I'm getting into Feather Flowers and I have a question about sleeve productions. I may have missed this in the search so feel free to point me to another post if it is available.
The question I have is do you allow the flowers to float freely in the sleeve or do you use a cloth holder of some type pinned into the sleeve?
What work best and what is best for the flowers so they last as long as possible.

It all depends at what point in your act or show you are going to produce them. In addition, you have to consider if you are going to use the same hiding place for other things.

See Pat Pages method for producing Feather Flower Bouquets.

Abbott's Magic is the only dealer that makes sleeve holders to my knowledge.

I make the sleeve bouquet holders. Sleeve bouquet holder have to be properly made to hold the bouquets or else you have resistance the entire length of the bouquet as you produce it.

There are lots of way to load and use sleeve bouquets other than the sleeve. Unfortnately, because of their name that is the only way people think to use them. It is still a good way to produce them. But you have add a little thinking.

If I am opening with a sleeve production, I usually do not use a holder. Unless it is extremely hot and I feel that I would perspire and damage the flowers. I have never used one in my sleeve in over 35 years of performing. It is last thing loaded so it is only in there a couple of minutes. If I body load it or produce it deeper into the act, I use a holder.

Pat Page's production is good. Jeff McBride as a variation on it. I do a think called Hoopla which is on Youtube which also plays very, very well. My dvd gives a lot ways to produce sleeve bouquets, take care of them and selection. You are very wise to want to protect them as the cost of producing good quality bouquets is constantly going up. I recently had another $25 a pound increase in the cost of feathers with over 80% waste in that pound. Unfornately, it does not look like anything is going to improve in that direction.

There are a lot of posts on feathers flowers that you can search through on the Café. It is worth the research to get the most bang for your buck.

Richard

I've seen, over the years, "magicians" BUTCHER sl**ve bouquet "productions". They seemed to think that "fast" will fool 'em! By all means, as Bill has noted, Get the PAT PAGE, VHS tape, or DVD (I can't recall the title)in which Pat performs the bouquets (2).

And, yes, holders make the loads more secure, and protect those expensive swan feathers, too. You can make your own from the "sleeves" that come with those folding umbrellas.

FINALY, I hope you have planned on WHERE YOU WILL DISPLAY THEM, OR DISPOSE OF THEM AFTER PRODUCTION!!!!! Some years ago, I watched a New York "PROFESSIONAL" produce 2 bouquets, and then he HUNG THEM UPSIDE DOWN, BY THE RINGS, ON THE EDGE OF HIS "NITE CLUB" TABLE! It was ludicrous! (I could picture RICHARD HUGHES cringing at the sight!)

PS: You want the spectators to see the FLOWERS, not the green foliage and your fist! Hold the bouquets with the flowers "pointing" at the people!

I never used bouquets when working schools. Too many gymnasiums had MERCURY VAPOR LIGHTS! Beautiful RICE silks and bouquets looked like RAGS, and ??? from the COLD LIGHT.

A top hat or empty pot works well to put the bouquets in after production. When you work a single as Dick and I did, you have plan when and where everything will go when it is done.

Here is the link of me doing Hoopla at Abbotts....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf1Lt9lkuf8. There are also other links to other sleeve bouquet productions.

And don't shake them after you produce them.....you are telegraphing that they collapse!

Richard

I have used a cut out portion from nylon stockings for the last 40 years to hold my flower bouquets. It has worked for me very well, as you load it from the top (ring first) and take it out from the bottom. I use for body loads and apparatus loads, as it keeps them secure.

Great advice has been given already.

The barehanded production that Dick Oslund refers to is in "Secret Seminars of Magic - London Stage Lecture (Pat Page)". It is a great production. I have only done it as an opener but it could be done later on in show if you place this in a holder. However, producing this at the beginning of the show makes for a great, fast production. And it lets your audience know that they are in for a treat. I have this on videotape. I still see it available here and there. He also discusses the Miser's Dream on that tape if memory serves me well.

Richard Hughes' Hopla routine is a nice routine that I sometimes do at the beginning of my kid shows. He discusses this on his Feather Flower Magic Lecture DVD and he also has it as a printed routine which has notes and photos describing how to do the routine. Lately, I have been drawing multiple flowers on the newsprint that goes into the embroidery hoop..... so I draw this prior to the show. I do this routine after introductions holding the hoop in my right hand then transfer it to my left when it is time to do this since I am right handed.

I can't say I prefer one over the other. I like them both. And both delight audiences. I have a nice-looking "vase" (tough plastic or light metal) in which to place the flowers so they decorate the set for the rest of the show.

I have a handful of Richard's sleeve bouquet holders. I can only speak about those although I know others make them. I have both the single as well as the double load sleeve holders. They work like a charm for me as they can be adjusted for lighter r tighter hold of the sleeve. Although I do use them in my sleeve, many times I also have them placed in other parts of my jacket or vest. The holders do offer more protection. But how you transport them from home to show and vice versa as well as how you keep them stored is as, if not more, important.

The best DVD to purchase when learning feather flowers is the lecture of Richard Hughes. The best feather flower book is "Feather Flowers from nowhere" by David Ginn. I recommend both for starters.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll be doing this as an opener for the quick flash and color to grab attention.
I was lucky enough to have a friend give me 4 of Abbott's bouquets so I thought I would give them a try.
I have the David Ginn book on order and I'll check into Richard's DVD as well. I need to check with L&L, they were offering Patrick Page stuff as downloads so this info may be there.

The flower effect of Patrick Page is also in his book, "Big Book of Magic." http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Magic-Pat......8527016X

It is also demonstrated on the IMS tape series. I think it is called cabaret magic. Jeff McBride teaches a version in his lecture and it may be in his book. Jeff is using my bouquets for this.
Richard

Richard that is a nice opening production. I like the splitting of the flowers. is there a discription?

Yes in the Lecture notes or on the video. That is a combination of Hoopla and Multiplying flowers.

Richard

I have Richard's video. I enjoy watching it again and again. Feather Flowers is a great effect to use. His video is the magic DVD I evered watched the most.

Just downloaded Jeff McBride's Penguin Live where he goes through the Pat Page flower bouquet production technique. I must say it is really helpful to watch Jeff do it at various speeds. Here is a link to the Magic Café thread on that episode: https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view......c=612922

I currently am using a vanishing cane to flowers followed by a Marshall Garden of Flowers as the starter for my platform act. I am toying with adding the bare hand production at the start. But instead of clapping I would point with the cane knob tapping the front and back of hand. My question is how important is the clapping sound to the effectiveness? I would lose that cue with the cane. But 'circling' the bouquet with the cane instead of using a hand actually looks better to my eye.

More information. The motivation for the routine is when I walk on stage I am walking like I am strolling through. This is to music. There is a sign which says "Flower Competition - $50 Prize" on the floor in front of small table with foulard and a pot on top. So I make a sudden stop and mouth "fifty dollars!". Then I transform cane into plumes which breaks into three pieces (I converted threads to magnets). I "arrange" these in the pot (which is much too big for such a small amount) and look at it disparagingly. Then I lift up the pot, take the foulard, and produce the flowers as Richard Hughes shows in his DVD and demo video. The routine ends with the bare hand production of spring bills and a ribbon saying "1st place". It is a simple plot that works well for the family shows.

But I really like the power of the bare hand production as a first attention getter. So I am thinking I could add it first, then cane transformation, then garden of flowers. Basically three progressive stages. Thoughts?

Hello Frank!
I'm sure that you already know, but, for the 'new guys', I would like to STRESS the "handling' in the actual production from the foulard.

I've seen far too many, hold the foulard, and, reach underneath to PULL THE BOUQUET DOWN FROM THE FOULARD. (The flowers "appear" at just above the knees of the magician!!!!!!!) They should appear no lower than the performer's waist. (Unless performing on a platform or stage, only those in the front row, see the flowers appear!!!!!!!!!) Grab the flower ring, and, LIFT THE FOULARD!!!!!

I used a "Jr. Garden of Flowers" production when I did a short tour for a phone promoter, years ago. In rehearsing, I quickly learned to hold the foulard "inside out", so that the bouquet rings were VISIBLE to ME! (No fumbling, "searching" for the ring!) Then LIFT the foulard quickly to unveil the flowers.

You are absolutely right to stress the handling, it makes all the difference! This is my first year really using feather flowers. I was inpired by Dynamike's thread where he shares development of his fine act. So I was lucky to start off right with the advice here. I picked up a copy of Richard's lecture notes when visiting Tannen's shop on a business trip to New York. Those boxes of lecture notes is one of the best secrets in magic. Then Richard was kind enough to sell me via mail a DVD of his lecture...pure gold. My foulard is identical to his so I could replicate his handling.

I am now through six shows with the cane & open hand production elements. Turns out it is working best to do a color changing cane to flowers before the bare handed production. What I did was add a sunflower picture to the sign. I "rub" the cane to the stem of the picture and the cane turns green. This alone gets a gasp. Then, looking satisfied, I rub the cane to the bloom of the picture and the cane turns into flowers. The cane plume breaks into three parts which I "arrange" in the flower pot. The cane gimmick gets dumped in the pot during this and the FF ring gets moved from under watch band to c*****c p**m position for bare hand Page production with clap and circling hand ala McBride. The blooms on the cane plume are open style but small relative to sleeve bouquet so the progression still works. The pot is lifted to retrieve foulard and then it is into garden of flowers ala Hughes.

I've now decided to add a trophy production to the routine to replace the ribbon. Plan is to create a new sign which is gimmicked as a temple screen. The trophy will be "cup" style and will be gimmicked to produce loose spring bills similar to the way morrissey fire bowl produces spring flowers. Of course lifting up trophy gives an applause cue like you teach, Dick.

It is turning out to be a "tight" opener to music. Very easy to perform but really sets stage.

By the way, Richard H., did you know Jeff McBride gave you a very nice shout out in his recorded lecture?

I played the theater in Rockford Illinois where Harry SR. "broke in", his flower act! It was a grand old house that had been totally "done over" since the '30s!!!

I MC'd a "double header" Christmas Party for a corporation about 40+ years ago (8 ACTS!). Your flower routine would have played well. there!!!

For anyone researching the topic , who hasn't seen the Patrick Page handling mentioned abovd, here are two brief clips showing him performing it.

Claps his hands and BOOM the flowers appear. You couldn't really ask for a better flash opener.



He teaches it on a video called 'Patrick Page Lecture - Misdirection' ,available as a DVD from Patrick Page Magic (run by Pat Page's daughter and her husband) https://patrickpagemagic.co.uk/product/p......ion-dvd/ or you can get it as an Instant Download video file -
https://patrickpagemagic.co.uk/product/p......ownload/

This was previously released as Secret Seminars of Magic with Patrick Page; London Stage Lecture. There's a lot of other great magic covered in this lecture aside from the excellent flower production.

Baffling Bill Schulert's two-handed production is very nice, too.