirty size for just getting started incorporating pheasant, some quick whipping moves and small venues.
Unfortunately my build recap photos aren’t going to be great until we have things better setup after the move, but this is the first set to go out that was completely built here. Small progress!
Custom pheasant set
When @chanelledemai came to me and asked if I could recreate her acrylic pheasant staves out of metal, I initially said no. I don’t copy anyone’s work, I even guide performers to unique color combos when they ask for something similar to something I’ve already created. But she proved to me that she in fact was the original designer of the staves. After working with Hot Fans for her set, they went on to sell her design to others. Because she was the designer and it is so central to her costume, I agreed to make the set. This design will not be available from me for any other orders.
If you have this design from Hot Fans, please just know where it came from. If you are considering purchasing from them, know that there is durability and creative risk in what they sell. The allure of a cheap price should not be enough.
But here’s the thing… this isn’t an issue of an international company not respecting creative ownership. This happens within our own community. I now know of several live traces of my custom designs. This is hurtful not only to me as a creator, but to the performer that provided the creative direction and paid for that work.
I have posted and continue to share build information to educate and inspire fan builders. As others come into the market leveraging my innovation as a starting point, do your due diligence to ensure you are getting orginal work and that your collaboration is protected.
All that, but the real star of this set is the fact that we pulled off this complex two color powder coating treatment!! This is very difficult for a home shop, but we’ve figured it out now. So proud of this design for this new innovation!
Unicorn ombre
If these uncorn beauties done for @bryona_ashly don’t brighten your heart, nothing will!
These are built on 24 24″ staves and use 40″ all ostrich boas beautifully ombre tier dyed @fancyfeathercom. In addition to my signature size, NEW features of my boa fans: 1. Reinforced outer stave for one handed weilding (which is definitely trending among #fandancer). 2. Seamless layering that really makes the staves disappear!
Boa fans are such a huge investment and performance commitment. But a good boa handler is a show stopper! My staves are the strongest, lightest and most durable for these types of fans, and while they are still hefty to wield, you’ll have an easier time and more fun doing it!
Spring dream
These lovely fluffs were a custom creation for @cherrylacreme!
Each fan uses 14 14″ staves, with two layers of dip dyed 25″+ wide and a front layer of shorter solid custom dyed plumes #RainbowFeathers. They are a spring dream!
Custom Rose Flirt
These feathers are also continuing their journey on with @gaea_lady! Fans are just one of her many mastered props that she literally can hypnotize any audience with.
With me from nearly the start, these feathers have been mounted on every bare, painted and now powder coated version of my metal staves. Their custom color will always be a favorite of mine and part of my brand even before I discovered fans.
As @gaea_lady calls her burlesque program, these fans have P(;)ssy Magic that I’m happy to pass on!
The set is a flirt size double layer has 24 8″ staves in Class B Silver (kind of a sparkle metallic with a pink hue) and two 18-24″ plumes.
Burgundy Rebuild
My feathers are continuing their performance journey on to new stages with @bellasincle!
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I don’t get attached to material. I regularly sell off my own, personal props if I’ve moved on from the routine. But these fans represent a lot!
— These pheasant were the first I purchased and I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I learned later that their were so many pheasant types!
— The feathers have been on at least 4 stave sets. They were my own personal tests (the heaviest type to with with) to make sure what I was creating would even work well for other performers.
— I continue to find better ways of layering and building. It took more hours and hours, but it’s why I rebuilt these again before sending them out.
— Weilding these fans took strength and practice. Taking them to the stage was like having a super power. It’s that rush I know my fellow fan dancers perform for!
— While I still have a few sets that I’ll be holding on for a little longer just in case, selling these off is one step closer to admitting I’m no longer the performer I used to be. So it’s for the best that they not be hoarded in my closet for years!
On my tiki staves, the fans have about 160 40″ venery reeves pheasant feathers. The set is about 4ft at center and 7ft across. Just wait and see what @bellasincle creates with these!
Sample mix
These petite cuties (about 22″ at center and 40″ across) just kind of came together! I had extra layer of white that I needed to use. Just like other dye batch colors, white, even bleached white, has tone variations. I also happen to have almond staves that I had done for a project that fell through. And then still a batch of those kind of dusty blue wings.
It’s a different experience when you have material you didn’t plan for and get to play without the pressure of a commission.
But these little flirts got scooped up by @kissgingercollins, so they’ll have a great stage life from here!
