Hanging Doors That Don't Fit

 Hello Readers. I was given these lovely antique doors. They came from my sister-in-law. They are really pretty but they are not a standard size. How could I hang and use them if they don't fit in my doorway? Let me show you what I did. 

I recommend having a handy assistant to help because these doors are heavy. 

These doors would be perfect for my closet but they are too short and too wide. I want them because they are pretty and if I hang them above the floor by a few inches, the air from the air vent in my closet can come out. The openings at the top will help with air circulation too. My bedroom is a long rectangle and there are no air vents on the end. When I had the original closet door closed, it blocked the HVAC from flowing freely. I removed the original door a few years ago. I had a curtain for a while... Anyway, let's hang these perfect doors. 

  

All of the original hardware needs to be removed to get it out of the way. It sticks out where we need a smooth surface and it won't look nice and neat with this extra hardware hanging around. It came out with some simple un-screwing and can be put back in place if I ever need to take the doors down. This is good for renters that might need to relocate. There is going to be very little damage or marking up of the walls. I think your landlord would approve. 

 

The next item you will need is 2 long pieces of wood or MDF trim like this. I used one piece on each side. They need to be as tall as the door frame. Natural wood boards would work but I picked this because it was already white like the area I am hanging my doors and I could skip painting and save myself some work. You can use what is easily available to you.

 

We measured and cut the pieces off so they matched the height of the door frame. We needed to make the wall level and flat with the door frame itself so we could hang the new doors flat without removing the door frame itself. No remodeling here!

 

We measured and hung these boards just above the floor trim. You can see that the door frame and these boards make a nice flat, level surface. We know that there are studs in the wall next to the door frame so we can drill and screw these boards to the wall and they will have a strong wood stud behind to connect with. We used screws long enough to go through the boards, the drywall, and into the studs. For us this was about 3 inches. We used one screw towards the top and one towards the bottom of each board. The screw was long enough to be secure in the wood beam, about 3 inches long. 

 

 There were a lot of wood/beams used to build my doorway. This picture is from 2003 when the house was built. Most door frames are built this way. The doorway itself is very sturdy because off all those pieces of wood and that gives me a lot of wood to drill into. 

 

You might not have a photo of your home being built. If you want to be sure you are drilling into a stud in the wall you can use a stud finder similar to this one. They are easy to use and help you be sure what is behind the drywall. 

 

The next step was to attach new hinges to the doors using the screws provided in the package. As I said previously, these doors are very heavy. The hinges we choose are made to hold a heavy weight. I will be opening and closing these doors multiple times every day so to be safe I choose hinges that can hold the weight I need. I also used 3 hinges on each door. The doors are approximately 50 lbs and these hinges say they can hold 50lbs each. I am using 3 of them and that means I don't need to worry about the doors falling down over time. 

 

I recommend using a level to make sure your doors are straight. If the doors are hung tilted slightly left or right, they won't work properly. Both doors need to be nice and straight. 

A plum line can also help you make sure that your hanging the doors straight. This is just a weight hung on a string from above. The weight hangs down and gravity will ensure that it shows you a straight line. This helped us make sure the doors meet in the middle. We hung this from the door frame above with a thumb tack and removed it when we were done. The cinder block helped hold the door while work was being done. You could also use a stack of books, a step stool, or a sturdy cooking pot as long as they are the right height.  

The last step was to attach the hinges to the boards in the wall with the screws that came with the hinges in the package. We used 3 hinges per door and to distribute the weight of the door we put a hinge at the top, middle and bottom. We avoided the open lattice work area of each door so as not to damage it. 

Here is a good look at the way the doors are hung and where the new hinges are located. The doors open and close smoothly and they lie flat on the wall so no changes were needed to the door frame itself. 

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Length

 Hello Readers. I love to thrift shop. I find all kinds of items but when I find something that seems to be homemade or handmade... I snatch it up. If someone took the time to sew up a garment, I am really drawn to it. They took time and energy, they made so much effort and I love to see that. If there is anyway for me to wear or use the item I always buy it and bring it home. 

This was a cute dress and the neutral beige/tan color was great  for me because I always forget to include neutrals in my wardrobe. It seemed a little long on me and I thought if it was a bit shorter, it would suit me better.  

That turned out to be the right idea because there was a stain at the hemline. I tried to get it out but it would not come out in the wash no matter what I tried. So... shorter we will do. I cut about 6 inches off the dress. We're going shorter.

I turned the cut edge under twice and stitched it down. I used a straight stitch and tried to match my thread to the dress the best I could. This new hem only took about 15 minutes from start to finish. Easy-peasy!

 

This was a wonderful thrift find and I am so glad I brought it home. Thank you to whoever put this dress together. What a gift. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

Dress to Peplum Top

 Hello Readers. Sometimes clothes just don't work. They can just sit in our closet and waste space. When I notice I am not really wearing a piece of clothing very often, I try to refashion it and make it more wearable. Let's refashion this dress into a fun peplum top.

Before and after a quick alteration.  

This dress was a nice neutral navy blue. I love navy blue and I love stripes. I just didn't love this dress. It was very thin material and it felt like it would be sheer in the skirt and therefore, too revealing. I want my bits and pieces covered. My lumps and bumps are personal. I don't want anyone to see any part of my  southern hemisphere. 

 

This dress fit well and it had an elastic waistband already. My new peplum top is almost finished before I even get started. I cut about 12 inches of length from the skirt. I left about 7 inches for the peplum. You can make the peplum as long or as short as you want. It's up to you. Using a cutting mat like this makes measuring and cutting super easy. They are used for quilting a lot but I love them for garment sewing. 

 

I turned my cut edge under twice and stitched along the edge using a straight stitch and matching thread. You can pin the folded edge or iron it in place if you like. Every sewist has different ways to do things. Do whatever works best for you. When I was done sewing, my peplum was a bit shorter. I folded it under twice and each fold was approximately 1/2 inch so my peplum is an inch shorter. Make sure you allow for folding and sewing your new hem when you cut the length for your new peplum. 

 

I used my sewing machine and a straight stitch to make my new hem. I like to stitch from the outside of the garment because it looks neater when I am all done. Don't sew too fast, slow and steady wins the race. 

  

 I used matching thread to sew my new hem. Sometimes it can be difficult to choose what color thread to use when a garment is more than one color. I usually pick the color that the manufacturer used in the original seams or the color that is most prominent in the fabric. This choice for this dress is obviously navy blue thread.

 

Here is my new peplum top. It was so easy because that elastic waist was already in place for me. This was so simple but so effective at changing the dress. 

 

Navy is such a great neutral color. It goes with everything but isn't as harsh as black can be. If you feel washed out in black, navy blue might be a better choice. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 
 

 

 

Resize a Thrifted Linen Top

 Hello Readers. I like to thrift for clothes that have nice fabric to re-make into things that work for me. I usually look for fabrics that are good quality and appeal to me. This linen tank top was great fabric and it had this beautiful lace design along the hem. 

 

 Before and after.

 

I loved the linen fabric and I like stripes too. The lace along the hem was very pretty. I didn't want to get rid of that. But the shirt was a bit big and much too low cut. I wanted to change that.

 

I cut the front of the shirt away from the back of the shirt. I needed them separate so I could re-cut a new shape. 

 

I positioned my pattern piece so that the hem of the shirt would stay intact. This is Simplicity Super saver 8035. I cut the top of the shirt in a different shape. 

 

Now, I had a new front and a new back to make my new shirt. 

 

I put the 2 pieces together with the right sides facing each other. I sewed new side seams to connect the front and back, I also sewed across the top of each shoulder strap. 

 

The shirt looked like this. I used bias tape to finish the neckline and armholes. It is inside the shirt but first I sewed it to the outside.

 

I sewed the open bias tape to the outside of the shirt. The bias tape adjusts well to the curve of the neckline and armholes. 

 

When I was done, I turned the bias tape in the shirt and sewed it again from the outside. This makes a nice neat finish to the shirt. 

 

I barely had enough to finish this shirt but it's good enough. Perfection is overrated. 

  

The shirt fit so much better. I don't know what I am doing with my hand in this picture but the shirt turned out great. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcycle a Dress

 Hello Readers. If you like sewing or just like clothes and fashion, you know nice fabric is expensive. I like to go to thrift shops to look for clothes. Sometimes I find clothes I like but a lot of times I find clothes that I can use for fabric to make something else. It's a much cheaper way to buy fabric.

Before and after. 

I wanted a soft cozy knit tank top. I didn't have any knit fabric in my fabric stash but that's OK. I had this dress from a thrift store. (Maybe a clothes swap? I can't remember...) I liked these fun stripes and this fabric was a beautiful knit material. I used this pattern to make an over sized tank top perfect for exercising. The pattern is Super Saver 8035.

 

I started by cutting the bodice off the skirt. I set it aside for later. I might need it to finish this project. The skirt is going to be enough fabric for an over sized tank top. 

 

I arranged the pattern pieces so that I could cut out the front and the back. I place the pattern so that the hem of the skirt would be the hem of the new shirt. That will save me time later. 

 

It is easy to sew the front and back of the shirt together. But the neckline and the arm holes are unfinished. I cut the scraps of the shirt into narrow strips and made some single fold bias tape. I could use it to finish the shirt. 
 

I sewed the bias tape I made around the neck hole. I held the bias tape firmly so that it would be smooth around the neck when I was done. I used it around the arm holes too. Using the dress for all the materials I needed for this top made it very economical. And it means that everything matches perfectly too. 

 

I liked the stripes so much that I made sure to highlight the pattern by NOT matching the stripes up. I thought it made the shirt more fun.

 

I took my new shirt and went for a walk. I try to walk everyday but in the summer that means I get hot and sweaty. Having an extra top to wear helps me keep exercising regularly. I can't skip it because I am out of exercise clothes. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Making 2-Tone Jeans Part 2

 Hello Readers. This is a re-make of an old project. My washing machine ruined the original pair I made but I really loved them So these are the 2.0 version. I made them the exact same way as the original. (I followed my own directions. You can too.)

 

 

 I put together 2 pairs of jeans, again, so this is part 2. I was inspired by the upcycler on TikTok named @Radha. She made some cool blue and white 2-tone jeans. I really liked hers so I got to work making something similar with what I had on hand. 

This was a fun project to put together.

I had these 2 pairs of jeans and putting them together would be fun. The white pair was basic denim. 

This blue pair was also denim but they were not very stylish. They had a very unattractive gathered elastic waistband and I have been keeping them to cut up for a project. Today was the day! I cut 2 straight long pieces from the back so they wouldn't have any seams and so I wouldn't be getting part of the front pockets in the pieces I used.

I started cutting the white jeans. I cut about 3 inches from the side seam. You can see I did not cut through the pocket, I cut underneath it. I wanted to keep the pockets intact and reattach them later.

I used a seam ripper to detach the pockets from the cut off the part of the jeans I was cutting away.

 

When I was done, my white jeans looked like this. The back pockets are kind of hanging off so that I could sew the blue denim pieces in on the sides of the white jeans. Then I will reattach the pockets. 

I sewed the blue denim to the white denim with the right sides facing each other. I started at the waist.  I moved the pocket over to the left so it was out of the way while I was sewing.

 

Here is a look at the blue and white pieces sewn together. The pocket is kind of flapping loose here. 

 

It was easy to sew the pocket to the blue denim using a straight stitch. 

 

I used the seam ripper again to remove the belt loop from the white denim I had cut off the jeans. I could reattach it to the blue denim. 

 

I wanted to sew it here on the side. It might help distract from that elastic waistband. 

 

I also had this tiny front pocket from the cut off white denim too. I could attach that somewhere.

 

Here is a look at everything sewn in place. 

 

 I love these new jeans. They are so fun and different and colorful. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Year End Update***- I loved these jeans! I got something on the white part and tried to bleach the spot. Then I got bleach on the blue part.... it was a laundry disaster.