Feather boas, feathered hats, feather costumes -- you can find them in just about every novelty store or on stages across the nation, but they're created right here in Fort Myers.

S.A. Feather Company is a fourth generation businesses that began in South Africa. Now its owner is living his American dream.

Welcome to S.A. Feather Company. When the work bell tolls, workers toil to turn out thousands of feathered goods.

"A lot of the art forms that we've carried for the last 100 years are art forms today that just cannot be automated. We do everything by hand," Darren Samuel, owner, says.

Individual ostrich feathers are hand-sewn one on top of the other, plucked up to create a plush carpet of feathers that are fringed to a curl and measured.

"We supply all of the Masonic Lodge plumes, the Knights Templar, the Knights of Columbus -- that's one of the things we've done for nearly a century," Samuel says.

You'll see these feathers featured from Florida...

"This is a Price Alli feather," Samuel says. "Mickey's Parade, Walt Disney, Orlando, FL is where you'll see it!"

To Las Vegas.

"We did some plumes for Bette Midler's show," Samuel says.

Show-stopping costumes are created between designers and Darren Samuel.

"In this department right here, we have ladies assembling plumes for our marching band division," Samuel says as he takes WINK News for an inside tour.

"Bands are no longer 40, 50 kids; now you have 250 kids in a band, and we're one of the people that do all of the marching band plume supply and manufacturing," Samuel says. "Styles, color, type -- we have the ability to die feathers to any color the market requires."

Then, products are shipped across the nation.

There are bags and boxes full of boas -- and billions of feathers...

"Here is one they call a zebra center tail. There are about two or three feathers on each bird," Samuel says. "It's just highly exotic."

But not one bird has been hurt.

"It's just the by-product of the turkey and chicken industry that we consume every day," Samuel says.

Samuel says his company has even created a line of feathers made to look like faux fur -- fox, raccoon, and chinchilla.

"If you wanted something really natural looking, people really don't know the difference. You could wear this by itself or on a jacket in the colder climate as a great value -- it's got a real style to it and phenomenal insulating factor," Samuel says.

Feather boas can retail for about $75. There are more than 2,500 feathers in just one boa, and the bone of each feather has to be shaved down so it's flexible and won't break.

Strips of stitched feathers are taken into the steam room where they are put on a special machine specifically made for S.A. Feather.

"This machine allows us to twist the boa into shape," Samuel says. "About half way through the twisting process we actually stroke the boa out so the feathers don't get twisted into the middle."

The boa will dry in the hot steam room, then it's back to the warehouse where it will wait to ship to stores across the country.

If you know something that would make a great "Maggie Monday,"email Maggie at maggie.crane@winktv.com.