Caught on Cot!

Found this seemingly never used cot at a rummage sale last week. 

I didn't need a cot.

But I bought a cot.

Now I am caught on cots.

Here is the frame unfolded and with the mattress pad off. 

Its in excellent shape.

Looks brand new.

Here is J. modeling the cot for me.

Sweet helper boy.

Why is this something I would buy, you might ask?  I am asking myself too.  And I think it's a couple reasons. 

One: My regular readers know that I have a sickness that requires me to amass as much silvery, metal, galvanized, wiry, metal things as possible.  I don't know what to name this sickness except the crow/raven disease.  Those creatures collect and amass shiny objects like the world might end unless they do so.  That's me, I guess.  I have the crow disease.

Two: Any time I see something, in this case the cot mattress, that I think I can recover or make pretty, I have to do it.  As seen in my ever evolving home.  Things must be aesthetically pleasing.  They must induce joy, wonder, curiosity, and a hip coolness yet timelessness, if I do say so myself.  Aren't these items more lovely to look at?  For me they are.  If something can be beautified, then it must be so.  When I saw this cot I just automatically thought cot/daybed/settee/summer-lounging-place.  SimpleSimon.  So a new cover it had to have.

I had thrifted a Ralph Lauren bed sheet at Goodwill with the intention of using it for my outdoor umbrellas (more on that later)(you know, hipster beautification and all).  Anyhow, it is flowery and shabby chic-ish, and summery, and I though it would make a nice simple cover for the cot mattress.  And it did.

I forgot to take pictures of the process but essentially it's just a huge pillow case.  The back has a three foot long overlap, like on the back of a pillow sham, and you just twist and manipulate the mattress into it until it all smooths out.  Do you know what I mean?  I am trying to think of how else I can explain it.  It starts out as three pieces of material, all the same width, but you cut the back pieces extra long.  Then before you sew it all together you just hem the edges of the back opening, overlap the back pieces to make them line up with your top piece, and sew a big rectangle.  SimpleSimon. 

Looks a little flat and uninviting?  It's actually quite comfortable and relaxing.  A great place to lounge around for the summer.  Check it out...

Don't you want to take a nap?!

Off to sew some leather, Jennette