Fabric for bed linen

[chelseamorning]

I'm going to have a stab at making some bed linen for my DS as we're struggling to fin anything that he truly likes. How hard can it be to sew a few straight lines?!

Has anyone tried it? Tips, suggestions etc please! I'm hoping to make a duvet cover and pillow case. I'll probably just buy a fitted sheet to compliment the design/colours we choose.

I'm after 100% cotton because he has sensitive skin. Where can I source wide width material? Or is it okay to join fabric on a duvet cover?

I've been wanting to do this! My Mum made me one as a child. You can get specific sheeting material which is wider than the standard dress widths. Don't suppose it would be difficult, just making sure that the material is straight (are you supposed to pull a thread at the edge and then stretch it across the grain to make sure it is absolutely straight??? trying in vain to recall school textiles lessons!). Someone who knows far more than me is bound to come along - so I'm going to look out for tips too!

I've been wondering whether to just buy a plain colour single duvet set, cut up the sides and then applique what I fancy on it, then sew it up again. Almost seems like the sheeting material I've found hasn't been that great or with that much variety in colour or whatever. But could be thats just my selection of shops.

Haha!

I guess you could also just customise a duvet cover of your choice too, rather than make from scratch. There are so many things you could appliqué or embroider.

I really want something funky for DS and am concerned that standard wide material suitable for bed linen may be too boring. Have seen loads of fabric at fabric rehab's website that I'd love to use but not sure if its suitable.

I have looked at this because I wanted to make some really nice egyptian cotton duvet and pillow cases. I went to kingofcotton.co.uk for a quote but I think I ended up with a quote for about 30 metres of fabric (i.e. a minimum order) - which was far too much so the project went on hold....

Actually I've just found another website - who are much more affordable. www.empressmills.co.uk sell egyptian cotton by the piece or the meter.

Looks like my project might be back on again!

Ninetyninepercent, I've just take a look at Spoonflower's website and am wondering if you may have inspired me to reassess my idea. There are some lovely designs on there which I could buy and appliqué onto a standard duvet set.

Lots of options to explore!

Ooh, thanks, Phantomquartz!

OOOhhh....Fabric Rehab has just been added to my favourites! a standard single duvet cover is 135cm x 200cm so the normal widths of 110cm would be too thin, but you could use that width x 200cm, and then add complementing fabric either side (so the main fabric is more of a stripe). Even maybe applique or embroider the edging fabric with a co-ordinating theme? And then maybe do the pillowcase one side in the main fabric and one size in the edging fabric to tie it all in?

I am just sooooo excited now! Lovely ideas!

I've made a few duvet sets. They are really easy to make, the hardest part is the fastening whether it's loads of button holes, or poppers. You might also need to have a look at a pillow case to work out how to fold it, took me a couple of times before I 'got' it.
Have a look at www.kidsfabrics.co.uk they've got some nice fabrics and also a useful calculator.
I've always found that making bedding turns out really expensive because of the quantity of fabric needed.
Good luck!

www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk/range_fabrics.htm

You might need to phone customer services and ask them. They are very knowledgeable about the suitability of fabrics for different purposes.

Good luck

Yeah any cotton fabric will do, and you can just sew peices together to make it big enough, like someone else suggested the best thing to do would be to make a boarder around your main fabric with a contrasting or co0ordinating fabric, so make a feature out of it.

Actually sewing the duvet cover and pillow case is very easy, it's just straight lines really.

The Ikea kids duvet covers don't have any buttons or closures at the bottom, but the corners are sewn up so not the whole of the bottom is open, and I have copied their design and it works fine.

Have you looked at the Ikea covers though? They often have really nice ones. I also just bought a lovely bicycle duvet cover for DS from H&M of all places. I like duvet covers tha are mostly white with a bright coloured pattern and this bicycle one, and the Ikea ones, fit the bill.

Thanks all.

overmydeadbody, DS has some old IKEA duvet sets and they've been great. The open end makes changing the bed a quicker job so was hoping to copy that style anyway!

Will look at H&M as DS wears a lot of their clothes!