 |
Everyone gets tired of hearing the screen door open and close in good weather. This screen allows silent movement in and out of the house without letting the bugs in. Cats and dogs love this screen because it allows them to come and go as they please. A similar version can be made for unscreened windows and just held in place on all four sides for a screened-in-porch effect.
Stripes look great as a border of the screen, and they provide an easy guide to cut on. None of the sewing required is complex, but if it seems like too much for you, coerce a crafty friend into helping.
Materials:
1 roll of fiberglass screening
A length of medium-weight cotton fabric at least 4 inches longer than the height of your door opening
Thread to match fabric
Drapery chain- weight tape (see Notes)
Tools:
Scissors
Sewing machine
Iron and ironing board
Hand sewing needle
Pencil
Grommet tool (see Notes)
Nails or hooks, for hanging
Notes: Chain-weight tape can be obtained at fabric and drapery stores. Grommets can also be put in professionally at many fabric stores.
Directions:
1. Using scissors, cut fiberglass screening to a size 2 inches wider and 2 inches longer than the size of the door opening for which it is being made.
2. Cut two strips 8 inches wide from your cotton fabric equal in length to the length of the screen.
3. Cut two strips 8 inches wide from your cotton fabric that measures 3 inches longer than the width of the screen.
4. Lay the cotton strips wrong side up on work surface or ironing board. Fold each long side in so that it meets the center of strip- the 2 long sides should be parallel down the middle of the strip. Using iron, press the long sides of the cotton strips in so that they just meet in the center. Fold over in half again and press with iron to form a finished binding strip. Repeat with remaining strips.
5. Set out one of the long strips and open in half like a book. Lay long edge of fiberglass screening onto the cotton strip so the screen edge butts up to the center fold in the cotton strip. Close the cotton strip, sandwiching the screen inside it.
6. With needle and thread to match your fabric, baste the folded cotton strip to the screen about ¼ inch from the inner edge of the binding. Repeat steps 5 and 6 on opposite long side of the screening with remaining long strip.
7. Lay shorter strip over top of screening in the same manner as the long sides were set. Center the cotton strip on the screen, leaving a 1 ½" overhang on both sides. To remove some fabric bulk from corners, trim away the inner fold of the cotton strip back to the width of the screen. Repeat on opposite side of strip.
8. Remove folded cotton strip from the end of the screen. Fold and press ends of folded cotton strip. Re-press the centerfold of the folded cotton strip. Sandwich the end of the screen inside strip as before and baste strip to screening.
9. Baste a length of chain-weight tape on bottom edge of screen, leaving a 2-inch strip on each end without weights to avoid running into them when finishing edge on the sewing machine. Bind and baste the remaining end of the screen (repeat steps 7 and 8).
10. Using a sewing machine, stitch the inside edge of the 2 long sides back, stitching at the beginning and end of each stitch line.
11. Stitch the inside edge of the 2 short sides back, stitching at the beginning and end of each stitch line.
12. Mark the unweighted end of the screen for 3 grommet holes- one at each end (about ¾ inch in) and one in the center of the top edge. Use a grommet tool to attach grommets or have the grommets professionally done at a local fabric store.
13. Hang the screen on 3 nails or hooks in the doorframe.