Thursday, July 30, 2009

DIY sheets from a Duvet Cover

 

     Disclaimer: A beautiful Garnet Hill duvet cover was harmed violently for the sake of this post. If this hurts your sensibilities, you may want to cover your eyes and move along.

      While I own a great basic sewing machine and have been sewing, if you can call it that, for years, I am not a seamstress. Give me a straight line and I am your girl. Give directions that have more than 5 steps, you better find another.

     That being said, I can’t pass up a good deal on quality fabric, no matter what it’s past life was. Case in point- $9 for a king size heather pink flannel duvet cover.

     Living near the beach, it is cool at night all year, so we use flannel sheets. The ones that we had were getting tired. I don’t know why, but suddenly they were just too small for our bed. (How can old sheets suddenly shrink??)

     The price of new, good quality sheets has held me back from replacing them though. Until I found the duvet cover and some crazy voice inside my head said that I could sew sheets.

     So, I cut the duvet cover in to two and made one piece a flat sheet. Easy Peasy, no problems. Then reality hit……a fitted sheet is well, FITTED. How in the heck was I going to do that!?!?

     There are some great tutorials online but I can’t follow directions and they included measuring. I can measure, but I really had nothing to measure with other than a 12” long wooden thing. They told you to use a rotary cutter, cutting mat, etc. I used to have those, but don’t anymore. Ack, these tutorials were killing my creative mojo.

     I soldiered on and with nothing other than a piece of chalk, some pins and some elastic, I went for it. I put the big piece of fabric on the bed, put a pin in each corner, and then drew a chalk line down where the seam would go.

     I cut, sewed, checked the fit, cut another corner, sewed, checked, you get the idea. Finally all four corners were done and I put it on the bed. YEAH!

     It has now been a week, the sheets have been laundered and they are still holding together. Because they are “custom” they fit our mattress better than any other sheets that we have had.

    

Total cost= $9 for the duvet and $1.25 for the elastic.

New sheets that don’t bunch up at the bottom? Priceless.

 

 

9 comments:

Dawn said...

Woo Hoo! You did it. Funny post too! My hubby just came in and asked why I was smiling. Now he wants too know if you can do buttons too. He says he doesn't even care if the thread matches his work shirt. I think he is mocking me!
Dawn

-G- said...

oh wow. i can't even contemplate tackling a project like this (well, not to mention i've no sewing machine-ha), but i sure do commend you! i LOVE garnet hill but have only bought like 1 thing from them over the years (mucho dinero, yes?). i still use them, though--shower curtain rings that look like faucet knobs--so i've definitely got my money's worth!

Embellished Bayou said...

Good for you for soldiering through and making it work!! Glad you are pleased with the way your project turned out.

Pauline Wiles said...

Great job! I get a little nervous around elastic but I'm so pleased this worked out for you.
Funnily, I'm about to do harm to a perfectly good sheet - I want one of those round tablecloths that hangs to the floor for a side table, and I figure the sheet will give me the width I need!

J Rodney said...

That is just awesome! I'm like you, I can sew a straight line, but I have never learned to sew with patterns etc.

Now, I could surely use that $9 duvet cover, but sheets would do as well....We are in dire need of new sheets, and I keep looking in the clearance aisles until I find one. I have been sewing duvet covers for my son's junior comforters, and I actually have to make one for the baby as well as a sheet as well. I have the fabric (found at the thriftstore), but I need to get started.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Gwen,
You rock! Amazing.Unlike you, I cannot even sew a straight line so I am incredibly envious at your new luxurious sheets that dont bunch! Enjoy those!
And thank you, my friend, for th esweet sweet comment you left on my positive post. It made my day! Thanks for dropping by Bloggeritaville!

Bunny said...

You did a great job and saved lots of money. Be proud. Have a happy day.

Brenda Pruitt said...

It is a nightmare finding sheets that actually fit. Last week I finally found some that fit the best. They were at Penneys, by Serta. I think they were called Sure Fit. I have made quilts. But I take my hat off to you for bravery. I would not even attempt a fitted sheet!
Brenda

Anonymous said...

Hey Gwen,

Was everything okay with your order? I noticed you left FB, but there were no words. Please let me know if something was wrong. Thanks!
:-)

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