Let’s Play Guess The Sheet Size

Don’t you just hate it when you have to unfold sheets in the linen closet to guess the size? Well you may not have given it much thought, but it is one of those things that drives me a little bit nuts. 

Not to mention when you are grabbing one from the bottom and the neatly folded stack falls to the floor.  Argh!  Years ago I used a laundry pen to write a T, Q, or K in the corners of the sheets.  I found I still had to unfold the sheets because the letter was rarely ever visible after I folded them.  Next I placed the folded set inside one of the pillow cases to keep a matched set together, but again this wasn’t ideal because even though I tucked in the edges the pillow case was too large to keep them neatly stacked.  My next method included me whipping out some elastic from the sewing kit and tying pieces around the folded set with a big chunky knot on top.  This worked for the last several months, but this doesn’t solve the problem of identifying the size without opening them up.  

Lying in bed one night, moments before drifting off to sleep it hit me…I need to sew tags!  I of course proclaimed this out loud and startled my husband moments before he drifted off to dream land.  He groggily replied, “that’s nice dear,” and kept is date with the sandman. 

This is what my crafting mind came up with to solve the folding, stacking and identifying conundrum. I used a couple different fabrics, ¾” braided elastic, and some Sharpie Stained fabric markers.  In truth I was inspired by these Stained by Sharpie fabric markers that I purchased off the clearance rack at Office Depot.  I sometimes wander their aisles on my lunch break as a form of meditation during my workday.  You’d be surprised how rows and rows of paper products calm the nerves.

 

I began by scribbling the words using different colors and style until I found a few I didn’t mind.  I then cut the fabric into 4” square around each word.

 

 

I used the iron to press a narrow hem on each side of the tag.  The iron works better than pins when you are sewing a hem this narrow. 

 

 

I then folded the fabric right sides together and hemmed along the long edge.

 

 

 

I used a large safety pin to turn the tag inside out.  I put the pin through one end and pass the pin back through the center until it is right side out.  I discovered this trick when making scrunchies in the 90’s (don’t judge me; we all had them it’s nothing to be ashamed of).

 

 

Next I used the same pin to fish through the elastic, which I then overlapped and sewed closed. UPDATE: For the elastic I used 24" for kings, 20" for queens, and 18" for twin sized sheets.

 

 

I finished by slipping the tag over where I connected the two ends and stitched both sides of the tag.  This holds it in place and give it a more finished look.

 

 

I made several more using the same technique and proceeded to give my new invention a try.  They worked beautifully to keep the sheets sets together and make them easily identifiable.

 

The possibilities are endless here, you can be as fashionable as you’d like. 

 

I think they would be lovely if you have access to a machine with and embroidery feature. I hear those machines cost plenty of money and take up tons of space.  For now I am pleased to have solved another organization dilemma in my home.  Thank you for stopping by and be sure to come back to see what I’ve got going next.

Mirrors Ahoy

Good Monday morning to you all and Happy Veterans Day.  Let’s all take a moment to thank the great men and women who served this fine country in the branches of the US Armed Forces.  Thank you to my father who served as an officer in the Air Force.  Presently I have a nephew stationed in Japan in the Navy, and a niece stationed in California in the Marines.  So we have several branches represented in the family. 

It was a busy weekend. I had a garage sale on Saturday; I will spare you the details because when it comes to organizing a garage sale I am the worst.  I had stuff piled high in the dining room for weeks, and at 7o’clock on Friday night I put it all under the carport and slapped a bunch of price stickers on it.  Not very organized I tell you.  Just a foreshadowing of this week’s post I have 2 (that’s right I said 2) crock pots going today. 

Today we are going to get into a little bit of that eclectic style I mentioned before by hanging some mirrors in my formal living room.  Back story coming at you: I fell in love with a sunburst mirror at Target. I searched for months through all the choices out there and decided on the one pictured here.

 

 When I went to buy it at Target, it was on clearance. Woo hoo! There was just one little snag, when my husband saw it he gave it the veto.  He liked the wood, but not the antique finish on the mirror’s surface.  I worked on changing his mind over the next 24 hours and finally convinced him that the frame was my favorite part, and promised him I would change out the mirror for one that would give him a nice clean reflection.  He finally relented and I rushed over to get it the next morning.  Shock and horror, they were sold out.  I scoured the internet high and low for the mirror to no avail. 

I knew I wanted a round mirror, not necessarily a sunburst and I came across this beauty on the same aisle at the Target, and on clearance.  It’s as if the mirror gods were shining down on me and wanted me to have the perfect round mirror for the space I had in mind.  I didn’t even consult the hubby on this one I immediately brought it home.  When he helped me unload the trunk I began to explain my choice and he stopped me mid-sentence and agreed that it was very nice and he loved it.  Score!

So this morning I decided to hang it.  Here’s the run down on this table. It lived its first life in this very house while I was growing up as a fish tank stand. In the 90’s my mother passed it to me and I had two pieces of glass cut for it and used it as a sofa table.  Then when I purchased this house I had it the den, my mother asked why I was still holding on to such an unattractive table.  I told her I just couldn’t part with it. 

 

Last Easter I found a way to keep the table and make it more presentable in the form of a table skirt I made from a table cloth I received as a gift. I cut two melamine shelves to fit and reused the glass top and placed a few accessories on it.  There not so bad, right?

 

 

Today, to finish the corner I hung the round wood mirror along with colored mirrors I purchased at Hobby Lobby some time ago. There were 50% off and I loved the colors, but I had no idea where I would hang them until this morning.  I am enjoying the mix of formal and fun here.  I have a side by side here to show you.  I moved the little lamp to the other side to add a little height to the left side.  What do you think?

 

You can see in this final picture the back of an antique chair I am dying to slip cover, but for now you’ll have to make do with this little preview.  I will need to dust off the sewing machine very soon. 

 

Have a wonderful day and come back later in the week for some fantastic recipes.  Mmmm, it smells so good in this house right now.