This set, left in Las Vegas with Raquel Reed, was an achievement in ombre with plumes! Thanks to Raquel for her patience as we worked through the dye, staves and assembly to achieve this design.
Each fan in this set features 7 3-prong staves (with the inside stem lengthened) in satin white, 21 25″+ and 14 18-24″ premium triple dip plumes expertly picked and dyed at Rainbow Feathers.
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!
