What Is It With Sheets These Days

[launderess]

Leave Those Clueless fleaPay Sellers Alone!

*LOL*

Have obtained some great deals over the years on both linens and other items from sellers who did not know what they had got! *LOL*

This includes a nice set of vintageWamsutta "Supercale" sheets and pillow slips, in their original box that had more than what was listed.

Only problem with vintage linens is how hard it is to find "Queen" sized sheets, and forget about "King". The later sized bed wasn't common until about the 1960's or so, and the former from about the 1950's.

You'll find lots of twin, and "double/matrimonial", but even there you really have to know your mattress size. Beds have gotten deeper over the years with pillow topped mattresses, feather-beds, padding and god only knows what else piled on top, all of which adds depth.

For those of you whom like fitted sheets, there again vintage linens may let you down, as they didn't become common until about the 1950's. Prior to that person made beds as they had for ages, two flat sheet (one top, one bottom). In some cases the bottom sheet was plain, whilst the top had a turn down and or was embroidered. However many housewives perferred plain flat sheets, especially for the nursery and children's beds as one can rotate sheets to give even wear. It also meant if one sheet was damaged a "set" was not broken up.

With the above system housewives, housekeepers and the rest simply purchased flat sheets in multiples of usually two, or one half to a dozen. If you look on eBay and elsewhere, and or some of you "old timers" will remember seeing, sheets simply came in box of six or one dozen. Madmame simply told the clerk how many she wished, and if less than a whole box the amount requested was fetched, wrapped and give to her.

 

[retromania]

Well, I am not that old. Thanks for tips about online auctions and linens. I stand corrected!

 

[sudsmaster]

I like the high thread count all cotton (Pima or Supima) Kirkland brand sheets I got at Costco last year. They have almost a satin finish. I routinely wash them in hot water, with no related issues. Lately I've taken to giving them a perm press gentle wash with low speed spin, then line dry. This seems to result in the fewest wrinkles while still giving a fine finish.

 

[petek]

Those WalMart Egyptian cotton sheets are terrible. They felt like sleeping on newspaper or crepe paper. The set I had lasted about 2 washings and began to tear so I returned them. Personally I like muslin or terry type sheets..

 

[retromania]

I paid a lot for these sateen sheet sets that I have and I'm just trying to get a little more use out of them before they are laundered and dropped in the nearest Goodwill bin!!!!! Yuck. I hate them! Sorry I'm repeating myself!!!

 

[franksdad]

I have begun scouring the Good Will and Salvation Army linens boxes for my linens. I bring them home and wash them in the "sanitize" cycle of my BOSCH FL with Clorox. I totally agree, once the linens industry left the US it went downhill. I hate new towels. After a couple of washings they begin to unravel (sp?) also. My Mama always bought JCPenney PennCale sheets when I was growing up. Every now and then I find them. They are wonderful! However, having a pillow-top bed the fitted ones won't fit. Like everything else, things are manufactured for one purpose only---to make profits for the share holders and customers be d@mned! Has anyone tried any of these new polyester microfibre sheets that are the only thing you can find new around here anymore? I don't "do" polyester so I've not tried them.

 

[whirlcool]

Of course we have a Queen sized bed! Which as Laundress pointed out makes it hard to find vintage linens.

Our neighbor was telling Karen about those micro-fibre poly sheets. The neighbor loves them. But with all that polyester in the fabric, just wait until summer comes and they are up all night sweating away!

I turned this entire mess over to Karen to figure out. Hopefully, she'll find something that works. Our mattress is not overly thick, so that will help. While looking at various Internet sights Karen came across some Ralph Lauren sheets that are made in France. She's wondering if those would be better?

I really hate the way things are getting to be. It used to be you go to a store, pick out what you want and go home and be happy with your purchase. Now it seems you buy something and all you can do is hope for the best!

 

[mrboilwash]

Have you ever considered to try IKEA`s sheets ? All their sheets and towels, even dark colors can be safely washed in hot (60°C) water. Lots of Europeans wouldn`t buy otherwise.
I found that most of their lights and whites can be boiled without much shrinking even if the care tag suggests only hot.
But stay away from the cheap things, only the TOL IKEA stuff is worth the money !

 

[franksdad]

IKEA sheets

I have considered the IKEA sheets as they look nice and are at a good price. Their towels are nice also. I've bought some of their kitchen towels and oven gloves. I have been very pleased with them.

 

[mattl]

The towel I like best came from Sam's.   I hate all things Wal Mart but we don't have a Costco so I have to go there.  Anyway it's the thickest and best feeling towel I have out of all my recent purchases. I have old Sears TOL towels that are 30+ years old and are still in good shape, they just don't match the colors anymore.

 

Anyway, I'm looking for queen sized sheets too, want all cotton.  I'd like to buy just a fitted bottom sheet, as I have several top sheets who's mate shredded after a couple of years of use.  Right now I'm using flannel sheets, but soon I"ll need to go back to regular sheets, from reading this thread looks like I will have a hard time finding some decent ones....

 

[launderess]

Whirlcool

These should fit, as the size works for my queen size bed.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[launderess]

Generally Speaking For Vintage Linens

Full/Double/Matrimonial ='s 108"x81"
Queen ='s 120"x90"

Again, sheet sizes given were often before hemming and with a shrinkage margin of about 5% or less (generally, with better quality being on the lower end).

Of course if you wash these linens in boiling hot water and bake them dry in a hot tumble dryer, they will shrink more than if washed in warm or tap hot (about 120F), and then line dried.

You'll find "vintage" queen sheets starting mainly about the 1960's or late 1950's in good supply, that is they were being made in enough numbers to have surplus supply hanging about.

Forgot to mention it was still possible right up through the 1960's IIRC, for housewives and anyone else who wished to purchase sheeting fabric by the bolt. One then took the fabric home and ran up sheets (or whatever else one wanted the stuff for), at home. Fabric came in standard widths for various sized beds with finished selvages, all you did is cut off the length, make two hems, and viola, you had sheets. Toweling, and napkin fabric (including linen damask)also came this way. All these items could then be embroidered and or monogrammed if you really wanted to push out the boat.

Gotta love those housewives who liked busy work! *LOL* To be fair the invention and constant improvements of the home sewing machine made much of this possible. Elna for instance was one of first machines to have several hemstitches, perfect for bed and table linens.

 

[franksdad]

Making sheets at home

"Forgot to mention it was still possible right up through the 1960's IIRC, for housewives and anyone else who wished to purchase sheeting fabric by the bolt. One then took the fabric home and ran up sheets (or whatever else one wanted the stuff for), at home. Fabric came in standard widths for various sized beds with finished selvages, all you did is cut off the length, make two hems, and viola, you had sheets."

Yes, my Mama did that also. There were two linen mills near where I grew up (both gone now) one was a Cannon sheet and towel plant and the other was a Westpoint-Stevens plant. The husband of one of Mama's co-workers worked at the Cannon plant and a lady in Mama's Sunday School class worked at Westpoint-Stevens. Once a year the employees of the Cannon plant could buy linens at cost. Mama would buy sheets and towels from her friend's husband who worked at the Cannon plant. The other lady who worked at Westpoint-Stevens would bring Mama sheeting material. It was always a thrill in the summer to help Mama sew up the new sheets from the beautiful material from the Westpoint-Stevens plant. That plant is gone, torn down, and luxury condiminiums are planned on the mill site as it is adjacent to Lake Hartwell. Memories.........

Before closing and sending operations to the Middle East this above mentioned Westpoint-Stevens plant became the manufacturer for Ralph Lauren Polo Home. Talk about beautiful towels and linens. They also had a wholesale store in Greenville. Yes, I spent many dollars in that store. I'm a linen "horse".

 

[launderess]

WestPoint-Stevens

Is still around, the holding company owned by corporate radier Carl Ichan is called "Westport Home".

Sadly much if not all production is done overseas.

Pipe:

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[franksdad]

And much of the quality is gone too. (

 

[whirlcool]

And ask the poor ex TWA employees about what Carl Ichan did to TWA!
It can't be good.

Laundress, thanks for the link to those sheets. But at 180 TC wouldn't they be awfully thin?

 

[launderess]

180 Thread Count

Honey, I've got tons of vintage percale by "Lady Pepperell", "Wamsutta Supercale", and "Cannon Mills", all 180TC and am here to tell you they will out last and otherwise run rings around what is offered today, even at counts of >200.

Muslin is anything at or 140 threads per square inch, percale starts above that, and thread count alone does not tell the whole tale.

Quality of the cotton thread and how the material is woven, finished and sewn all effect quality.

Again there is a reason so many are seeking out vintage linens, and it isn't for their looks alone.

Properly cared for (including minimal use of bleaches, though the product is designed for "hard" use and laundering), you will be able to have your shroud (god forbid anytime soon), made from these sheets! *LOL*

 

[launderess]

Furthermore.....

Quality percale, properly cared for can and often will out last muslin (at or <140 threads per square inch). Many makers of percale bed linens touted this fact in advertisments.

Heavy duty muslin is made from thicker cotton threads, which is why even with it's lower thread count it is a very hard wearing textile. Before poly/cotton blends dethroned it from "econony" bedding, muslin was the choice for nursery, children's bedrooms, hospitals, military, and any place else that required hard wearing linens that could withstand harsh handling, but abuse from the wash as well.

While many familes chose percale for the master and guest bedrooms if they could afford it, those that couldn't had muslin there as well.

Muslin's down fall is that those thicker coton threads make for a heavy cloth that holds onto water like nobody's business. This means they were slow to dry and hard to iron properly. Commercial laundries long had high powered steam or otherwise heated ironers to deal with this problem, and later tumble dryers to help get some of that water out. Housewives had to hang the things out to dry, then try to get them just damp enough to iron properly. One small mercy came with the rapid expansion of tumble dryers for domestic use, but to feel anywhere near decent muslin bed linen needs to be ironed. To some coarse dried/unironed muslin was a true sign of a household's "poverty" status or at least a slovenly housewife.

If a housewife could have lighter percale linens that wore as well as muslin, but cost less or the same, she really came out ahead in so many ways. It certianly lightened her wash day load, and if laundry was sent out (often charged by the pound), since percale weighed less than muslin, her costs were lower

Laundering percale at home was easier as the lighter linens dried faster and often could go from a washer with good extraction right to the ironer/ironing board.

 

[whirlcool]

Laundress, what you are saying jives with our research. It's not so much the thread count as what the threads are made of in the first place.

I think I had Cannon Muslin sheets in college. Very nice and crisp, but not scratchy.

Those vintage sheets appear to be reasonably priced too. I think we'll give a set a try.

Today my crazy sister got into it with Karen on the phone. Karen was trying to explain this problem with sheets to her and my sister told her that she was just "overworking a problem where a problem doesn't exist". My sister said she just buys the cheapest sheets she can find and is happy with them. She's never had a bad set. BUT she hasn't bought sheets in at least 15 years or so...

And thank you very much for giving us the history of sheets and all that fabric information that I am sure a lot of people didn't know about. We sure didn't. Your information will make it easier to find sheets that we will be happy with.

 

[launderess]

While Not Vintage

Had good luck in the past with "Chambers" bed and bath linen from William Sonoma.

They used to have an outlet about four blocks from my street, so needless to say one stopped in often.....

Many of their offerings fall under "hotel" quality, similar to what Frette and others offer.

Despite the name, hotel quality does not the bed or bath linens are very high end. Rather items designed to withstand the constant use, frequent and often harsh laundering (hot water and or use of bleaches), common to bedding and toweling used in such service.

Pardon Our Interruption...