How to sew corners on a bed sheet: Tutorial

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Leggi questo post in: Italiano

we were quite lucky because we’re full of bed sheets that were barely used by my husband’s family. the annoying thing? they’re all flat sheets, and not one fitted one. i really can’t stand having to fold the edges of a flat sheet under the mattress when i’m making the bed. i always end up pulling too much on one side, then when i go to the other side of the bed to fix it, i pull it too much on that side. back and forth, back and forth.

so finally i said: enough of this! i’ll made the danged corners! it’s nothing all that complicated, but i figured i’d make a tutorial anyway. you can use the same technique even if you’re using new fabric yardage.

1. put the sheet upside-down on one of the bed’s corners so that the two sides go at least a few cm under the mattress. pin along the corner, making an extra triangle that sticks out. 2. straight stitch along where the pins are. cut the rest of the triangle off, leaving enough to hem the edges (you certainly don’t want those fraying, now, do you?). or pass it through a serger, as i did.

3. do the same thing with the other corners. if you are adapting a flat sheet, you will probably have to cut a bit of fabric off of two edges, or else it’ll be too wide and long. so, while you’re placing the sheet for the second corner, check to see if you’ll need to trim the edge of the sheet. remember to leave enough to get just under the mattress plus another couple of cm to hem. it’s better if you hem the edges before pinning and sewing the corners.

4. when you’re done sewing all the edges and corners, it’s time for the elastic. measure about 17 cm to both sides (on the inside of the sheet) of the corner stitching. i used one of those pens whose marks can be washed away with water. i just finally bought one and it’s so amazing. you just wipe a little water over it and the color goes right away.

5. put a 5 mm elastic where the first marking is and fold the fabric over it.

6. start sewing, going back and forth over the elastic to make sure it’s sewn down tightly. then pull the fabric a bit further over the elastic (about 1 cm is good) and sew parallel to the elastic, making a channel for it. go til you’re almost at the second marking.

7. when you’re about 1.5 cm from the second marking, raise the foot of your sewing machine and pull the elastic. make sure you haven’t pulled it too much. you’ll want to be able to stretch out the corner to it’s regular length so it can fit over the mattress corner.

8. when you’re sure the elastic is pulled properly, keep it in place with your finger, pull the fabric over it and sew over the elastic, again going back and forth a few times. cut the elastic that’s left sticking out.

9. do this with the other three corners, and you’ve got yourself a nice fitted sheet!

14 thoughts on “How to sew corners on a bed sheet: Tutorial”

  2. Ciao, questo tuo tutorial è molto utile, grazie! Anch'io ho ancora delle lenzuola di famiglia di ottimo cotone ancora nuove, perchè preferisco quelle con gli angoli. Seguirò il tuo esempio, così almeno le uso

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  5. per favore aiutatemi ho realizzato una bordura da apppilcare al lenzuolino del mio nipotino, ma non so come applicarla e vorrei farlo a mano non con la macchina da cucire. Potreste spiegarmelo così chiaramente come avete fatto per gli angoli? Aspetto fiduciosa, grazie

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  6. @anonimo: mi dispiace, ma non sapendo di che tipo di bordura si tratta, non saprei come applicarla. vuoi dire su un lenzuolino con o senza angoli? in questo post ho descritto come creare gli angoli, ma non ho capito se vorresti la bordura che passa in questi angoli o qualcos'altra. se mi dici qualcosa di più dettagliata, vedo se riesco ad aiutarti.

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  7. Carissima hai descritto dei passaggi sbagliati x le amiche che vorrebbero avventurarsi in questo lavoro riguardo gli angoli delle lenZuola: l'avanti e l'indietro va fatto quando la cucitura passa anke sull'elastico. L'elastiko viene inserito dopo aver cucito l'orlo (a grandezza dell'elastico) con del filo elastcizzato a tensione normale o con filo normale a tensione lenta. La lunghezza dell'elastico si calcola togliendo 1/3. Buon lavoro.

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  10. ma, figurati, mi fa piacere che ti sono stata di aiuto! e mi dispiace, vedo solo ora che, col cambiamento di template, questo post si è impazzito! devo rimediare!! 🙂 lisa

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  11. Brilliant! And a great reminder that when I was a child I would ask my mother to sew elastic, fitted corners onto my flat, top sheet so I didn’t have to tuck in those corners either! Thank you!!

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