Couch: Reloaded

Way back, over twelve years ago, just before Matt and I got married, we bought a couch and a matching chair. No engagement ring, no fancy wedding, but by Jove, we had a couch! It worked out very well for us, for a few years. The couch was still comfy and sturdy and all that, but the fabric looked terrible- all faded and stained. So, I got a big idea in my little brain, and my over-achieving self decided to re-upholster the furniture myself.

Which I did. Slipcovered, to be precise. At that point we had two children, and I'd seen what they could do furniture. I needed something I could peel off and throw in the wash if a kid threw up all over the couch. Which has happened, more times than you might think is even possible. Those covers lasted a few years before they, too, became faded, stained, and torn. So I made new covers, sometime after baby #4 was born judging by old pictures.
The red covers lasted a few years, and were starting to become very faded and worn. I wanted to wait until after we moved to re-upholster yet again, but my hand was forced when a small hole appeared in the arm of a chair. And as anyone with children knows, a small hole will be made into a bigger hole, and bigger hole, until the entire arm of the chair was hanging off. Here is the work in progress: the faded blue is the original upholstery.
And here is the finished product. I've gotten pretty good at this kind of project, but it is a huge pain in the rear and makes an enormous mess out of the house. I think I ordered 35 yards of fabric, that came on several 5-foot long bolts. I've learned that it's better to just dig in and get the whole mess over with in few days, and let the kids run wild and the house fall into shambles, than to try and do a little bit every day and have it drag on for weeks. I picked a sturdier fabric this time, in a color that I call a cross between muddy dog and spilled coffee, so hopefully this effort will last a little longer this time.