Altering fitted bottom sheets

No need to alter the sheet via sewing, just purchase a packet or two of those "sheet gripper" do dads and that should do the trick. They look like garter belt clips on both ends and have stretch fabric between them. One simply clips on end to one corner of the sheet, then the other to the other side. Bed,Bath and Beyond have them as am sure many other stores.

Personally never bother with fitted sheets; flat sheets and "hospital corners" are the way to go.

Candide

I had the exact problem with some sheets and here's the link to the excellent advice I received from this group last November. Hope this helps and hope this link works.

Thanks! I'll print out that information (the link worked fine!)

I can't quite picture what you mean, Deekoko, but once I do that to the sheets it will probably become clearer.

Candide, I am reluctant to use those garter-y things because I don't want to have to lift the mattress and shove them under the bed every time I change the sheets.

Glad to see I'm not the only one bugged by this!

Thanks to you all.

Liz

I had the exact problem with some sheets and here's the link to the

What I did on sheets with this problem was add a strip of elastic across the corner. About 6" long and far enough in from the corner to stretch it taut under the mattress. Measure and pin once, repeat three times.

HTH

--Karen D.

This probably would make the sheets fit better but it wouldn't take care of those, umm, distracting ears, for the lack of a better term. But hey, if it works for you, great!

hahahahah. You are like my sister. I always told her she sleeps like a corpse. She gets up in the morning and just pulls the one corner and her bed is made.

I, on the other hand, rassle bears all night long. If I didn't have fitted sheets, I would have to make my bed from scratch every single morning. Plus, the covers would all be in a big knot half way throught the night.

I wish I could just use the flat sheets. They last so much longer since you can rotate top and bottom.

Cindy

The ears aren't what bothers me, it's the way the sides of the sheets get partially untucked, which results in very wrinkled bottom sheets.

Liz

As one who went through nursing training and before that was a junior volunteer (called "candy striper" in those days", am here to tell you that properly made mitred corners are not supposed to become untucked, partially or otherwise. But then again was trained in a different era of hospital care, when nurses wore caps and there was no such thing as fitted sheets. What passes for "hospital beds" these days would have received a failing grade when I was at school.

The trick is to make sure one has sheets large enough to make sung corners. Today with mattresses becoming elephantine, it may be hard to find sheets long and wide enough, but it can be done.

Candide

I think those garter things go catty cornered across the corners of the mattress, don't they?

Cindy

Yes, they do unlike say ironing board cover "garters" which go across from side to side.

Candide

Hi! I have sewn elastic on my sheet corners but have the same problem with the sides. We have one of those really thick mattresses and have only one set of sheets that actually fit and two that have the elastic on them. I suppose that I could sew a strip on each side to have more fabric to tuck in and then perhaps it would stay. Otherwise the elastic does fine and makes a smooth bed.

My corners remain tightly tucked, it is the sides that get loose--though they don't become untucked either.

Liz

Hi everyone - I have a fitted sheet problem but not one of the sides being too short, but because I can only purchase King size sheets for my so-called Superking bed, and the UK kingsize is about 7 inches too wide. The depth is fine at 200 inches, so I need to know how to deal with this extra width.

I fancy that the method of placing the sheet wrong-side up on the mattress and then pinning where the excess is and sewing along the line might work.

Does anyone else have this problem?

BTW if anyone wonders why I have a problem with the size it is that I live in New Zealand but order my fitted sheets from the US because even with surface postage the American sheets aret better quality for the price. Next year I hope to visit California and I will buy a couple to bring home.

Thanks and cheers Daisy

Carthage demands an explanation for this insolence!

On Mon, 19 Sep 2005 20:11:48 -0500, Candide wrote (in article ):

We have one of those elephantine mattresses. It can be hard to find fitted sheets too. My solution is to go up a size--queen sheets for our full bed. Of course, this solution doesn't work if you have a king sized bed.

Maureen