If at first you don't succeed... | Week 46 | #52wonderfilledweeks

I'm back! On time!! Woo hoo!!! I have such a large list of things I still want to make this year and the weeks are dwindling away...this is Week 46...which means I only have 6, SIX(!!!) weeks left in my #52wonderfilledweeks challenge.  How crazy is that? This week's project is admittedly simple, BUT, so needed.  We live in a 1920's Chicago, brick bungalow.  We love this house.  The wood accents, the plaster walls, the old skeleton keyed doors.  But when the weather changes the house shifts and some doors don't stay shut.  Well, okay, ONE door doesn't stay shut.  It's the door from our kitchen into my horn studio which is the old back door to the house.  The door doesn't actually latch anymore...and come to think of it I could probably take the old lock off and see if I could fix it...I guess I'll add that to the house list.  In the meantime we've just dealt with it.  It's not really an issue unless we have guests staying with us because that is where the extra bed is, or when I am playing my horn.  It sort of drives me nuts to have the door pop open, especially at 10:30 at night when I am practicing something really loud and boisterous.  My practicing doesn't really bother the kids when they're sleeping but I still try and limit the sound bleed. 

Anyways, for years we've just hung a kitchen towel over the top of the door to keep it in place. 

It totally looks 'janky' and I have hated it but didn't quite know how to fix it.  Then I thought I could make a nice, top of the door, strip with some interfacing and maybe some buckwheat in the ends to weigh it down...and I was almost ready to cut it out when I remembered the "latchy catchy"... if you have kids you've seen these...a simple piece of fabric that loops over both handles on a door and keeps the latch from making an audible 'click' but still allows you to shut the door.  Duh...why I didn't think of this like...years ago...but I digress. 

I started by measuring the distance between the two knobs.  Once I got my measurements I added one inch, to account for a half inch seam allowance.  So I cut my outside fabric 5.5" x 4". 

I also grabbed some elastic and pins and figured out how large a loop I would need.  I wanted the door catch to be snug. 

I cut some thick, fusible interfacing.  I cut the interfacing 1/8th inch SMALLER than my finished size.  Turning and top-stitching with interfacing is a pain...trust me.

I sandwiched my outer pieces with right sides facing and marked half way down on each of the short sides for where my elastic loops would go. 

With everything pinned in place I sewed around the door catch with a half inch seam allowance.  Once done I clipped my corners and turned the catch inside out. 

A quick press of the iron and I was ready to put my interfacing in.  I rolled it up and slide it inside the door catch.  It took a little finesse but I got it all in and square.  I pressed it with the iron again and then top-stitched around the catch twice.  Once about 1/8" from the edge and again about 1/2" from the edge of the catch.

This picture is just to show how I cut the interfacing smaller than the finished size!

I was super excited and ran to the door to test it out...it was perfect...except it didn't seem "fat" enough to keep the door closed.  I closed the door and walked into another room for a second and when I returned the door was popped open...FAIL.  I thought, well I will just make a new one tomorrow...but then I had a nagging feeling that I should just fix it tonight.  I had already cut a second piece of interfacing so I buckled down and seam ripped the top-stitching. I had to open up the catch and pop the second piece of interfacing in.  Another quick set of top-stitching...and I was finally done! The second piece worked, the door is secure (at least so far) and this is more secure than a strip of something flung over the top of the door.  It's also so quiet.  I told Super I may have to make a few more for other doors in our house!

Happy to also report that I lucked out and I can still use the dead bolt if needed! You can see it below the door catch.