Why Thrifted Sheets are a Staple in my Sewing Room

I had to make a thrift store run recently, just to renew my stash of sheets, which got me thinking that I should really let you in on one of the thrift store’s best kept secrets for sewists. Thrifting sheets for various purposes is a good habit for frugal sewists, and I try to pass along frugal sewing tips to you all when I think of them, since I know a good many of you are on a budget like me. I’ve written a post on tips for frugal sewing if that’s your jam, but today we’re going to talk solely about thrifted sheets and why I always have a stack of them at the ready in my sewing room.

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Ways to use thrifted sheets for sewing:

For Muslins

The main reason I buy sheets from the thrift store is to make muslins (or toiles, or mock ups, whatever wordage you prefer). I make a muslin of almost every clothing pattern I try. I’ve written a post about why I started making a muslin every single time and how it changed my sewing success rate, but basically, a muslin is a practice run of a garment pattern. I cut out and baste together only the pieces necessary to perfect the fit, using it to make the needed changes before cutting into my nice fabric. One sheet, depending on the size, can make two or three muslins and at $2-$4 per sheet, it’s definitely the least expensive fabric. Plus, I can find sheets in various weights and fabrics, including jersey, so I can use them as muslins for either wovens or knits.

As Quilt Backing

I have often backed quilts with thrifted sheets! It’s by far the cheapest and easiest way to back a quilt, since the backing requires so much yardage. And, since it’s already so big, you can avoid any seams in your backing fabrics. For this purpose, I recommend 100% cotton sheets, and ones with not too tight a weave/thread count, since that will make it harder for your needle to penetrate and will make your quilt more crispy and less soft. While many sheets are a polyester blend, which works fine for making muslins, there are plenty that are 100% cotton too, just find the tag and check.

Here’s a quilt I made many moons ago and backed with a Ralph Lauren sheet from the thrift store!

For Garment Sewing

Yep, I’ve made garments from sheets! Last Fall I made this button down shirt from a thrifted Pottery Barn sheet. It was 100% cotton and a perfect plaid print. It cost me no more than $3 and I had plenty of fabric to work with.

More recently, and the project that inspired this post, was this pair of pajama pants I made from a flannel sheet I thrifted for $1.50. I wanted to make a muslin of a certain pants pattern (New Look 6564), but decided to use this flannel and if it turned out, I’d have a pair of p.j. pants. I made some adjustments and they turned out totally wearable! This sheet had a Martha Stewart tag on it with a date of 1996. It’s 100% cotton flannel, so it was perfect for this project.

For Home Dec Projects

If you’ve ever bought home decorator fabrics, or curtain panels from the store, you know it can be very costly to deck out your home in textiles you love. Sheets are a good solution for home dec projects like curtains and recovering seat cushions, as a few examples. For projects that need more substantial fabrics, check out the entire linens section of your thrift store, including shower curtains and drapes. These fabrics will often be in a home dec weight and you can use them for things like recovering an ottoman (that’s what I’m currently on the hunt for!), among other things.

For Bags and Accessories

I’ve used thrifted linens like sheets and shower curtains for sewing tote bags and clutches. The right piece could also make a great apron. You can often find denim items in the linens section, especially in the curtains, that are great for this purpose also.

More Tips for Using Sheets in Sewing

• Harvest the elastic! Fitted sheets come with yards and yards of elastic. Sometimes it’s old and stretched out, but if the sheet is newer, the elastic will be soft and usable for many things.

• One thing to keep in mind that for some reason, the grainline of sheets goes against your instincts. The stretch, rather than going from side to side, goes from top to bottom, or headboard to footboard. This matters for garment sewing and you’ll want to keep it in mind if choosing a sheet with a directional print to use as more than just a muslin. You want the direction of greatest stretch to go across your body, not up and down.

• Check the tag for fabric content. A lot of times I find super cool vintage sheets that are worn enough to feel like cotton, but they are in fact polyester. I don’t prefer to wear polyester, so I wouldn’t, for example, make pajamas out of this particular sheet. (I love these vintage tags, though!) It’ll still be good for a muslin, of course.

• If you’re unsure what to do with the muslins you’re making with sheets and have a hard time throwing them away when you’re done with them, saving them to use as filling for the Closet Core pouf pattern is a great idea. This is a free pattern and is meant to be stuffed with fabric scraps rather than stuffing, and there have been so many cute versions made of it! Heck, you could even make one out of more sheet scraps, ha!

The following image belongs to Closet Core Patterns.

• Okay, let’s talk about the ick factor, which for some of you is the elephant in the room here, haha. If you have an aversion to thrifted sheets because you can’t get past the fact that other people slept on them …. well, I can’t help you, ha! BUT, if you have a hard time with thrifted or vintage linens because of the smell and general mustiness, I can help you with that! Try washing them with Retro Clean. This will eliminate that thrifty or musty smell plus any dingy stains on the vintage linens.

• Lastly, and possibly my favorite idea, is to use vintage pillowcases from the thrift store to make pillow case dresses for your little girls. I made these little dresses very often when my girls were young and I even sold pillow case dresses at a craft fair many years ago. They’re just so sweet.

Be still my mama heart, heres my now 14-year-old in her cute pillow case dress way back when. (I’m not crying, you’re crying!)

Cheers!

Nikki