First comes the hunt, which is not Michelle Friddle’s department, but her husband, Kevin, son, Logan, and daughter, Chelsea, bring home the pheasants and other foul, and Friddle makes fanciful things.

Michelle Friddle started creating feather art in 2018, and she has made nearly 4,000 items since then. She first got into it when her granddaughters, Miranda and Lydia, suggested that she try it.

“In 2018, Miranda and Lydia saw their mama and their uncle and their papa come in with some pheasant feathers,” Michelle Friddle said. “They had gone pheasant hunting. And the girls came in and asked me if I could make some hair bows with the pheasant feathers, and I said, ‘Oh, I’ve never worked with pheasant feathers before, or any type of feathers.'”

But that got her thinking that it might be fun.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Chelsea Friddle models a feathered hat fashioned by her artist mother, Michelle Friddle.

“So I’ve learned how to dry them, how to sanitize them, and how to piece them together,” she said. “And the girls wore the headbands to school, and the bows, and a lot of people were commenting on their hair bows because they’re so unique. The business expanded, and they started going to shows with me and explaining to people how I made them.”

She started waking up with new inspiration for projects to design.

“I started out with hair clips, then went into boutonnieres, feather pins, and then I started going into hats and hat bands, magnets, magnetic pins,” Friddle said.

She started framing her work about a year ago. She also makes feather trees as table decor, placemats, coasters, and Christmas ornaments.

When she sits down to work with the feathers, she doesn’t know exactly what she’s going to make. She lets God guide her hands to create whatever is meant to be.

Courtesy Photo Feather artist Michelle Friddle creates unique trees, ornaments, coasters, art, placemats, headbands, and much more with feathers. A feather tree is seen above.

“God puts it all there,” she said. “I have no idea how it’s going to turn out until I’m completely finished … That’s what’s so fascinating about this type of art because it is a complete surprise to me when it’s finished.”

The process is lengthy, as the feathers need to be plucked and prepped before they are ready to work with.

“The pheasant is one of the cleanest animals, to begin with,” she said. “So, when the pheasant is brought home, they dress it, they clean it up, and I take the feathers, and Borax is put on top of them, and they set for about a month-and-a-half until they’re completely dried.”

She loves that each piece is truly unique, and cannot be replicated.

“Every pheasant is completely different, even though they all look the same,” Friddle explained. “It is how God made everything different. When I work on feathers, every single one has different lines in it. Some have different textures. The colors, you can hardly ever match again, even though they all look the same.”

Courtesy Photo Feather artist Michelle Friddle creates unique trees, ornaments, coasters, art, placemats, headbands, and much more with feathers. A headband is seen above.

And, in case you were wondering, Michelle Friddle is also a great cook, which she has passed on to Chelsea and her granddaughters, so they certainly don’t let any of those pheasants go to waste. They spend a lot of time cooking and crafting at Michelle and Kevin Friddle’s home, affectionately dubbed “Friddle Farm” at Lost Lake Woods Club.

In addition to hunting all over the country and bringin home the goods, Friddle’s husband Kevin does all the framing, matting and shipping as well.

“We smoke all the food that he brings home, and it feeds the family and friends,” Friddle said. “Then I preserve the feathers by putting them into my art.”

Friddle and about 30 other crafters will be at Lost Lake Woods Club in the lower level of the clubhouse from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. Her work is also on display in the gift shop at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan. To reach Friddle, email her at friddlebird1@gmail.com or call 734-755-9486.

“I guarantee all my work,” she said of her colorful creations.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Feather artist Michelle Friddle creates unique trees, ornaments, coasters, art, placemats, headbands, and much more with feathers. Framed feather art is seen above.

She saves some feathers from each bird for replacements or touch-ups to her designs.

“I also work with snow geese, and grouse, and woodcock,” she added. “I love preserving the beauty from that animal, and putting it into art. It’s so amazing. I love it.”

Courtesy Photo Feather artist Michelle Friddle creates unique trees, ornaments, coasters, art, placemats, headbands, and much more with feathers. A placemat is seen above.

Courtesy Photo Logan, Jager, and Kevin Friddle pose with the pheasants they bagged on a hunt in South Dakota.

Courtesy Photos Michelle and Kevin Friddle love family, including two of their dogs pictured above, Mateo and Cooper.

Courtesy Photo Puppy Max is seen between the Friddles’ granddaughters Lydia and Miranda.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Feather artist Michelle Friddle created this intricate hat band.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Feather artist Michelle Friddle creates unique trees, ornaments, coasters, art, placemats, headbands, and much more with feathers. An ornament is seen above.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Above is feather art made by Michelle Friddle.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Above is feather art made by Michelle Friddle.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Above is feather art made by Michelle Friddle.