afternoon art project

My little ones and I vandalized my first Singer sewing machine this afternoon. The poor old gal doesn't work very well anymore (she's getting moody in her old age) so she was sacrificed for the sake of Mod Podge.

In the new book "The Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing," Kathy Cano Murillo used buttons to Crafty Chica-fy a sewing machine. Genius! We decided to go a messier route and basically finger painted with glue. BTW, how many washings does it take to get Mod Podge out of a 2 year old's hair? Hmmmm.

Anyone who knows me well knows that as soon as I get a project "bug" I have to get to it RIGHT NOW. After lunch I had phoned the hubby: "Do you have an atlas anywhere?"

"No, I don't think so." Note to self - buy him an atlas for Christmas.

I took an impatient look around my sewing room and a lightbulb went off. Duh - a map of Iowa maybe? I phoned the hubby again: "Do you have a map of Iowa?"

"No, I don't think so. Maybe in the truck?" I know by this point he's probably wondering what in the world he was going to come home to tonight (he knows me well). His fingernails are still stained green from spray-painting a gaudy frame found at the antique mall last weekend. It's now my new bulletin board!

I headed to the truck and found a map in the console, but randomly it was Minnesota. Happily I realized Minnesota will work much better, Minnesota has way more lakes than Iowa so the blues will match my sewing room (did the designer giddy dance). 2nd note to self - buy him a new Minnesota map for Christmas.

The next hour was spent tearing up the map and affixing the pieces to the Singer. Luckily the itty bitty cooperated and stayed sleeping in her bouncer while her older sisters and I gave the machine its mappy makeover.

The old gal is now officially retired, sitting happily next to my beloved Grandma's green sewing box on my craft table.