All about Sheets

Old French linen and hemp sheets are usually made to fit a 4ft bed, so they are often a bit narrow for English double beds which are from 4'6 to 5'6 wide or American Super King up to 6' wide. The main bedrooms in France often had two 4' wide beds, even for married couples . For the grand and enormous beds in some of the chateaux, the sheets were specially woven on extra large looms and were normally decorated with lots of elaborate monograms and embroideries. The very best also had fine lace and were washed by hand very carefully . Older sheets are often extremely long by our standards - I have had them up to 15 ft long - this was because they were laid over the massive bolsters and pillows of the Georgian beds when people actually slept sitting upright 'for health reasons'. I have a big stock of every type in my stores; hemp. linen, metis and fil, ranging from a Princess's dowry to the rough 'porridge' hemp from the peasants' ancient lits clos, (cupboard beds,) in Brittany. More about Buying Sheets, Care for Sheets, etc. on later Blogs.Click on my website http://www.elizabethbaertextiles.com/ for views of my present stock.