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Gray cat half sleeping (very content) in a blue butterfly chair
Gray cat half sleeping (very content) in a blue butterfly chair
Brown, black, and red tortoisehsell cat sitting in newly finished blue butterfly chair
newly finished blue butterfly chair in bedroom
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another close-up of where old butterfly chair cover fits over frame - frame is poking through, seams are ripped
close-up of where old butterfly chair cushion fit over the frame - it is ripped, seams popped, in need of repair or replacement
close-up of cushion of old pink and brown butterfly chair, showing rip in the seat, covered in cat fur
pink and brown store-bought butterfly chair in college, surrounded by books, technology, and knitting projects

My "butterfly chair" had gotten kind of ragged. I got it at Target when I was in high school, and after 3 or for 4 years of using it at home and then 4 more years of using it at college, it needed an upgrade. The frame was still good, but the fabric part was shot. How hard could it be to just sew a new one? I thought. This whole project was an improvisation, but it turned out pretty well.

The main issue with the old cover was that, where the cover fit over the frame, the seams had ripped over time and the frame was poking through. So, in my version, I tried not to have seams at those high impact areas of the cover - folding it over instead, so the fabric would receive most of the force (rather than a seam of thread), and it would be distributed over a wider area. I also build into two "pockets" that fit over the frame - the main one, made of the bottom fabric (duck cloth), and also a backup, made of the top fabric (upholstery fabric).

I couldn't resist personalizing it by sewing the outline of a seriffed "E" into the back. Then, I used bias tape to finish the edges. The two main cats in my life each gave it their seal of approval!