dollycaswell

First of all, I keep calling this "sheet elastic" but I've since learned it's called fold over elastic or elastic binding. So when I do a google search it's easier to find. I've been asked by a few of you to do a tutorial on the famous and extremely elusive "sheet elastic" and how do I make smaller fitted sheets from larger ones. Following is the reason why I even know about this trick!

Okay, here's the story. While I was in Australia a couple of years ago with YWAM, I took some donated, flat, motel sheets and made them into fitted sheets for the many twin beds at the base. I went to a local fabric/notions store and bought "sheet elastic". It is FABULOUS stuff, has a rib down the center and elastic on both sides, probably about 5/8 to 3/4 wide and when you stitch it on the raw edge of the sheet fabric, it completly encloses the edge. The "rib" wraps around the edge, the two sides get stitched together automatically with one stitching and you can go all the way around the entire sheet with elastic, not just at the corners. When I was done with each sheet, they looked "professional" like it was factory done, the sheets were gorgeous!!

I have searched the net and with the help of several people here on this blog I think I've found a place to order the right elastic. Meanwhile, let me see if I can walk/talk/type you through this process.

I will explain it from the standpoint of cutting down a standard twin top sheet and making it into a standard twin fitted sheet.

First though, I want to show you a picture of the elastic that I do have, just don't have enough to do several sheets. Also the rough pencil diagram of how to cut the sheet.