Stretch sheet: how to make linen with an elastic band?

The stretch sheet, which wraps around the mattress like a cover, is pretty firmly included in the everyday life of a modern family. Such bedding is a real find for those who are actively moving in a dream and do not want to wake up on a crumpled bed, clogged under the lower back.

A lot of positive reviews on various forums and sites signals a large number of advantages of such bedding over ordinary. Of the advantages of buying or tailoring a sheet of this design, the following can be distinguished.

1. The stretch sheet does not move out, does not crumple and does not clog under the person’s body, even if he is actively moving in his sleep. This is especially true for children and adolescents, as well as adults who have restless sleep. At the same time, the material of the linen does not matter: even the silk sheet will not eat and will not fold.
2. It is much easier to fill the mattress with such a sheet, since it will always be suitable in size and it does not need to be pressed on the sides to fix it. In the process of operation, you do not have to change the bed daily and you need to change such linen less often, since it does not wrinkle and gets dirty less.
3. It can act not only in the form of an ordinary bed, but also as a cover for a mattress, protecting it from pollution. Cleaning the mattress is not an easy task, and such a cover will allow you to do this much less often.
4. The mattress, closed at the sides with an even stretched canvas, looks much neater and more comfortable than usual. You can choose bedding in the color of the bed itself or, conversely, in a contrasting shade. Various patterns and ornaments that run along the edge of such a tucked-in bed look beautiful.

Unfortunately, with all its advantages, such an unusual idea is not without its certain drawbacks. One of the main concerns of buyers about such a sheet is the difficulty of caring for it.

1. Hand washing is very time-consuming and time-consuming, and the washing machine too quickly puts hard elastic into disrepair. This problem can be solved using various means to soften water. It can be special tablets for a washing machine or fabric softeners. In addition, during washing, small items tend to clog into the sheets. In order not to lose a pair of socks or a small scarf, it is enough to unscrew the fabric after washing. Or simply do not put such small things in the machine when washing bedding.
2. The second problem is ironing the sheet, as the elastic pulls it together and prevents the sheet from being ironed carefully. Solving this is simple enough. Pull the sheet over the ironing board with one hand so that the corner straightens. In this case, the iron is located in the second hand and easily passes through all the folds, straightening them. In addition, such a sheet can be ironed by pulling on the mattress itself. After such ironing, you do not even need to override it, it will lie correctly in the right place.

Both of these shortcomings can be considered conditional, since after two or three washings of the sheet, any person will get the hang of washing and ironing such bedding. Moreover, all the advantages of its use will not disappear.

In stores you can find stretched sheets and even whole sets of bed linen of various shades and patterns. It can be both monophonic canvases of pastel colors, and real works of art. Especially vivid against this background are children's kits with various cartoon and fairy-tale characters.

But it is possible to classify sheets with elastic not only by drawing, but also by other parameters. According to the composition of the fabric, you can find the following product:

• calico sets;
• Percale sheets
• poplin bedding;
• knitwear;
• silk or satin sets;
• warm terry options.

In almost all cases, except for silk and satin sheets, cotton thread is used. The difference is only in its thickness and method of weaving. You should not take synthetic kits to people whose skin is especially sensitive and prone to irritation.

Depending on the size of the linen is divided into the following types:

• 120x60 - this size is considered childish;
• 200x90 or 200x80 are sets for a single bed;
• 200x110 and 200x120 - one and half bed linen;
• 200x140, 200x160 and 200x180 - for a double bed;
• 200x200 is the standard size called Euro.

In addition, stretch sheets may vary in design.

1. The elastic can be sewn around the entire perimeter of the sheet, making it a kind of bag.
2. The elastic can only be sewn into the corners of a rectangular canvas.
3. The elastic can be in the form of a ribbon sewn on both sides of the corner of the sheet and worn on a mattress like a strap.

If a regular sheet is already available, then it is easy to turn it into a stretched one. To do this, you only need three tools:

• wide elastic or elastic band;
• sewing machine;
• tape measure.

The whole process of work is quite simple and can be performed even by a novice. First of all, measurements are taken from the mattress. You need to know its length, width and height. After that, it is necessary to cut the finished sheet in such a way that 4 squares of such width as the height of the mattress plus a few centimeters of fabric for allowances are cut out at its corners. After that, the sides of the square cutouts are sewn together from the wrong side. It should be a kind of soft “box” without a lid.

Stretch the elastic tape and pin it with pins around the perimeter of the stitched “box”, and then sew it on the machine. This is best done in zigzag stitches. If a dense elastic band was bought instead of an elastic band, then you can first make a small curtain around the perimeter, and then insert the elastic into it and sew its ends together. On the finished sheet, you need to process all the edges well with an overlock or a regular machine, after which you can pull it on the mattress. An ordinary sheet in two hours turned into a convenient stretch.

How to make a sheet on an elastic band with your own hands, you can see in the next video.