Table Linens!

There are a few common questions and comments I hear over and over regarding table linens. Most of them are pretty easy to answer, others not so much. Let's start with the easy ones, o.k.?

"What size tablecloth do I need?" is the simple one and I've dealt with it in the FAQ section on the website at www.oleanderforhome.ca. To re-cap for you - the best way to shop for table linens is to have your table measurements with you. You'll want to add approximately 16-20 inches on the width and 16-20 inches on the length for a more casual drop of 8 - 10 inches. For formal or special occasion linens, the tablecloth should be approximately 24- 36 inches wider and longer than your table for a drop of 12-18 inches on each side. Unfortunately, as with bedding, there is not a lot of standardization of tables and table linens. You'll find a wide range of sizes available so if you have your measurements we'll be able to eliminate the guess work of using the number of seats to get "close enough."

The other sizing issue I deal with in the store is a less complicated one. It turns out that napkins come in different sizes. There are luncheon, dinner and formal sized napkins available. Like with so many things, not all manufacturers make every style in every size. I've generally found it easier to go with the middle size (about 18 inches square) for almost everything and just keep the big ones (21-22 inches) in the formal white patterns. You can use the 18 inch ones everyday and save the big, pretty, white ones for when you really want to impress.

How much or how little you want to put on your table in terms of linens is pretty much up to you. Runners, napkins, placemats and tablecloths can be layered in matching and coordinated sets or mixed in colour and pattern contrasts all depending on the feel you're going for. You can simplify and leave the tablecloth off and go with runners laid width wise across the table at the place settings. Placemats on top of the runners or not? Up to you! A matching placemat would be a little more formal, a contrasting one more funky and leaving it off would be a little more casual. All are perfectly acceptable. The runners themselves could be all the same style and colour, same colour and different pattern or vice versa, or simply a collection of different pieces that you love. You should have fun dressing the table, mixing and matching or not, to suit your own personal style and the tone of your event. Whether the event is lunch for one or a feast for fourteen doesn't matter at all. A well dressed table makes life a little more enjoyable.

The more difficult issues about table linens come out of misconceptions about the linen itself. Often people are a little hesitant to spend money on something that may be easy to ruin. So here's the thing. Linen, actual linen, is not as easy to ruin as you might think it is. Good quality linens will have a natural lustre to them that work to make them a little bit stain resistant. The fibres are strong and resilient. It's neglect that will ruin linens, not their delicacy. The thing to remember is that you need to treat stains as soon as possible. If you can get at spots at the end of an evening then wash the linens they'll come out looking just fine. Putting them away dirty or leaving them in a heap in the laundry basket is what causes the real damage.

And about the washing thing? A lot of the time I hear people say "Oh, it's so beautiful, but so hard to take care of." Really though, that just isn't true. Linen is an incredibly durable fabric. You can put it in the washer. The first wash should always be in cold water but after that if you've got discolouration you can wash it in warm water. Hang it on the line to dry and it will look great when it's done. Easy. If you don't have a line outside you can put it in the dryer on low heat for a few minutes no more than 15 for a large tablecloth then lay it flat or hang it over your shower curtain to finish. Still easy. In fact linen is so washable that our favourite kitchen towels (shown in the photo) are 100% linen. They are colourful, fun, pretty and can stand up to anything you can dish out in the kitchen. So why be nervous to put linen on the table? There's no reason at all!

Super Size or High Profile?

Do you know how deep your mattress is? If you've bought a new one in the last 5 years or so chances are it's pretty deep. Up until recently mattresses had a fairly standard depth of between 8 to 11 inches. Not so much any more. With all the luxury introductions of the pillow top, double pillow top, super deluxe such and such we've seen the depth of mattresses increase up to 21 inches. Princess and the pea territory. Extra high and extra comfortable, there is nothing wrong with that at all. The problem starts when we try to find bedding to cover all that mattress. Sheets used to be a real problem but manufacturers had that one figured out quickly enough. Extra deep fitted sheets were available shortly after we figured out that the sky high mattresses were here to stay and now they are the norm. Over sized flat sheets are now fairly common as well. The one that has a lot of people stumped is the duvet and subsequently the duvet cover.

There is one fundamental reason why the duvet problem is less easily solved. Duvets are at their best when they sit completely on top of the bed while in use. They should envelope the sleeper and rest right at the edge of the mattress without hanging over. That allows them to provide optimal insulation and comfort. This means that the optimal size for a duvet is approximately 24 inches wider and 12 inches longer than the mattress. Which therefore means that an appropriately sized duvet is unlikely to fully cover the sides of a very deep mattress. When the duvet hangs over the sides of the mattress while in use air channels are formed on the sides of the sleeper or sleepers that can create cool drafts. Additionally if the duvet is so large that it hangs over the sides it has to potential to be disruptive to sleep as it places unnecessary weight on the body. This means that using a king size duvet on a queen bed, as is often recommended, compromises the function of the bedding in favour of aesthetics. Making the bed less comfortable in order to look good is a poor compromise. So that leaves us with the problem of finding a way to make bedding function properly and look good. Don't worry though, it's totally doable.

The best solution we've found to date isn't going with the next size up, or a super/jumbo size. It's keeping the appropriate duvet and going with a duvet cover that fits the existing duvet and has an extra flange of fabric to provide the right amount of coverage on the mattress. These are called High Profile duvet covers. Not all of our manufacturers are making them but quite a few are, St Geneve and Revelle included. They give the best of both worlds. A queen duvet goes on a queen bed and if the mattress is higher than 12 inches or so a high profile duvet cover is used to cover the difference. Easy.

I'm hoping that over the next couple of years the high profile will become more common and available in more styles. I'm a little worried that it won't gain in popularity with the manufacturers for sales related reasons. Most of the companies that make duvet covers also make duvets. If they don't adopt the high profile covers they may sell more duvet covers as well as duvets all in larger and more expensive sizes. Well, we can hope for the best right? And I'll keep telling the sales reps that I want them.

There is another option as well. It is always possible (and quite attractive) to cover extra deep mattresses by layering a coverlet or bedspread over your sheets and under the duvet cover. As coverlets are typically significantly larger than duvet covers you can easily layer them to hide just about anything. The photo to the side is of a queen size bed we have in the store right now. We somehow ended up with an extra mattress so decided to double up on on of the taller headboards. We used the Genevieve fitted queen sheet from Pine Cone Hill to cover the two mattresses and the flat sheet as a make shift bed skirt. Then we covered the whole thing with the Petite Trellis coverlet and topped it with a queen size duvet and cover also in Genevieve. If a queen coverlet can nicely cover two mattresses stacked on top of each other there is no reason at all to super size it up to king.

So don't fret. We've got options for you.

Take Care of Your Sheets

In my head I'm singing "Care for Your Sheets" to the tune of "Stand by Your Man." A little weird, yes? I know, but I feel pretty strongly about this one so I'm going to keep singing to myself even if it doesn't scan very well.

One of the questions we get in the store is "How long will my sheets last?" The answer I have to give can be a little bit iffy because how long your sheets last has quite a bit more to do with how you take care of them than anything else. So in terms of a time period good bedding can last ten years, a life time or less than a year depending on how they are used and laundered.

One of the most difficult problems to deal with at the store happens when someone has bought a really great set of sheets and launders them with care but uses the same set over and over and over again. They're good sheets, they may have been a little expensive, they feel nice so they've been the only sheets on the bed since they were purchased. The problem with this is that good sheets are made of natural fiber and will wear out if they aren't rested. "My sheets need rest?" you're thinking. They do. Just like anything made of cotton, or silk, or linen they aren't intended for constant wear.

Think of it like this: You've just bought a fantastic pair of jeans. They fit perfectly, they are comfortable and they make your butt look great. So you take them home and put them on and go out for the day. After being worn for 8 hours or so you take them off and toss them on a chair, maybe under a few other things. The next day you put them back on and wear them again for another 8 hours or so. After a week of wearing them everyday you wash and dry your jeans and put them back on again. Off you go for another week, wash, rinse and repeat. Now I'm going to ask you how good do you think those jeans are going to look after even just a month of that? What about after a year? It is no different with bedding. Just like with your clothing you have to change it up a bit.

Now after telling this little analogy in the store I've had a couple of people come back with things like "But I don't take my sheets outside, I'm not really doing anything in them." And I have to answer "Oh, but you are. You really are." At night we perspire, drool, roll, wiggle, toss and turn. All the products that we use on our hair and skin have prolonged and immediate contact with our bedding. People read in bed, work in bed, eat in bed, have fun in bed. All of these things deposit substances (sorry!) on the bedding that we then lay down on and roll around on. It gets worse even. If you are wearing pajamas made of synthetic fibres we'll need to worry about abrasion damage from the two fabrics rubbing against each other.

So we generally recommend that you keep three sets of sheets for your bed. The saying that goes "One for the bed, one for the wash and one for the closet" is an old one but it still holds true. Having three sets is the best way to make sure your sheets last as long as they should. Combine that with proper laundry care and your beautiful sheets can easily last for ten years and longer.

So that leaves poor laundry practice to deal with. There are lots of ways to shorten the life span of your sheet in the wash. Overloading the machine, washing sheets with towels, using harsh detergents, bleaching, fabric softeners, excessive heat, over drying and too frequent or too infrequent laundering can all damage bedding and decrease durability. You can read more about how to launder bedding in the Laundry Care section at www.oleanderforhome.ca.

So we always need to keep in mind that luxury bedding is an investment. It needs a bit of attention and care to preform its best. If you put the effort into it you'll reap the benefits for years and years.

Why don't my sheets fit properly?

There are a couple of reasons that new sheets might not fit well and old sheets don't fit anymore. Let's start with the new.

When you purchase new bedding you should always come prepared with a few measurements. Not all sheets are going to start out at the same size so if you know your dimensions choosing the right size will be much easier. You should know the width, length and depth of your mattress, the dimensions of your duvet if you are buying a duvet cover and the height to the top of your box spring from the floor when shopping for a bed skirt. Having your measurements is particularly important when buying for a king bed as the size of king mattresses can vary by more than 4 inches of width. Mattresses of all sizes will vary greatly in depth from as little as 6 inches to as high as 21 inches. Having your dimensions with you will ensure that your bedding will be neither too big, nor too small and it will eliminate the need for guessing. For more details on general bedding and mattress sizing please see the size charts in the Glossary of Terms at www.oleanderforhome.ca.

To figure out what depth of fitted sheet you need you'll measure your mattress from the inside of the piping on the top of the mattress to the inside of the piping on the bottom, then add 3 inches. To calculate the correct drop of a bed skirt measure from the top of the box spring to just above the floor. Both fitted sheets and bed skirts come in fairly standardized drops, however most of the manufacturers we deal with will customize drop, rounded up to the nearest inch, to achieve a perfect fit.

Finding the perfect size in a duvet cover can be particularly tricky as there are no industry standards for sizing. Duvets can vary dramatically between different manufacturers with as much as 8" difference from one brand to another. Additionally duvet cover sizing can vary not only between different manufacturers but within a single company as well depending on fabric width variances. So your best here is to keep your duvet size handy if you're looking for a new cover or vice versa and aim for the closest match. Keep in mind that the size listed on the package of the duvet cover will be the finished size after expected shrinkage. If you can't find a perfect fit, and you probably won't, try to go with a cover that is a few inches smaller than your duvet rather than larger. This will help prevent the duvet from shifting in the cover and give the appearance of a nice puffy duvet.

Once you've chosen the appropriately sized bedding you may still find it too big when you first put it on the bed. Due to the fact that natural fibre bedding fabrics shrink as they are washed, most bedding manufacturers cut their products oversize (somewhere between 4 and 10 percent) to allow for the shrinkage that will happen over time with repeated washings. So your fitted sheets should seem a little baggy and the duvet cover a bit too big for the duvet when they are new. They won't shrink to the perfect size immediately after the first wash, but slowly tighten to the correct size. That being said it is a good idea to try brand new bedding for size straight out of the package as occasionally packaging mistakes are sometimes made. It should appear loose and a little baggy but not huge nor too small. Remember to always wash your bedding before the first use.

As for sheets that once fit perfectly but are now too small the culprit is almost always going to be improper laundering. Heat in the washer and dryer will shrink any natural fibre fabric, there just isn't any way around it. Excessive heat will shrink your bedding excessively. There is a detailed description of how best to launder your bedding in the resources section at www.oleanderforhome.ca. But in the meantime the best thing to keep in mind is that you'll always want to use lukewarm or cold water in the washer and low heat/damp dry in the dryer. Get the bedding out of the machine quickly and spread it flat or hang to finish drying. Better yet, get it outside on a line and you'll get the best possible results. Your sheets won't shrink, they'll feel better and you'll save some money on your energy bills as well. What could be better than all that?

What is your highest thread count?/What is your best sheet?

The highest thread count fabric we currently offer is called Regency by St Geneve. It is a 1020 strand count double ply fabric made of Giza Egyptian cotton. From St Geneve's web site:

"Regency consists of exceptionally detailed weaving, resulting in one of the most luxurious and soft cottons you can find. The material is built strong and durable, and has a wonderful and natural luminous shine. The Regency design is so very simple and elegant, making it a timeless collection.

This is a Remarkable fabric woven from two threads, or strands, twisted together to make two-ply threads of exceptional quality; a 1020 strand count fabric. This special twisted double thread imparts greater strength and longevity to the fabric, while maintaining incredible softness.

Due to it's extremely high strand count, the Regency collection is remarkably soft, shiny, and absolutely gorgeous. Sets come in solid Creme or White.”

Technically this makes it both the highest thread count and the best cotton fabric we offer. However, and this is the important part, just because it has an extremely high thread count doesn't automatically make it the right sheet for you.

There are many things that go into making a great sheet and many more reasons that make a great sheet for you as an individual. Thread count plays only a small role. As we noted in the posts "The Thread Count Issue," "Not All Created Equal" and “What does Thread Count Mean?” there are things like type of cotton, weaving techniques and finishing quality to take into account in determining if the sheet is of good quality. So we know that Regency gets all of that right, why might it not be a great choice for everyone? The answer is easy – not everyone sleeps the same way. Some people are always warm, others always cold and others still who sleep well regardless of temperature. There are restless sleepers who move around a lot and ones that lay still like logs. All of them need different kinds of bedding to have the most comfortable sleep, and that's not even taking into account personal preferences for feel regardless of comfort.

To illustrate, I am a warm sleeper. I like to sleep in a cool room with light bedding so that I don't overheat at night. I love the silky softness of the 1020 strand count Regency sheets but putting them on my bed would be a mistake. Why? Because that much cotton in a sheet makes it very dense and very heavy. It's silkiness makes it cling and the weight and density of it traps body heat close to the body. It is a warm sheet which is not an appropriate choice for a warm sleeper. Additionally the weight of it can be troublesome to an active or restless sleeper who may need to be able to easily adjust and reposition the sheet with out waking.

A person who tends to be cold at night regardless of the temperature of the room or one who sleeps comfortably at any temperature will do much better with Regency sheets, as will people who don't move around much. This style of sheeting will provide added warmth to the people who like it and the weight won't be an issue for those who aren't restless sleepers.

So to find the best sheet for you, we need to stop thinking about thread count and start feeling different kinds of sheeting fabrics. There are a lot of different weights and styles available from the lightest, crisp percale weaves to silky, soft sateens and everything in between. You'll need to figure out which is right for you by thinking not only about what feel your hand likes but also about how you sleep. Take into account that a sheet that feels a little crisp and light on your hand will act the same way on your bed. It will be cooler to sleep under than a heavier sheet that may cling to the body like silk. And don't be afraid to ask questions when you're shopping! The people who sell great sheets will know how warm or cool, heavy or light, clingy or floaty a sheet is. We'll be able to point you in the right direction.

What Does Thread Count Mean?

I know that we've dealt with the thread count issue before, but it was a long time ago so we're going to do it again. I'm also going to fill you in on some of the dirty details, so it's not just the same stuff over and over.

Thread count is one characteristic used to evaluate the quality of cotton bedding. However, thread count alone is not enough to determine quality. It is becoming a less reliable way to judge quality due to manufacturing techniques that can effectively trick the thread count higher. Let's start with the technical definition and go from there.

Thread count simply refers to the number of threads, both vertically and horizontally in a one-inch square of fabric. These consist of vertical threads (warp) and horizontal threads (weft) woven together.

Easy enough, right? There's more though. The number of threads that can occupy a square inch is determined by thickness of the thread used and the ply. Since Egyptian cotton is fine, there are more threads used to cover the same square inch compared to other cottons (pima, american uplands, short staple.) Finer threads feel smoother and when properly woven are longer lasting and more colourfast than short staple fibers. Ply is the number of finer strands which are twisted together to make threads. Technically a double or triple ply fabric should have a strand count listed as well as a thread count, but labeling regulations in different places don't always require it.

It can be argued that in weave quality terms alone, the best fabric will be made with single ply yarns and have a single pick that is one warp thread and one weft. The highest thread count you can get with this type of construction is about 360.

To achieve higher thread counts, sometimes multiple yarns (picks) are inserted into the weft and sometimes 2 ply yarns (as we mentioned above the finer strands twisted together) are used. These two techniques are the reason that you can't use thread count alone to judge the quality of the sheet. Multiple pick insertions are often done with short staple cotton of inferior quality that leaves the fabric prone to pilling and slippage. Additionally, the pick may not be properly integrated into the weave causing the fabric to be unstable. It may feel quite nice but will certainly require extra gentle handling as it will always be more prone to abrasion damage and uneven wear than single pick fabrics.

It's not all bad news though. There can sometimes be a case to be made in favour of 2-ply yarns. When done properly with very fine and long staple cotton, they can improve the durability and colourfastness of a fabric as well as look and feel great. It is however important to distinguish between a well made 2-ply and a fabric with an unnecessarily or artificially inflated thread count. Seeing the term “strand count” on packaging is often a good way to identify better quality 2 ply fabrics, as the manufacturer is referring to the number of strands that are twisted together to make the. The usual marks of good quality like 100% Egyptian cotton and a European or North American country of manufacture are almost always good signs.

Makes sense? It's complicated, I know. It does mean that you'll have to do a little more work when looking for great bedding. But if looking at, learning about and touching really nice fabric is the worst of it, it can't be all that bad.

Do you sell Duvet Covers? and What's the deal with Custom Orders?

"Do you sell duvet covers?" To me the answer to this question seems obvious, but we hear it in the store quite a lot. The easy answer is : Yes, absolutely. The longer answer is, well longer and it sometimes involves custom orders.

Usually all six of the beds in the store will have duvet covers on them. We'll keep those in stock in queen and king sizes and if we can we'll try to have the same pattern in one or two additional colours. In addition to all of those we keep a selection of our basics line in queen and king in three colours. We also have literally hundreds of fabrics in different colours and patterns available to order in (almost) any size that you need.

Custom ordering a duvet cover in the fabric of your choice is a slightly more complicated process than buying off the floor but it has some big advantages as well. You'll get to take home exactly what you wanted rather than something that maybe just close enough and you have the flexibility of mixing and matching the fabrics to get them to work for your personal style and with your décor.

We do recommend that you borrow and take home the sample or samples overnight to ensure that it really does look as good in your room as we think it will. It is never more expensive to custom order bedding than it is to buy the same thing off the floor. As with anything the price depends on the fabric itself and the complexity of the finishing.

As for the wait, custom orders can be ready in as little as a few days to as long as ten weeks, though the average turn around time is 2 ½ to 3 ½ weeks. The plus side to a longer wait is that because we take a deposit on order and the balance is due on delivery, you may get to split you purchase between two credit card bills.

And for the sake of making a long answer even longer duvet covers are by no means the only thing we sell. We have a selection of the following things in the store and available to order at all times: sheets, pillowcases, coverlets, pillow shams, bed skirts, accent cushions, blankets, duvets, feather beds, pillows, pillow protectors,baby bedding and accessories, mattress protectors, beds, headboards, fabric yardage, night stands, lamps, table cloths, napkins, table runners, place mats, towels, bathmats, bath and body products, robes, pajamas, night gowns, night shirts, throw blankets and home décor accents and home care products. Just about the only bedroom thing we don't sell is mattresses, but if you like we're happy to recommend a couple of good places to buy those.