I need to make a badminton birdie (aka shuttlecock) I've tried fondant. I didn't like this way it was too heavy looking. Now I am working with gum paste and I'm having trouble keeping all the pieces to stay together. I made the feathers and "legs" and let them dry and sticking them into a newly formed ball tip. But it's still too fragile. Ugh.

I've never worked with modeling chocolate do you think this will work? Do you have any other ideas?

Thanks much.
Mary

Just my thoughts:
I would try to make one that is not actual overlapping feathers, but more like this plastic one:
http://prodigysportspei.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/n58_b1.gif
I would use flexible royal icing (like SugarVeil but make it yourself, see http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-691099.html) to pipe the non-ball part, wait until it is dry but still flexible, wrap it around the ball and attach (with melted chocolate?), then put it over something sort of cone-shaped until it was completely dry.
I have not actually done this, but that's how I would go about it if I did want to make one.
Good luck!

Shanter-
Thanks! I never heard of flexible royal icing. I'll give it a try.
Thanks for your thoughts. Hopefully, with a little luck this WILL turn out!

Mary