Animal farm for your tree wreath, table - Christmas decorations

Sunset, Dec, 1986

Animal farm for your tree, wreath, table

Barnyard ornaments made with white cotton fabric offer irresistible painting surfaces. Aim for a realistic look or make the animals as fanciful as you wish.

For 10 to 12 ornaments, you'll need:

1/2 yard tightly woven white cotton, such as pima, 45 inches wide ($4 to $6 a yard)

White cotton thread

White dental floss, waxed or unwaxed

Small bag polyester stuffing (about $3)

Acrylic paints ($3 to $7 per 2-ounce tube; blue is most expensive)

Tracing paper

Carbon paper

Tools include straight pins, scissors, a sewing machine, a darning needle, and a small paintbrush.

On tracing paper, draw animal outlines 1/8 inch larger than images above to allow for stuffing. Make separate patterns for ram's horns and dog's ears. With carbon paper, transfer outlines to fabric pieces.

To assemble each ornament, pin marked fabric piece to an unmarked one. Baste along penciled outline, leaving a 1 1/2-inch stuffing hole on animal back or chicken stomach and a 1/2-inch opening on ram's horns and dog's ears. Machine-stitch. Cut out pattern, allowing a 1/4-inch seam; clip fabric at angles and curves. Remove pins.

Turn animal inside out. Starting with small features like legs or beak, pack taut with stuffing. Stitch hole closed. Stuff ram's horns loosely, dog's ears not at all.

Draw quilting lines (visible in picture above), then sew with a running stitch.

Paint animals with acrylics. After the paint dries, hand-stitch on the ram's horns and dog's ears. For the cow's tail, twist two pieces of string together and sew on at two points.

Photo: Ornaments are pictured here full size. Draw each about 1/8 inch bigger than shown to allow for stuffing

Twist some twine for Bossy's tail

Seashell-shaped ram's horn stitches on separately

To convert cluck-cluck to cock-a-doodle-doo, enlarge chicken's tail and comb

If you want a real cottontail, don't trace bunny's rear tuft; add a cotton ball instead

Simple shape makes goose the easiest to sew and stuff

For Fido's floppy ears, leave stuffing out

Stuff long legs and nose first; later, paint Old Paint a bright color

Photo: Machine-stitch along outline, through two fabric layers. If you prefer, hand-sew details

Photo: Quilt through fabric and stuffing using darning needle threaded with dental floss

Photo: Draw designs on stuffed fabric, then fill in with paint. Put on background colors first