Arts and Crafts

Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria

In Nigeria, a special cloth is made by painting designs with paint that resists the indigo dye that is later used to color it. The cloth is named for combination of designs painted on it. Some cloths even tell a story. This design is filled with all kinds of birds.

"All the Birds are Here" Nigerian cloth

Materials needed:

Muslin
Yellow crayons
1" wide brush
Blue liquid fabric dye
Small bowl
Newspaper
Masking tape

Cut the fabric into squares for the crafters.. For efficiency, you may wish to cut the muslin into 15 inch squares to avoid wasting yardage. You can make larger pieces if you wish.

Tape the muslin to a table so that it stays flat for coloring. With yellow crayon, draw all over the fabric large birds similar to those shown. You can add geometric borders and designs, other animals, people, or the sun and moon, also. Use bold heavy strokes. Make up your own story as you color.

Spread a thick layer of newspaper on the floor. Remove the tape from the cloth and put the cloth on the newspaper, taping it down at the corners.

Dilute the fabric dye by putting one capful into a bowl, and adding water. Stir with the brush and test to see that it is diluted enough to let the crayon drawings show through. Carefully paint over the whole cloth, then remove the tape from the corners to paint those. Let dry, and you can then display your Nigerian bird cloth on a wall or table.