Well ok Woozle, here you go,
How to make a Rita Skeeter Quick Quill
I got the Lady Amherst feather at a Michaels craft store for $5-6 dollars. You'll also need:
2 packs of Lemon Lime Kool-aid. This will be the green dye.
Water-preferrably distilled
Vinegar
A large ziploc bag, big enough that you can curl the feather around inside
A large bowl, big enough that you can curl the feather around inside
Pitcher
Pyrex dish, big enough for the feather
A microwave
There are several ways to dye feathers but this is super easy and very effective. The feather should have been pre-cleaned if you bought it, otherwise you will need to clean it first.
Fill the bowl with water and a dash of vinegar. Put the feather in the bowl and let it soak for 5 minutes. This preps the feather to take the dye.
While that soaks, mix the Kool-aid, water and a dash of vinegar in the pitcher. Stir until it is well mixed.
Remove the feather from the first bowl and place inside the ziploc bag. It will curl around in the bag. Pour the Kool-aid mixture into the bag, enough to cover the feather when it is laying down. Close the ziploc bag but leave one corner of the bag open. Place the bag/feather flat in the pyrex dish leaving the ziploc seal side up so the water doesn't come out. (The pyrex dish is there basically to catch any that does.) Make sure the entire feather is covered with liquid.
Now we are going to steam the feather. Place the Pyrex dish/bag into the microwave and nuke it for 2 minutes. The let it rest for another 2 minutes. Then nuke it again for another 2 minutes. Carefully remove from the microwave, its hot and check your color. If it is too light back in for another 2 minutes and so on. You can add more water to the bag if the water level gets to low.
Remove the feather, rinse, and place on some paper towels to dry. Let it dry naturally. Heat and feathers don't go together so don't use a hair dryer or you will make it brittle, also the reason the feather is entirely covered with water in the bag.
I bought a wooden calligraphy pen at Borders, cut it up, drilled a hole in one end for the quill to slide in and painted it green for the nib portion. I'll glue the pom on next and be done.
Any questions feel free to ask.
