I still want to know your opinions on content for this here blog. So please, head on over to the blog content post, and let me know what you like reading while you're here.
In other news, my frugal tendencies and amateur sewing skills paid off.
Today, I made a duvet cover and it was super easy.
It started with a worn out set of plain white sheets. The fitted sheet was so worn it had holes in it, but the top sheet was still in decent condition. We seem to be really hard on bottom sheets what with all my leg twitching, hubby's tossing and turning, and three cats' snaggly claws.
I tried to repair the bottom sheet, but Adrian seemed to think patching holes in the sheets might be taking the frugal living a bit too far. So he ordered new sheets.
I repaired the sheet, but it was a messy and temporary fix as many more spots were already threadbare. Stuffing the set in the closet, still unable to bring myself to dispose of them, I forgot about them in the haze of new stripe-y sheets.
Until --
A few days after Christmas, I found myself strolling through the holiday clearance racks at Target. I stumbled upon a set of polka dot flannel sheets that were perfect for my decor. And at $10 for Queen size, they could not be passed up.
That sheet set inspired me to finally try an idea that I'd been stewing on.
Would it be possible to make a duvet cover by simply sewing together two flat sheets?
Yes, yes it is.
With only the small hitch of the sheets NOT being the exact same size despite both claiming Queen size, the project went off with nary a snag. I even remembered to leave an opening to stuff the duvet in -- uber-reinforced too!
Matter of fact, the most difficult part was pinning the two sheets together. Stupid pokey pins!
Now, I'm the lucky owner of a cozy new flannel-on-the-inside duvet cover -- all for the tiny price of ten dollars including pillowcases and a bottom sheet.
Now if only I can convince the cat to share. She hasn't moved ALL DAY.
Posts
11 comments:
Ooooh I love it! I have my "Get to Know Your Machine" class at Thimble Pleasures so I'm hoping that after that I feel brave enough to do all sorts of things. Like... thread my machine. And sew something. You know, big stuff! :)
So impressed! I can barely sew on a button.
Fabulous! My mom and I made a duvet cover out of two sheets after college, but it wasn't nearly as easy as what you just described. I'm way impressed.
I love doing this! I've already got a sheet set put aside for when we finally get around to decorating M's room. If you just need to make a twin size cover (for L maybe?), you can use one fitted and one flat sheet from a queen or king size set, cut down to fit around a twin comforter/duvet.
Success! I wish I could sew...
This is adorable! A few friends & I would do this in college with tapestries we would buy, and just sew a solid flat sheet to the back.
Questions... You said you got a set for $10 so that was a flat and a fitted, right? Did you then just cut the edges off the fitted? Also, did you sew buttons or ties or anything for the bottom where the opening is for stuffing? I am getting excited to try this! And you know I'm a little obsessed with polka dots.
@Amy, I've considered making one for L but found that a queen wasn't quite big enough for the fold in half trick. Instead, I've bought him two $15 ones from Ikea.
@Chelsea, No, I didn't cut the fitted sheet. The fitted is used as it would be regularly (as seen at the bottom of the photo). What I did was sew together an old white flat sheet and the new polka dot flat sheet. Although they didn't line up, I just pinned them together (right sides in) and tried to evenly space (or center) the smaller sheet. I stitched along the edge of the smaller sheet to ensure a closed edge. I planned on cutting off the excess, but once the duvet was in there, the excess didn't affect it at all. As far as the closure -- I just stitched part way in from both corners leaving a hole along the bottom center. Because of the little extra fabric from the bigger sheet, it kind of made an envelope closure though it wouldn't have mattered if it was just a hole. Several duvet covers I've had were just a hole with no buttons or snaps, and they worked just fine. I may one day add the extra but for now it works.
Hope that answers some questions. Let me know if y'all have others.
-Abby
There you go with your sewing again! Every time you do a sewing post I find myself absentmindedly googling sewing machines with an uncontrolable desire to take up the hobby. Then I reign myself in. One project at a time, and I have a new camera to figure out at the moment!
Anyway, awesome project. It looks great! And when J moves out of his crib (soon) we just might have to steal this idea. After finding a seamstress first! :)
Should the sheet size match the duvet size? E.g., queen sheets for a queen duvet? I've always wondered if the sheets to make a cover would need to be a size larger than the duvet.
@anonymous -- Great question. What I found for both twin and queen was that the sizes corresponded... meaning queen sheets for a queen duvet, twin for a twin, etc.
Hope that helps.
-Abby
Post a Comment