If you are interested in learning how to quilt feathers you might be interested in taking Suzanne Earley's FEATHER BOOT CAMP which begins Feb 7, 2011.
This is an on-line class designed for long-arm quilters, but is applicable to domestic machines also. She teaches you how to get comfortable DRAWING feathers before you try it on the machine. I've taken the class before and learned a LOT! Check it out at Machine Quilter's Resource: http://mqresource.com/forum/index.php?app=ccs

Suzanne is a great teacher, no matter what your skill level.