Sewing Adventures – Noren

Ever make anything that in reality seems so very simple but then when you use it becomes this really big difference to your life?

Our studio apartment is very small, the front door opens onto a hallway. A not very much used hallway but people pass us as they use the laundry and then hang their washing on the roof top. Which means it can go all day without a person on it but come post work time and it’s always busy. On hot days one of the easiest ways to vent the heat from the apartment is to have the door open.

So everyone walking past can see right in to all of our apartment. Most of our neighbours are lovely and look away but a few apartments are rented out to air bnb type places so packed with all kinds of people who aren’t always discreet in their curiosity in ogling their way past our place.

I decided to make a Noren – a Japanese door covering. It’s a split curtain common in Japan. Grabbing some linen from the stash I cut it to use the greatest amount of length and hemmed it using my coverstitch machine.

To hang it we used a telescopic pole from Ikea. You pull it to the right length then twist and it remains at that length. A spring hidden internal means it pops into place and stays in place. It doesn’t mark the frame and can be easily moved so perfect for renters.

All in all a simple solution that keeps prying eyes from seeing in while we get all the cooling air flow of having the door open.

Pattern – cut to width of door (with hems) and as long as I could given the fabric I had

Fabric -Linen from stash but originally purchased at Pitt Trading

Alterations – after use the hem on the coverstitch is not holding as well as I would like so I may go back and restitch using my regular machine?