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April 04, 2007
Around the House
Once again I have had many complex and profound thoughts about culture, politics, and the state of the world, but nary a moment to commit them to typed expression. So more ranting and raving about our domestic life will have to do.
RIP, gentle coffee maker.
It just stopped dead in its tracks this morning, mid-brew. It was threatening me with such action yesterday. And it has been complaining of "CALC" despite repeated flushes with vinegar. Alas, at least I can say that my marriage has outlasted my coffeemaker.
Ikea Hack
I do plan to submit this to Ikea Hacker. Basically, I hemmed these Ikea Merete curtains way too short originally. I was thinking of putting a contrasting color of a similar fabric at the bottom, to create the effect of these hellishly expensive linen curtains from West Elm. But, what I ended up doing was taking some of the discarded fabric from the original curtains and sewing it back on. Somehow just creating that seam line looked right. It draws the eye down and adds a slightly more sophisticated touch to cheap-ass curtains. Or at least I think so.
Posted by mwashburn at April 4, 2007 10:17 AMPosted to homeownership
Comments
So, wait, let me get this straight because I'm easily confused. You cut the bottom of the curtains off and then you sewed the bottoms back on? That's not really hacking an item, is it? Your original idea, yes, putting a different type of material on the bottom would have qualified.
Wouldn't that be like if I made cut offs out of jeans, and then sewed the legs back on? Now if I would have sewn camo legs on the bottom of the jeans, that would be sort of cool in a Red Neckerson way.
Posted by: Jez at April 5, 2007 05:44 AM
OK, I am just gonna defend myself here for a minute. I *do* think this qualifies as hacking an item (or at least hacking it up, ha ha). I didn't sew all the fabric back on, just about 14 inches (which is beside the point, since Ikea curtains always need hemming, I know). But, a seam is a legitimate design element when you're talking about fabric. I think the effect is quite different, and it is no longer the original as-packaged ikea item. If you took jeans and cut them off and sewed the legs back on, they would look different. There would be an element that you added and the effect and style would be other than that originally intended. Now, if you sewed camo legs on the bottom, I would probably talk about you behind your back.
Posted by: flygrrl at April 5, 2007 09:19 AM
Oh, okay, so you sewed just some of the material back on. I get it.
Posted by: Jez at April 6, 2007 05:29 AM
Well, Captain Sarcastic, if cutting a hole in something Ikea makes it an Ikea hack, then how can sewing something back on *not* be? And the whole point, really, is that now I am happy with my curtains, whereas before I wasn't.
Posted by: flygrrl at April 6, 2007 07:02 AM
I'm not being sarcastic, I just honestly didn't understand.
Posted by: Jesse at April 6, 2007 08:04 AM
OK, well, next time you're here, you can take a look. I think if you see them in person there really is a big difference. And, from a Textiles point of view, stitching/seams are a legitimate decorative element. I'm wearing a pair of pants today that have a stitched crease/seam down the fronts, which creates a really different look than without. Or maybe I am wrong and it's a lame-ass hack. Dunno.
Posted by: flygrrl at April 6, 2007 12:14 PM