100% cotton does NOT mean good fabric. "Sateen" is 100% cotton, but very nasty fabric for sheets and for clothing. This is the cheap cotton most often sold by Walmart, Target, and other "cheap" stores. Percale is a better weave. This topic is much more indepth than just looking for a 100% cotton sheet and comparing it to any cotton fabric.
Heres my tip for people intimidated by patters, get a pattern drafting book and a good base pattern. Literally most of making new patterns is either slashing things to make darts and gathers, or rotating darts, or altering the hems
Having grown up in the usa but spent several years in Germany.... they do sheets entirely different in Europe they have like 6 versions of twin size that you put together to make a double mattress.. that way you get the mattress you like and he gets the one that he likes. Tough to get used to... also they tend to use duvet covers not top sheets... think giant pillowcase for your comforter. Makes more sense really for washablility
Dorr Mill store in guild, NH, has an online shop. they produce wool thread and wool. Rug hooking, rug braiding, tapestry work and embroidery. They sell beautiful dyed thread. love going there in person. But they do have an online store and all the employees are super nice and knowledgeable and they have a customer # for questions and help.
I love the knit dress sooo much! The subtle pattern of the knit looks amazing for the final product. I need to make one, but with 60% more work - I require lining and French seams for comfort.
I have been trying to figure out how to make a reversable penafor (i dont think thats how its spelled but i hope you understand what i mean XD) with pockets but i havent yet figured it out- maybe zippered pockets and a bag-lining? anyway- all that being said, it would be really great if you went back to your reversable skirt idea. Id love to see how you would figure out pockets in reversable garments! Maybe as a whole group, we can figure something out :D (and yes, i am aware that zippers are the bane of most sewist's existances hahaha- but it is the only way i can think of to have holes on both sides without having anything fall out from the inside)
I like using sheets for quilt backs , because no piecing, it covers the whole back . 2nd reason its cheaper new or used .A twin top sheet will cover the back of a full or double bed size quilt , with the hems picked out of sheet there will be extra to use in piecing. Twin top will also cover the back of 2 baby quilts. I also cut these a couple inches wider all around & fold to front for the bindings which saves even more time .
As a sewist who almost always uses scrounged and thrifted sheets and curtains for my garment projects, there are a few extra details you may want to consider. First, a lot of the sheets (usually the fitted sheets) that I have found are quite worn in the center from use (usually in the "butt area" when one was lying down on it), and so that can limit the square footage if it is super noticeable (rough, pilling, or worn sheer) and needs to be cut out or avoided. The second thing is that most of the time it is difficult to find cheap or used sheets in anything that isn't synthetic materials (obviously it is possible, but I haven't found it common). In my experience, using polyester or poly-blend sheets to make garments I plan to wear not very comfortable as the fabric doesn't really breath (makes a bit of a sweaty mess, plus visible sweat staining depending on the fabric colour!) This means that the styles of garments I can make are further limited to things like loose-fitting things and sleeveless or strappy tops, dresses, or skirts. I will still continue to use sheets of course (because buying fabric by the yard is expensive where I live and not as great a decision for the environment), but I do have to keep these things in mind when designing a new outfit.
percale is a type of weaving that has been used for sheets for hundreds of years that gives durability, strength, and a matte finish. Percale is a good material for sheets. Robert Morris was a famous designer of interiors, fabrics, wallpapers around the Art Nouveau period. His designs are still available. Rachel Ashwell, another British designer, is known for making shabby chic style popular. She started out with beautiful second hand linens from flea markets. Interesting video, thanks!
What kind of fabric was that? Was it like a thick canvas or ulpolstery fabric? I really want to make something like this for myself, you did a fantastic job!
Along with Marshall's, (the chain store) there is also Marshall's Dry Goods in Arkansas. Marshall's Dry Goods in Arkansas is a good place to buy fabric by the bolt for quilt backing. They have 108" and 120" fabrics.
FYI - king size bed measures 76 inches wide by 80 inches long, Texas King bed measures 80 inches wide by 98 inches long, California King 72 wide by 84 long HOWEVER these are the measurements for the top of the mattress size. Top sheets will have differing drop length for the sides. :) Some sheet set manufacturers will have a longer drop length than others.
A pretty set of sheets is the best way I know to make a complete wardrobe for a young girl, just add a touch of ribbon or embroidery. Best of all they're highly washable, with no special care...perfect for ACTIVE girls...mud, grass, blood. 😉. Dresses and pants with grow hems, and sleeves, hats, purses. They also hold ruffles well, if you've that kind of girl. 😉. A couple solids, a print, a stripe and Bob's your uncle!
As a quilter my problem in sorting is I find 45 minutes have passed while I am trying to decide if the piece in my hand should go in the shapes, strips or leftover block pile!
You wrote stuff down, and generally kept consistent in the treatment/measurement of each item used as part of your investigation... that is scientific. Having sets/samples from different manufacturers made it harder to draw definitive conclusions, which wasnt the point of the study, but still gave the sense of how much fabric a sewist might expect from their purchase and allow them to compare with bolts of fabric. Which was the purpose of the study. I think this was a nicely presented study of how linens in overstock and thrift shops could be cost effective fabric sources.
I get that need of explaining WHY you do something 😅 And, just like you, I have one strange thing that I can't explain WHY.. It's the thing when I eat a meal which has like 3 or more components in it (for example meat + rice + salad)... So when I eat it, I do everything in my powers to finish eating it so that my last bite is left by equal parts of that meat + rice + salad.. If someone gets it... Because I have never seen that someone else do that 😅 And I have no idea why I do it, but what I know, is that I HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY 😅😂😂😂
Tip: Go to yard sales and estate sales to find vintage sheets sets in excellent condition. They have the best patterns and make beautiful clothing! edited to add: Another thing you can find is Christmas wrapping paper. The old Christmas prints are amazing as is the quality of the paper!
Both my boys loved Batman when they were little, so I done up their bedroom in the Batman theme. I found everything but curtains. I vented my frustration with this to my older sister who suggested using bedsheets to make the curtains with. I went to the store, picked up the sheet set and my sister & I had a blast making the curtains. They turned out great and both my boys were so happy with their new room.
To answer your question on "how we call bed sizes in other countries" here is the answer for France : We mainly call them by the size they are (yeah as simple as that!) but can call it with the USA name. So that's : - 90x190 cm : one person /kid bed - 120x190 cm : still one person bed - 140x200cm : small 2 people bed (my opinion) / some couch bed (clic clac couch) - 160x200cm : queen size (most common size) - 180x200cm : King size And about pillow case size, when it's a fancy brand you get to choose the size of every piece individually, that's practical ! And I recommand "percale" for cotton, that's the best cotton quality you can get
The Goodwill Store in Coos Bay, Oregon, on the coast, has really raised their prices on almost everything in the past two years. They do still have many good deals, but not as many as they had in the past. No matter what kind of fabric, almost all of their used sheets, except for twin size, are &12.99 each, with the pillowcases running about $2. or &3. each. When you put this together in a set, that is about the same price you would pay for a brand new set of non- designer sheets at the local Ross. Our Walmart sheets tend to be a little more than those at Ross. Salvation Army, and a couple of other local charity thrift stores have cheaper sheets, but not usually much selection.
Adult beds here in Finland are all 200cm long and 80 or 90cm for single beds and 120, 140, 160 or 180 cm for double beds. Duvet covers and pillowcases don't change depending on what size bed you have. Normal single duvets (and therefore duvet covers) are 150x200cm, double duvets (not that popular here) are 240x220cm. Pillows are 50x60 cm.
I like the term sewist because it somehow stops the requests for work,that seamstress often gets. While suturing my husbands toe,after a discussion of how doctors get asked for advice at strange times,once I said I was a seamstress,he paused suturing to ask me,unironically,how much I would charge to shorten sleeves on a jacket!
Oh, the joys of way too much hair for 1 head… I can relate. Short hair is fun but never in the morning, or whenever you need to get up from a “night” of sleep. Love the name The Peacock. I always had a far too asymmetrical Peacock, as in, the peacock gotten into a fight and not having all his feathers anymore and also like 3 to 7 different heights and peaks. Was a bit too edgy to wear as a choice for me 😂 So I too am back at the ‘need to be able to wear in a ponytail’. Sadly though, at that length my hair tends to fall out quite a bit and my cats will ingest them and then they will ehmm… I call those feces like little “train wagons” because it is all connected through my hair and the poor things will have a (too) hard time dropping that last bit as well, resulting in that last bit staying on their behind and kinda… be there, slapping them as they try to outrun that weird contraption on their behind 🙈😳🥴 So as long as they are alive, I need to shorten my hair on time 😅 Sadly lost one of them but, even though that one had that problem far more than her sister because she always loved to eat hair and dust, her sister has that problem as well. I just saw that she’s getting that problem again so still need to find someone to cut my hair again That bodice was spot-on, congrats! The boomer… I did notice the pockets so maybe it’s a bit too see through but fabric aside, it is such a decent made one, I would totally wear that as a short if I didn’t mind the poof-y-ness on my hips but I just don’t like that feel or esthetic for me personally but it sure looks cute and not as pyjama-like as many other garments can be sometimes so I’d say, go for it!
LOVE a spread sheet! Sometimes, it IS cheaper to buy a sheet than it is to buy fabric. Especially if you need extra wide fabric. Of course, these days, textiles aren't what they used to be. Plus, those who sell them have a license to lie about imports and it's practically all imported these days so...I prefer vintage fabric and used old sheets and tablecloths are still pretty cheap. Like old stainless steel stuff. Other countries have toxic waste too. And one of the ways they get rid of it is to put it in exports. We in the west taught them that.
I like "freehanding"! I also use the word pattern as a verb for my own makes, meaning I make the pattern for me for that item. I may use it or pieces of it for another make. And on the patterns, a pattern is like a recipe. There are plenty of people who cook without a recipe with no shame. In the food world, no one says you're not good enough if you innovate with your groceries. Similarly, we should not be concerned with whether or not folks use a commercial pattern. Some folks are recipe cooks and some are not. Some folks are commercial pattern sewists and some prefer a different process. My primary frustration is when judgement of any kind enters any space. You get "supposed to" messages in everything from personal finance to time management to creating. Freeeedoooommmm!!!!!
Have you thought about dumpster diving? I dive at apartments and I am almost always coming out with textiles. I know it sounds gross and you have to be careful (quarenteened outside the house until ready to wash and wash and dry on highest heat setting). But you find some really AMAZING textiles!
In Australia we have Single, Double, King single ( like the old fashion 3/4 bed) , Queen and King sizes of sheets. All come in fitted and flat sheets .
Fabulous!...I love the style and how the black on that fabric came in at the waist and makes a very flattering waistline...it does look so comfy...great video...now I'll be on the lookout for a fabric with a black stripe in it!...🤩
I can tell you one thing you should have learned from your test is that you need to get your machine serviced because you need your tension fixed because you could see where your thread bunched, pulled the other thread on top and it shouldn't do any of that. But hey thanks for doing the testing for me... except I have 52 feet to test lol😂
