Constructed a non-sew (almost) sun screen for front window
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:50 pmMy front window in my Class C motorhome often lets in too much light for me, and I believe that to be a cause of my migraine headaches. It is especially bad if there is an almost-all-white RV across me reflecting the sun. My recliner faces the window in order to watch TV so I end up staring into the sun a lot. Here is what the front window looks like:
I do have a night curtain, but it completely blocks the view, and I am a very snoopy person so I like to know what is going on outside:
I had been thinking of buying a cover for the entire front of my vehicle, but they are expensive and heavy and well as being hard to store. So I bought some polyester black speaker cover fabric from JoAnn Fabrics because it was washable and easy to see through. I do not have a sewing machine with me, so I used stitch witchery to iron on seams. I folded the top seam over several times and put in a couple of layers of the stitch witchery so it would be stiff and strong enough to hold the snaps. I left the outside edges unfinished. I also ironed and then hand stitched the bottom seam so it would NOT be stiff.
I also bought a kit to add snaps. You put the top of the snap through a hole in the fabric, and then put on the part that snaps, and smash the whole thing with a small rod, which makes the snap hook things bend and fasten everything together. I used a cement post I found on the edge of my campsite, but you are really supposed to use an anvil to pound the parts together.
I started in the middle and kept trying it on for size and for snap spacing. I tried not to make it too tight in case it shrank someday.
I put in a small pleat between the outside snaps and the ones next to them to give the fabric some room in case I decide to fasten it to the sides someday. Here is my finished project. I might still decide to screw in some snaps down the sides, but am waiting on that because it needs further thinking. Cost was about $45 total.
I do have a night curtain, but it completely blocks the view, and I am a very snoopy person so I like to know what is going on outside:
I had been thinking of buying a cover for the entire front of my vehicle, but they are expensive and heavy and well as being hard to store. So I bought some polyester black speaker cover fabric from JoAnn Fabrics because it was washable and easy to see through. I do not have a sewing machine with me, so I used stitch witchery to iron on seams. I folded the top seam over several times and put in a couple of layers of the stitch witchery so it would be stiff and strong enough to hold the snaps. I left the outside edges unfinished. I also ironed and then hand stitched the bottom seam so it would NOT be stiff.
I also bought a kit to add snaps. You put the top of the snap through a hole in the fabric, and then put on the part that snaps, and smash the whole thing with a small rod, which makes the snap hook things bend and fasten everything together. I used a cement post I found on the edge of my campsite, but you are really supposed to use an anvil to pound the parts together.
I started in the middle and kept trying it on for size and for snap spacing. I tried not to make it too tight in case it shrank someday.
I put in a small pleat between the outside snaps and the ones next to them to give the fabric some room in case I decide to fasten it to the sides someday. Here is my finished project. I might still decide to screw in some snaps down the sides, but am waiting on that because it needs further thinking. Cost was about $45 total.
Good job.