three sheets to the wind

When we were picking out a toddler bed for the kiddo, we made the brilliant decision to get one of those cute beds from Ikea. They're stylish, adorable, and just seemed to fit perfectly both in terms of aesthetics and dimensions to his room. The unfortunate thing is that those dimensions are an irregular size, and as such, you cannot easily find sheets for the bed. I should have researched a little more because the only sheets that fit are the ones from Ikea that slide around a lot and are not meant to withstand many washes. Then I came across this awesome tutorial, and my problem was solved in the time it took me to iron, cut, and sew (which was maybe 1/2 hour per sheet). The most difficult part of this project is running the elastic through the casing, and I wouldn't really say that was difficult so much as it was vexing maybe. 

I figured while I made sheets for the kiddo, I may as well make sheets for the wee, so I went at it:

The fabrics are (l to r) Squirrel & Trees from Get Together by David Walker, Tonal Stripe from Echo by Lotta Jansdotter, and Critter Community by Suzy Ultman. (Not pictured are toddler sheets in Teal Stripe by Lotta Jansdotter and Outfoxed in yellow by Lizzy House.)

While it's certainly not as cost effective as buying cheapie sheets from Ikea, making sheets gives you the freedom to pick out prints you're crazy about that work well with your space. And I trust that they are well-made and will last because I made them and know exactly what I put into the construction of each one. I reinforced all my corner seams and double stitched the casings in hopes of making sheets that are durable and can handle being washed over and over again. Because let's face it, they're meant for kids, which means they're going to get washed at least once a week.