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How to Make Bed Linen

The duvet cover is simply a large hagmade from 2 pieces of fabric joinedtogether around the four sides, with anopening left in the bottom edge toallow the duvet to be inserted. Close the opening with a strip of either touch-and-close fastener or press-stud tape. Avalance is ideal for covering up anunattractive bed base. It fits over thebase, underneath the mattress, and hasa frill around 3 of the sides, reachingright down to floor level. A matching gathered valance finishes offthis arrangement perfectly. Lace edging sewnaround the pillow cases and duvet cover adds afeminine touch.

HOW TO MAKE A DUVET COVER

1. Measure the length of the duvet — usually200 cm/78 in — and add 7 cm/21/4 in forhem and seam allowances. Measure thewidth and add 4 cm/11/2 in for scansallowances. Cut out two pieces of fabric.Turn and stitch a double 2.5 cm/1 in hemalong the bottom of each piece. Cut alength of touch-and-close fastener 3 cm/11/4 in longer than the desired opening,separate the strips and pin 1 to the rightside of the hens on each piece. Machinestitch around the edge of each strip.

2. Place the 2 fabric pieces with the rightsides together so that the fastener stripsclose. Tack (baste) along the bottom hemfrom 3 cm/11/4 in inside the strip of fastenerand up to each corner.

3. Machine stitch through both layers atright-angles to the hem and 3 cm/11/4 ininside the fastener strip, to enclose the rawedges. Pivot the fabric and continuestitching along the tacked line to the edgeof the fabric. Repeat at the other corner.

4. Turn so that the wrong sides are facing.Make a French seam around the remainingthree sides, as follows. Pin and stitch 6 min/1/4 in from the raw edge. Trim theseam close to the stitching, then open thefastener and turn the cover so that the rightsides are facing. Stitch around the threesides again to enclose the raw edges andcomplete the seam. Turn the cover to theright side and press.

HOW TO MAKE A VALANCE

1. Measure the mattress top and add3.5 cm/11/2 in to the length and 3 cm/11/4 in to the width. Cut out 1 piece of
fabric to this size for the panel. Round offthe 2 bottom corners of the panel bydrawing around a large plate and thencutting around the curves.

2. For the frill, you will need sufficientpieces of fabric wide enough to reach fromthe top of the bed base to the floor, plus6.5 cm/21/2 in, to make a long strip 4 timesthe mattress length plus twice its width.Join the strips with French seams (seeMaking a Duvet Cover, step 4) and press.Turn a double 2.5 cm/1 in hem along thelower edge. Pin, tack (baste) and stitch.

3. Divide the frill into 6 equal sections andmark with pins along the top edge. Work2 rows of gathering stitches between thepins, leaving long thread ends.

4. Divide the sides and bottom edge of thepanel into 6 equal sections and mark withpins. Pull up the gathering stitches in eachfrill section until it fits the correspondingpanel section. Pin each section in place
with the right sides facing. Stitch the frill inplace 12mm/1/2 in from the raw edge.

Stitch again close to the first line ofstitching and neaten the raw edges withmachine zigzag. Press the seam allowancetowards the panel. Turn a double 12 mm/1/2 in hem along the remaining raw edges ofthe frill and panel. Pin and stitch.

CHOOSING FABRIC FORBED LINEN

The best choice for bed linen isspecially woven sheeting, either inpure cotton or a polyester-and-cottonblend. Although pure cotton is coolerin the summer, synthetic blends dohave the advantage of needing little orno ironing. Sheeting is very wide, sojoins are not necessary, and it isavailable in a large range of pastel
and strong colours. A crisply checkedduvet cover and pillowcases accentuate thelight and airy feel of acountry bedroom.

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