Let’s talk bedding! I think looks are important, but you also want to get a good night’s sleep.
So what kind of sheets do you prefer? You can listen to the podcast episode below.
LISTEN HERE
First let’s talk about thread count. Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch of the sheet. The higher the number the smaller the threads and therefore the smoother the sheets. The larger numbers mean a smoother sheet, but they also have a downside. The smaller threads are more prone to break, so you may be sacrificing durability at some point. And at some point you won’t notice the difference. The experts say to buy at least a 200 thread count sheet, but anything over 800 you won’t notice the difference. They also say that manufacturers can do things to manipulate the numbers so they are higher, but you are actually getting a poor quality sheet.
It’s more important to look at the sheet content rather than the thread count. Egyptian cotton is considered the best because the cotton fibers are longer and therefore smoother and less likely to poke out. Egyptian cotton also lasts longer because the fibers are longer. This is considered the best of the best as far as cotton sheets go.
After Egyptian cotton, the next best kind of sheets are Pima. Next is Sateen, similar to a polished cotton. The cotton yarns are woven like a satin fabric would be woven. They have a shine.
Be wary of sheets made from synthetic fabrics. They tend to be hot and don’t feel as good. Be warned the Egyptian cotton can be very pricey. I used this this article at the Huffington Post for research on this post.
Then let’s talk linen fabric. Linen is my favorite. It’s the coolest fabric and feels wonderful. Antique linen can be found with monograms and so it not only feels good, it looks fantastic. I don’t even care what monogram is on the sheets. Keep in mind that not all linen sheets are the same. Antique homespun linen is going to be rougher to the skin. But you can also find linen with such fine thread count that it looks like cotton. I can tell the fabric below is linen. Just look closely at the fibers.
These are vintage linen pillowcases with gorgeous monograms.
Below is my linen bedspread that I made and there’s a linen blanket on top of it. I love linen sheets, linen blankets and linen bedspreads. As you can see, wrinkles don’t bother me. Wrinkles are desired in linen, because that is how you know it is real linen. If there aren’t any wrinkles, it probably isn’t real linen.
As for pillows I love down pillows. I know some people prefer foam, but it’s not for me.
Below the pillow shams are vintage cotton shams. I thought they were so charming. The bedspread below is vintage cotton.
Remember you don’t have to buy everything new. Vintage and antique linens are great and vintage linen usually holds up quite well.
Thanks for this post. My favorite are sateen sheets. They get softer and softer with no pilling. And if you are a restless sleeper, they don’t bunch up against your nightware. My worst online purchase was a beautiful set of percale sheets from a well known designer that arrived so crisp and crunchy that the sound of turning over at night would wake you up. After numerous washings in hot/warm/cold water with baking soda/vinegar/detergent, to the trash they went.
I so love all of your beautiful linens….Yes, I find that vintage linen is so much more durable….I am always on the hunt for monogrammed linens.
Where can one buy sheets where the top sheet actually can be tucked in once it is laundered? I have a king sized bed so I can’t buy a larger size. I have tried unsuccessfully to find an answer to this question and would appreciate any ideas.
F/S on line fabric store had extra wide linen and patterns to make sheets and pillow cases.
Thanks for the idea!
Suzanne Restoration Hardware sheets are cut very generously and I think you may be able to tuck your top sheet, I have 2 sets from them in linen and I tuck mine in no problem. However, they are pricey, a set may run you upwards of $300.00, I always wait for a sale to buy mine to make it less painful but the quality is great and well worth the price. My preference is 100% belgian linen, it makes for a heavenly night.
Hope that helps.
Thanks! Worth looking into!
I would caution against Restoration linens (made in China). The expensive set I bought lasted only about a year and the fitted sheet literally fell apart with rips and holes all over. Normal laundry with no bleach and can’t figure out if I just got a lemon set. I should have known from the amount of lint in my dryer that it was coming apart. Oh, well…
☹️
Check out Roughlinen.com. She has amazing linen products and very generous sizes!
Thank you!
I’ve had the same issue. I solved my problem by sewing plain muslin to the foot of the sheet……giving plenty room to tuck under the mattress! Good luck!
Excellent idea Goldie!!
Really great idea. Simple and inexpensive.
Hotel (not the Hotel brand) sheets often have much larger top sheets. I read that this is because some only use top sheets…even for mattress. Bought a set from Marriott which has the over sized flat sheet & love that I can pull it all the way up on my king bed and the bottom still hangs to the floor…plenty to tuck.
Love the color scheme on your bedroom( the one with the linen bedspread you made) would you share the color of your walls and where you got your drapes?
Thanks.
Much useful information on bedding-sheet content-linens. Thank you so much, I learned allot today!
I love my linen sheets. Belive it or not I found some linen cotton sheets at target. I bought several colors. White, pink and grey. Took a king size top sheet and some of my stash cotton and made a duvet cover. Love love love this set of sheets and pillowcases.
Found a beautiful embroidered antique linen tablecloth at an estate sale. Realized it was the same size as a queen quilt so I now have a summer bedspread for my guest room. Pillow shams were bridge table cloths and napkins. The more variety and different monograms the better. Love all the options if you think outside the box.
Sitting on white linen sheets with flax linen duvet cover and shams. Drinking coffee and reading my favorite blog. Life’s good.
Yup agreed Ginger!!
I have never had real linen sheets although I would love to. My favorite sheet is percale because I like to “move to the cool spot”. I hate hot sheets and sticking to them in the summer.
I bought my linen bedding from mooshop on Etsy.com and I love it! It comes from Latvia and the seller is great to work with on Custom orders. Check it out. Beautiful pure linen bedding.
Beautiful. I love your bedding.
You would be shocked at the AMAZING sheets that I have found at Goodwill! You just have to walk out with a BIG smile when you bought a $200 sheet for $3.
We love Egyptian cotton sheets! I’m going to check out some linen sheets.
Great info! Thanks, Anita!
Blessings!
I also go with Egyptian cotton sheets, but I disagree about the feel of the thread count. Once I discovered 1k count sheets there has been no other choice for me. I love the heavier feel of the sheets. Only need those and a down comforter for the best night’s sleep ever. And mine have lasted for several years with weekly washing and drying on low temp.
The linen monogrammed napkins are so beautiful!
Thought I would share, since I knew you would appreciate it, Anita. One of the men in our church is a handyman. Today, he brought to church two huge trash bags full of vintage linen items that were given to him by one of his clients. He and his wife did not want to keep them, so they let anyone who wanted them, take them for free! One of my friends and I made a haul! 🙂 Runners of all different sizes, napkins, doilies, baby clothes, and even an apron! Very fun! Hoping to be able to get the staining out of the items. If not, nothing lost!
Julie, FYI, if all else fails, try the blue Dawn dishwashing soap for stubborn stains! Wet area, rub in straight Dawn and launder!