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.

Technicolored Dryer

Well this morning I wanted to talk muffins, nursery, or maybe a project or two around the house.  But this morning’s post was hijacked by a Technicolor dryer.  Therefore I am taking this opportunity to address every mother’s biggest nightmare (okay maybe not the biggest, but definitely in the top 10), a melted unidentifiable substance in the dryer.  Dun-dun-dun! 

 

 

 While going about my usual early morning chores I thought I would empty the dryer and put on another load.  Much to my horror I was greeted immediately by a psychedelic pink mystery stain just inside the door.  My mind raced as I began to assess the damaged by carefully inspecting every piece of clothing I pulled out front to back, inside and out.  Thankfully the stain missed white school uniform shirts, uniform shorts, many of my favorite "go to" t-shirts, and even my baby’s handmade crochet blanket made for us by a friend.  The mystery product seems to have gotten caught in the crevice of the door and melted there missing almost every piece of clothing in the overstuffed dryer.  Do I have a laundry angel or what???

Now what to do about this so that I can continue with the chores and get back on track with my morning routine? I started with my first string product for things like this and immediately grabbed up several paper towels and a bottle of Goo Gone. 

It did the job beautifully and cleaned the mystery stain little by little.  When I began to notice the paper towel was spreading the color rather than picking it up I got a fresh paper towel. 

Next I used the sharp point of an old kitchen knife to dig some of what I am sure was a bright pink crayon out of the inside crevice of the door. 

While I was scraping out the last minute bits of crayon I noticed it had melted down inside the lint catcher, seeing as how there was no way that would ever touch the clothes I decided that was a lost cause and let it go.  There is no danger of the crayon offender every reaching the drum because the front piece of the lint catcher is separated from the main drum by a lip created by two separate parts.  I am fairly confident in my decision the leave it alone and hope for the best.

So there you have it my dodged bright pink bullet and a mommy endorsement for my favorite crayon removing product.  I will do my best to get those other post I mentioned ready for prime time. 

 I should mention that I got a fantastic deal on my front load washer and dryer, when a roommate of mine moved to an apartment with no W/D connections in her dream neighborhood. She bought the floor displays at Home Depot and got the pair for $900. While we lived together I purchased some very nice slip covered couches off Craigslist. She loved the couches more than I did so we made a trade, and I paid her the difference.  Seriously, I was happy to give her the equivalent of $900 for two appliances I had fallen in love with, and I got two for the price of one really. Thanks roomie for the great deal, your W/D are still going strong. 

Have a wonderful week and remember to check all pockets before throwing kiddy clothes in the wash. 

PS: I am making the most delicious pork chop recipe for dinner tonight, more on that next week.