Burlap: Fail.

My sister-in-law introduced me to Ballard Designs back in the fall, and I must say I immediately fell in love with the styles I saw!  Knowing that we would be purchasing a new home, I began to fold pages over, file ideas away, and plan for incorporating this style into my home.  When we finally moved in, several months later, I took an afternoon and perused the latest catalog.  What struck me?  Burlap.  Burlap drapes, burlap pillows, burlap message boards, the possibilities were endless!  I'm on a rather small budget for decorating our home, so I was even more thrilled to find that I could purchase a yard of burlap for less than $2!  I was hooked.  I placed my order, paid more to have it shipped more quickly, and eagerly awaited the day when I would be hanging my 'knock off' Ballard burlap drapes in my family room.

The long awaited day arrived and I laid out the fabric to cut it.  My little girls happened to to be awake (I couldn't wait until nap time), and my youngest was playing near the table as I cut.  A few minutes passed after I had finished cutting it out, and I noticed that my youngest's face was rather puffy and red around her eyes.  Her skin gets irritated easily by many things, so I knew at once that she had rubbed against the burlap and was reacting to it.  Ugh!  My thrifty designer drapery idea was now a failure!  I can't have burlap drapes hanging from my windows, well within the reach of a young child whose face will swell every time she touches it.  So, my burlap is a fail.  I will use the cut pieces to make some of the other items that inspired me, ones that will hang on the wall, well out of reach.  Now, I'm back to square one with drapery ideas.  Muslin? Linen look fabric?  While I await my decision, I'm moving on to another room of the house.

Anyone want to buy 6 yards of burlap?