Friday, November 26, 2010

Covered

Creative Every Day/Flickr Project 365 photo for 11/26/2010: 
My second ever homemade (drop cloth) slip cover!
Here's the story:

My dream chair is this beauty - the Ektorp from IKEA.  
Oh, how I drool for this chair.  It calls to me.
~A I M E E~
~A I M E E~

However...
...we have this slightly old and tired (and grumpy looking) chair, free from Paul's grandmother.  It has only a wee hole in the top and is functioning rather well in the living room.  I can't see dropping hundreds of bucks for new furniture when this furniture still works (many hundreds if I get a matching set of chairs and the loveseat (gasp), oh Ektorp how I pine for you).  I'm just not going to do it!  Plus, we've had an eclectic mix of cast-offs and hand-me-downs for so long, I'm just not sure I could handle the newness and the matchy-matchy-ness of new and unused furniture.  While I really, really like the look in other people's homes, in mine, I'd probably miss the stories and the personality of all this funky junk!

SO...I took the lessons learned from my first slip cover, another large drop cloth, and 6 hours on Monday while Annie was home recuperating from a cold to sew up another cover.  (The pressure of imminent Thanksgiving guests kept me stitching away, no time for whining!)  The arms came out much better this time although something really funky happened along the sides, but I'm not getting into those details with y'all!  Overall, I'm very pleased with this one.  

The girls seem to like it too!
The math:
free chair = $ 0.00
drop cloth = $19.98
ikea pillow = $20.00
project cost $40.00
My beloved Ektorp chair is $400.  Cha-ching!

And, when our heavily attended and highly energetic Thanksgiving party was underway- I didn't worry one lick about messes.  These babies just get better with each wash.

I can live quite nicely with my real-life solution.  
Ektorp...I'll still visit you in my dreams!
UPDATE: The IKEA names make me giggle and I like it.  I've decided to  name my chair the "Grumptorp".

Linking to:
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
 




Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating