MY SOFT SCULPTURE NATIVITY KIT

Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? The only thing is, time flies when you are not having so much fun, also. Recently, while making preparations for a group to put together  my Nativity Kit, I noticed the copywright date is 1986. Unreal, it was hard to realize that I designed this set that long ago.

It has been some time since I have done much fabric painting and my paints are getting rather decrepit and need updating. I have been looking for  dyes that I can use as paints without having to do a lot of mixing, rubber gloves-the whole nine yards. I think I have found the solution and this is the method we would be using with the group at the nursing home where my sister, Jackie, is the Activities Director in the Altzheimers Section. 

It was National Nursing Home Week and special activities had been planned for all week and it happened to be Hat Day. Jackie is one of those special people who thinks that just because a person has dementia or alzheimer's doesn't mean you should sit in a corner and vegetate. As you will see in the video, she has her people as active as possible, participating in as much as they can. There were art pieces in different media all around the walls that "her people" had created.   

You will meet Orville, Sarah, Ray, Gary and Mary who had a great time painting their figures. They were very diligent and determined to finish. They were also very particular in choosing the colors they wanted to use. Each  piece was truly their own from start to finish.

The fantastix painting tools that I decided to use worked really well. They are to be used with dyes, not paints. I didn't want to use paint brushes because they can get messy.  The fantastix tools need to be refilled from time to time using an eyedropper or by simply dipping into the dye as Mary loved doing as she painted Joseph. 

Magic Markers and fabric markers had been considered to use this day but Magic Markers have a tendency to bleed  and fabric markers don't last long when working on larger surfaces and neither is as economical as  dyes or paints.

The Nativity Kit is printed on muslin. Just cut apart and color in whatever method you choose. 

The pattern for The Nativity set is now available in My Pattern Store @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851  

Sew together all around leaving an opening for stuffing on the top side of each figure. Sew on bottom. 

Fill bottom with those plastic beads. [You can use rice or beans or whatever but those attract grimblies and grumblies] Stuff top tightly with fiberfill, batting or old nylon hose [I have told you I don't throw anything away!] Sew together opening.

The set can be used as puppets. Kids can use them.

A wall hanging, quilt or soft book can also be made using them.

Now, let's go watch Orville, Mary, Gary, Sarah and Ray create their masterpieces.

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MY FAVORITE RECIPES

For my favorite recipe today, I have chosen to share my fresh spinach salad. Now I do not like cooked spinach, no how-no way but love fresh spinach, so here goes.

FRESH SPINACH SALAD

1 head of lettuce

equal amount of fresh spinach

1 medium onion

1/2 pound bacon, fried crisp, broken

2 or 3 boiled eggs

DRESSING:

1 cup salad oil

1/3 cup catsup

1 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

may make dressing the day before and store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

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Thank you for joining me, I hope you enjoy the salad and crafting as much as I do.

Happy Homemaking and may God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott