bed linen

It seems buying good bed linen was already getting challenging when I was living in Boston. By "good" in this case I mean something that feels smoooootthh. My mom always told me to buy no less than 300 thread count, but most the sheets I've seen here don't list thread count. I bought some 180 thread count sheets here that boasted of a superior weave, but they feel like sandpaper! Any hints/vendors you can offer will be apprecieated. I live in Leicester, by the way.

I'm also wondering if a double fitted sheet here will fit my double bed from the states. The dimensions here are 75" x 54", and a standeard american double is 76" x 54". Will i be able too make it stretch that extra inch?

comfortwise, i would say egyptian cotton is the best way to go...and i have seen it here.  saw at least one set on argos.com.

I always buy Egyptian cotton, they really are the softest, smoothest, and most durable.  Look for "sateen" finish if you can find it.  I rarely pay attention to thread count, though, because I've seen too many high thread count sheets that feel like paper towels.  Especially percale.  Never buy percale.  I've never had a percale sheet, no matter how high the thread count, that felt good against my skin.

I agree look out for Egyptian cotton here and AVOID percale and obviously avoid anything not 100% cotton, which is very common. House of Fraser usually has some very good E. cotton bedding (their own brand range is great) and if you happen to go at sale time you can get it at a very reasonable price too.  They have great towels as well by the way, lovely and fluffy!

oy - i bought percale!

thanks for the tips :-)

oy - i bought percale!

And those are the ones that feel like sandpaper, right?  Poor thing.  Live and learn.  You can save those sheets, though.  They'll come in handy for:

Winter-you can put them over the blanket or on top of your Egyptian cotton sheet for another layer of warmth.
Dropcloths when you paint.
Guest rooms, for decorative purposes.
Making tents in the living room. 
Slipcovers for unattractive furniture.
Picnics.


If all else fails, you can try washing them repeatedly with hot water and extra fabric softener.  It won't help much, but it might help a little. 

And if you can't find Egyptian cotton, look for Pima or Supima cotton.  Almost as nice, and again try to find a "sateen" weave.  See, the reason Egyptian cotton is so lovely compared to regular percale is the length of the fibers.  EC has long fibers, which make it smooth and durable.  Percale is a weave, not a type of fiber, so though the thread count may be high, it's usually all short fibers.  Meaning there's lots of bushy little bits crammed into a tiny space-not the lovely sleeping experience you were looking for.  Pima cotton has threads almost as long, meaning it's almost as nice.

I found the following:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Shopping/Product.aspx?ARA=Home+%26+Garden&CAT=Bedroom&SCT=Bedding+%26+Bed+Linen&PRT=Fitted+Sheets&Type=LNE&Id=2563

http://www.thewhitecompany.com/ProductDetails_wh.aspx?CurrentCategory=Home|Bedroom|Bedroom-Bedlinen|Bedroom-Bedlinen-Milano%20Sateen

http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Section_Id=258&Product_Id=1282459&portal=decide

M&S might be a good place to start, you can give everything a bit of a feel there.

oy - i bought percale!

thanks for the tips :-)

can you take it back? pretend it was the wrong size?

Wait a minute. I love my percale and it is like sandpaper before the first wash but its so smooth and cool from then on. My percale is 300 count from the USA. I also have had a hard time finding good linens here. My poor kids have the cheapy sheets that get all bally after one wash.

Also, I had a queen size bed in the USA which is the same size as a King size here. Im using my same sheets.

Ill look for E-cotton sheets now!

Ah you see - your percale is from the US! Maybe it's diffferent to the percale here. Trust me I bought some percale sheets (here) once, it's nasty! I am so happy with my beautiful egyptian cotton bedding I got from House of Fraser, I've had it nearly 2 years now and oging strong and I got it in the sale, it was cheap, about £30 for the set. It's so soft and comfy.

Also, I had a queen size bed in the USA which is the same size as a King size here. Im using my same sheets.

That's great news to learn. We were gonna buy a new king bed but I told hubby that since we plan on moving it back it would be a bad idea-how who one fit in a UK house! Now I can stock up on sheets and keep our "old" bed. Thanks.

pebbles, you mention the sheets getting "all bally." Are you referring to little white fuzzies appearing all over? i can't figure out where these things are coming from. My sheets? My cheap duvet? don't think it's my pillows, becasue they're all 100% down and feathers.

by the way, no one has mentioned whether double sheets here will fit my double from the usa . . . anyone have experience with this?

thanks again for all the info!

pebbles, you mention the sheets getting "all bally." Are you referring to little white fuzzies appearing all over? i can't figure out where these things are coming from. My sheets? My cheap duvet? don't think it's my pillows, becasue they're all 100% down and feathers.

by the way, no one has mentioned whether double sheets here will fit my double from the usa . . . anyone have experience with this?

thanks again for all the info!

The little balls are the product of broken fibres from your sheets.

My double sheets from the US fit on our double beds here in the UK...so I'd assume the same will hold true the other way around.

Ron, check out this thread:
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=5608.0

There are a few regarding bed sizes in the Moving section, if you do a little hunting!  

And those little balls are probably threads from your sheets coming loose.  Sorry.

OK - I finally bought a new flat sheet at Rackhams. House of Fraser E cotton sateen, 300 thread count. Much better.  Was pricey - £40 for one double sheet - but i was getting desparate for some comfort. In my searching i did come across E cotton percale, so those two, as someone else noted, are not mutually exclusive.

The sheet is pricey, Ron, but I promise you it will last for years! 

Excellent!