What Sheets Do I Like?

When it comes to sheets, I get a ton of questions.  One of which I get more often than others once I start talking about what's out there..."Well what's the difference?"  In the world of sheets, you're going to find a ton of choices-which can be a good thing or a bad thing, if you don't know what to look for.  Several factors go into the different options for sheets-none seem to make as much of a difference as the type of weave.  The weave really determines how the sheets are going to feel to you.  The three most popular and most often seen weaves are percale, sateen, and jacquard.


I'll start with Percale.  According to Sferra, one of my biggest and best-selling brands, "Percale is a plain weave using a one-over, one-under structure."  Think way back to elementary school Art Class when your teacher had you cut out tons of paper strips and you had to weave them together.  The one-over, one-under style of weaving leaves you with a finished product similar to a checkerboard table, where you see an even amount of both colors.  In the fabric world, this leaves you with a finished product that has a matte finish, and a crisp feel similar to that of a men's dress shirt.  I have found that the tighter weave does cause Percale to wrinkle more easily than Sateen, causing ironing to become more necessary to keep a smooth appearance.  Here's an image from Sferra of a Percale weave up close:

Now a Sateen weave, according to Sferra, "Places more threads on the surface, using a four-over, one-under structure."  In doing so, this gives you a larger area of one fiber, which creates a smoother surface leaving the fabric with a softer feel as well as with a hint of a sheen.  In my store, Sateen tends to be the favorite.  This is the type of sheet I, myself, usually sleep with due to it's softer, smoother feel.  In washing the Sateen fabric, sheen may be lost; to regain, all that is necessary is to run a warm iron over the fabric.  Here is an up close image of a Sateen weave, courtesy of Sferra:

Now let's discuss Jacquard weaves.  This is real simple...Jacquard=pattern.  Whenever you see fabric of any kind with a pattern to it, and I don't mean different colors creating a design, I actually mean when it's woven into a pattern-this is a Jacquard.  The easiest example of this one is to just think of a striped sheet.  Everybody at some point in their life has had a tone-on-tone striped set of sheets.  This is where the entire sheet is all one color-and yes you will see a slight variation in color, but that is just the threads going in different directions.  Something to keep in mind is that the more intricate the design, the more likely it's going to affect the feel of your sheets.  Most patterns, however, you will never even feel.  When it comes to Jacquard sheeting, I don't see too many options, and let me explain why-it costs more.  To weave a pattern into fabric you either need a person or a machine to do so-and it takes a lot more skill and work to weave a pattern than it does a solid.  And when you really get down to it, how much of your sheets do you REALLY see??  So when it comes to pattern, I usually say just save the pattern for the top of the bed and just go simple on your sheets.  Here's an example of Jacquard sheeting (see the fern leaves??) from one of my other lines, Scandia Home:

One more weave type I'm going to throw in as a little extra piece of knowledge (just cuz I like you) is the Twill weave.  I don't see Twill in bedding too much.  Sferra just introduced their line of Twill duvet covers and sheets, MacKenzie, last season.  A twill weave creates diagonal lines.  As Sferra puts it, "this is done by passing the weft thread (the horizontal one) over one or more warp threads (the vertical one) and then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a 'step' or offset between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern."  That may sound a little confusing, but this again is something most of us have done at some point when making friendship bracelets-or when using those thin plastic strips we all made keychains with!  Another and probably the most well-known example of a twill weave is Denim.  **Look REALLY close at your jeans the next time you're wearing them and see if you can spot the diagonal lines.  Twill is also used a lot in upholstery fabric for it's softness and durability (the image of a khaki-colored sofa at my mom's lakehouse comes to mind).  Here is an image of a twill weave up close for you:

Hopefully you now know WAY more than you ever thought you would about the different types of sheets out there.  Now go out into the world shopping for sheets feeling a little more powerful because of the new knowledge you've got under your belt.

Loving Your Linen Closet

Hi there.  Today's tips are ones that I found in a VERY helpful "How To" while casually flipping through a recent issue of Good Housekeeping.  Now, as I promised, here is all of the information for you to track down this article if you'd like to read more and for me to give credit where credit is due, seeing as how these tips are not my own but ones I found and wanted to share with you.  This is from Feb 2012's Good Housekeeping CMG08345 Vol 254 No.2

Now for the good stuff, a question that I'm often asked is "What do you recommend doing with my sheets when I'm not using them?" This article that I came across took that question and answers not only the sheet portion but also throws in tips for towels and a little organization as well.

"Start at the top. Put clean out-of-season covers out of sight on the top shelf. But don't stash them in their original plastic packaging-it prevents the fabric from "breathing" and can lead to mildew. Just fold, or cinch in a cotton or mesh drawstring laundry bag to keep them tidy without trapping moisture.

Straighten out the shelves.  Try clip-on shelf dividers to keep stacks from toppling; bins to hold overflow toiletries or toilet paper; and adhesive labels for shelf edges.  To make linen piles even less jumble-prone, here's how to fold:
          Towels GHRI's linen gurus fold theirs into thirds. Why? They fit better in the closet and look nicer when put out. Organize by set rather than by type, so they'll be grab-and-go. (Place washcloths flat on top or folded in a bin to the side so they won't get lost.)
          Sheets Place the flat and fitted ones, folded, inside the pillowcases to save space.  To keep sets' sizes straight, color-code the tags with a permanent marker dot and group accordingly as they come out of the wash.

What to purge when it comes to towels and sheets.  On laundry day, take a hard look at what's left in the linen closet (and may have been lingering for years).  Then repurpose it as rags or press cloths, stash in the car for padding cargo or cleaning spills, or donate to an animal shelter for use as pet bedding."

I really loved this little "How To" article because in addition to some great organizational tips, it also urges you to declutter while you're at it.  Also, without meaning to, they're stressing the importance of having more than one set of sheets per bed.  Only having and using one set of sheets will not only wear your sheets out much faster, but it can also leave you in a huge lurch when and if something happens to your top or bottom sheet.  What I usually recommend is having at least one extra set of sheets and alternate between them every time you wash your bedding.  This will allow at least a week or two of  "rest" for the fabric from wear and tear.  Some people change their entire bedding seasonally, which allows your linens even more "rest" between uses.

Thanks for reading, and remember to "comment" or email me any time with any questions you may have regarding your linens.