Sewing question re: bedskirt. Can I use elastic?

Question

I recently made a bed skirt (gathered frill type) BY HAND! Now i want to make another but was thinking if it would be easier to just stitch a wide hem at the top (as a pocket) for me to pass elastic through. Then I would pull the elastic and cut to size when i have enough of gathers for the bedskirt. Do you think it would work? It will be a long strip of gathers that will go around the 3 sides of the bed. Should I then stitch it on to or velcro it on to a flat sheet that goes over the box spring? Any suggestions from any experienced seamstresses would be much appreciated. My husband say this is no time to be spending on "frills"

Answer 1

The idea is good! It has been done before, but you will need to take into account the height of the matress so that the elastic edge is on the bottom edge of the matress and not on the sides. I have one that is not sufficiently big and every morning I have to re-spread it properly.

Answer 2

Wow you are keen!   When you say gathered by hand  did you mean also sewn by hand or you just did a gathering stitch on your machine and then pinned it onto the sheet and then stitched it in place on your sewing machine.

Have you thought about making some pleats instead?.

Work out how much material that you need to gather in or pleat in onto the sheet and make the pleats by hand by just making tucks and pin them in as you go - then stitch on to the bed sheet. It does not matter on a piece like this if your pleats are not 100% even in spacing or size as long as they are approximately the same

Using the elastic sounds like a good idea too but you may end up with a large hem and a pile of elastic to work around - you could pull the elastic out when you have put the pieces together and use it for something else if you wish.

If you have access to a serger/over locker with a differential feed you can gather  on that then stitch it onto the sheet

Good on you for doing things to make your home feel good and your husband should be glad that you want to save the money by doing it yourself  

Answer 3

      We've, my spouse and I, made about 60 quilts, and I ran into several that have skirts. Passed them up because of the skirts but, you gave me a whole new conception, the "velcro, I think it would work.

      I have been working on a "cowboy" quilt forever, it has many suede appliques of horses and other cowboy stuff all over it. It's taking so long. It has a big skirt and I've tried to think of several ways to put it on but the velcro, that would work, thank you.

Answer 4

I wouldn't bother with wasting that much elastic, it will only want to draw up if it is stretched in anyway. Just run a narrow strip...a "tape"....flat fabric through the pocket the same length plus a few spare inches... as the three sides of your bed. Gather it up in a nice evenly spaced fashion, pin in place and then sew it to a flat sheet that has been cut to fit the top of your box springs.

Tip:

Don't go over board with the amount of fabric used in your ruffle though...remember you will have to wash it eventually and it will need to fit in a washing machine.