dollycaswell

It's been incredible. Sunshine and blue skies and a little rain once in a while to save me the trouble of watering the lawn!!

dollycaswell

Okay, I promised you all that I'd keep you posted on what I learned about the elastic....the best contact, most choices, best prices (also with the best service) that I've found online is CTSUSA.COM. They don't have the exact elastic I was using in Australia, but they have a 1 inch wide fold over elastic that I'm sure will work very well. It is 1" ultra soft FOE, #04F1WSOFT and priced at $21.95 for a 50 ft roll. I've emailed them again because when I tried to order it thru their website the FED EX ground charges were going to be more than the price of the elastic.

No, I don't need 50 yards to make sheets, but this elastic is quite beautiful and will work well for any other elastic projects that I have in the future that need a lovely edge. I think it's lingerie elastic. It's cheaper than anything at Joann's or anywhere else I've found, unless they insist on shipping via FED EX, in which case I'll balk and not order it.

One of you darlings offered to send me some from Australia and knew exactly the elastic I was talking about. However, the shipping/mail is still likely to be a problem. I do appreciate it, however, and will keep you in mind if this doesn't work out with CTSUSA.

dollycaswell

Yes, stretch the elastic just like you would if you were putting it on anything else that you wanted snugged up after putting it on. Remember, it has to cinch up under the mattress.

cheri stonespinner

Thanks for the tute! I need to do this with a couple of water bed mattress pads and sheets, to use on full sized beds. ( we've gotten rid of the water beds) :thumbup:

Teressia

How do you measure how much elastic needed for sheet?

kittykatz2001

Here is a link to a video using fold over elastic. Not on a sheet, just showing how she stretches it. I am going to make covers for the cushions on my sofa. This will work great.

http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angr...ld-over-e.html

sewNso

i was wanting to do this. glad i was digging thru old tut's.

gingerella

I have been doing this for years, for all mattress sizes. What you have to remember is that however wide and long your mattress is, for an example only say: 70 x 80 .. and the mattress is 10 inches thick. At 70 inches thick, your sheet would have to measure first the 70 inches, then twice the 10 inches for the thickness, and then you must add 2 inches to each side for the application of the elastic.

The same instructions go for the length of the sheet. Now that you have that figured out, you can draw the pattern on the sheet, remove the twelve inch square at each corner, sew the edges together, apply the elastic, and you're done.

Since my husband won't use a top sheet either, I use duvet covers over twin comforters on our king size bed. I have learned to make these duvet covers from my unused top sheets.

I've made lots of baby crib sheets this way with special "baby" fabric, and the new moms always are so pleased to have especially, flannel sheets for winter. Flannel can usually be purchased wide enough for the 36 inch wide, by 6 inch thick, plus the four inches overhang (two each side) standard baby crib size mattress.

Peckish

Can someone please post a picture of how the elastic looks when it's sewn into the sheet? I'm having a hard time visualizing this. My sheets all have casings for the elastic. I recently replaced the elastic in one sheet because it had disintegrated and stretched. It wasn't hard at all, which is why I'm wondering why you'd have to buy special elastic.

sewNso

I ordered the foldover elastic off the internet. i was somewhat surprised when it arrived. it doesn't seem to have the stretch to it, that regular elastic has. no reason someone couldn't use regular elastic., it just might not look as pretty on the edge. going to give it a try.