Sorry to be a little off topic, but I don't know how to do much of any sewing that isn't quilting-related, and I'm struggling with this dilemma. We have a specialty oval crib, which requires "specialty" (read: we charge you way too much) fitted oval sheets. I bought a cheap standard crib sheet this weekend to see if it would fit or could be altered to fit the mattress, and it's way too big. I can sort of gather up the material on the back and pin it and get it fairly smooth, but I can't quite figure out a good way to rig this thing up. How hard do you think it is it to make a fitted oval sheet? worth the $30 I'll save from not buying specialty sheets? I want to ask what else will work - velcro or strategically placed stitches to alter the larger sheet, but I think I need you over here looking at with me to ask it right.
If "I" were sewing this, I would trace it onto newspaper for my pattern. Then measure how deep the mattress is and add the inches to the paper pattern, plus about 1 & 1/2 " to have some to hem up and sew elastic all around so the sheet will fit. Years ago I made unusual size sheets for a toddler bed. HTH Barbara in SC
Lynn, ....hmm....well, what about buying a regular size sheet, cutting it into an oval, and making a draw string type of setup for it...so you can pull a cord tight underneath the mattress.
-Irene
------------- "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
I made some sheets for a bassinet that would be the same shape as your crib, only they were smaller. There's probably an easier way out there but here's what I did. YMMV
I laid down a bunch of saved wrapping paper (because it was handy) and taped it together until I had a piece about a foot larger on all sides than the mattress. I laid the mattress on the paper and traced around it. Then I measured the depth of the mattress, added about 4 inches and traced that sum of inches out from around the original "mattress line". I now had a paper pattern. I got six little sheets from one bed sheet, probably a full sized, I don't think we had a queen sized bed then. Fold the little sheets in half, then half again. Press well. Measure, or sort of measure, to the center of the raw side and mark, now the sheet should be divided into pretty even or so 8ths. Now, I finished these off two ways.
The first two I turned under the raw edge 1/4" and then once more by 1" and sewed it around to make a 'sleeve', you'll get a few pleats but nobody is going to see, and leave a small opening so you can put a cord in to pull it up snug under the mattress and then tie it off and tuck the loose ends in between the mattress and sheet.
The rest of the sheets, and this is where the folding and measuring comes in, I measured around the pattern and cut a piece of elastic about a foot or so shorter than the outside pattern edge. Mark the elastic into 8ths, or
4ths or whatever you are comfortable with. I sewed the raw edge of the sheet under about 1/4 inch, then turned it again and stitched down the elastic, probably using a zig zag stitch, stretching each section to fit as I went. Voila, oval fitted sheet! BTW, "or so" is a very precise unit of measurement used when you *aren't* building a Stradivarius.
Since I didn't have any elastic when I made up the first two sheets I used string to snug it up. While I was making the other sheets, after a trip the fabric store, I used the string to pull through a length of elastic and stitched the ends together.
Hope this makes sense, it really wasn't all that difficult and I know I must have sewed them up during a nap so it didn't take all that long. I also made little fitted sheets out of a flat flannel sheet, unfortunately my baby grew so fast he wasn't in the bassinet very long........the sheets were passed along with the bassinette that I am sure by now has been passed on many times over......wonder where that is now?
And she should be sure to make quite a few at the time - since it's just sheeting, she doesn't have to match the thread to the sheets perfectly. She could stitch up a whole bunch at one time and save laundering later! :)
I've always been a fan of "assembly line" sewing when I could! :)
Thank you for the detailed description... just what I needed! I'll try to work up my courage to try this. I've never made a yo yo or done anything with elastic or sewn a cord in, but how hard can it be? Working up the motivation is always the hardest part.
This won't really be difficult - honest -- all you need is an oval of fabric large enough to cover the mattress top AND sides and then turn under and go to the back :-). You can purchase sheeting fabric in any fabric store if you don't want to cut up a store bought one. FIRST -- make a template -- AKA pattern -- of the mattress. I'm assuming that, because you are working with a crib, the mattress isn't all that large so you could probably tape pieces of newspaper together to get a piece large enough for the mattress. You could also use a piece of muslin for this. Lay the mattress on the paper and draw a heavy line around it. SECOND -- measure the depth of the mattress and mark another line on the paper -- all the way around the first line -- for that. THIRD -- measure out another 3" or 4" and draw another line there. Remember, this pattern has to include enough fabric to go down the sides of the mattress and then turn under to the back and. FOURTH -- make a casing all the way around the outer edge of the oval piece of fabric. Because you are working on a curved piece of fabric, you will have areas that want to pucker. You can either do a bit of basting at the curved areas and then pull up the basting thread to take up the excess fabric when you turn it under or you can just put in some tiny tucks. This is just a sheet and those tucks will be on the bottom of the mattress :-). OK -- to make a casing, you first need to turn back the raw edge about 3/8" all around and press flat. Then turn that edge in again about 3/4" and press again. FIFTH -- sew the casing down all the way around making sure to leave an opening to insert elastic. I believe Irene suggested a drawstring which would work nicely (rather like the old ironing board covers) but then you have to turn the mattress upside down to get to the string and that's just too much trouble for me :-))). If you have added enough fabric to turn to the back of the mattress 3" in from the edge, then measure the mattress all the way around and 3" in from the edge. THAT is the length of elastic you will need to use. Insert the elastic, stitch the ends together and you have an oval sheet. It would save a lot of elastic if you just put it in the top and the bottom of the sheet. You could do it that way but then you have to sew both ends of both pieces of elastic down. Since you don't sew except for quilting, that might be a bit bothersome for you. If you do want to go that route, I would be happy to explain how. Let us know how you do, OK? The only difficult part is getting those curved edges to lay down but since it doesn't have to look pretty, do whatever works best for you. Let us know how you do with this project, OK? CiaoMeow >^;;^<
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at
I've made quite a few crib sheets from regular quilting fabric so that they coordinate with the quilt and bumper. 2 yards of 42-45" fabric will make a sheet for a standard size crib. Others have given you directions that sound good to me. I usually use a serger to do apply the elastic and finish the edge in one step, but since you don't much sewing other than quilts, I assume you don't have a serger. The casing method others have described will work just fine and will probably be easier for you.
Julia > Sorry to be a little off topic, but I don't know how to do much of any
True, I don't have a serger, although I am just remembering that I have a good friend who DOES have a serger, and she was just saying the other day what a shame it is that she has never used it. Perhaps we could just have a day of trying to make a bunch of these. I guess what I was wondering was whether I could somehow use the existing elastic on a standard crib sheet to make the oval shaped sheet, but whenever I imagine how to do that, my head spins, so I think I might be better off, like you say, just starting off with my own fabric and elastic or serging (I have NO idea how to elasticize or do anything else with a serger, but I can read a manual, so there is hope). Thanks again. :)
(I don't want to spend so much time and money fiddling with making "cheaper" ones that I could have just bought the more expensive ones, but as we all know, there is something about having something made with love anyway).
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