I don't like fitted sheets. Likely, no one else would be on my side because some of them regard the fitted sheet as the best invention ever. Why I don't like them has a bit to do with how the flat sheet looks on a clothes line, not that humans of the city kind, know what that is, but it you have lived in a place with one, a clothes line, you understand. After laundering you hang your sheets on the line with the sun shining down on them and the breeze wafting them about. It's a vision that only launderers appreciate and revere. It's not only a visual treat to see the sheets being pushed about by the wind, but when you bring the sheets in off the line, there is the heavenly scent of freshness. It's incomparable. I won't mention that, rarely, the wind flips the sheets over to cause minor mayhem in having to flip them back to draw in the clothes line. When I lived sea side, my laundry line end was high on a cedar tree trunk, therefore to untangle sheets far above, meant the use of the long orchard pruning wand and much verbal abuse. But whether the sheets were fitted or not, wouldn't have made a difference. Another thing I dislike about fitted sheet variety, is that very often things from the washer and dryer have a tendency to hide in the corner pockets of fitted sheets. Try as you might, to avoid this situation, it is undeniable apparently. There have been occasions on making up the bed, that I have encountered a missing sock or towel, a lump that requires unmaking the bed to remove it. But that is rather minor problem. What annoys me is the motivation, in part, of the inventor, for reducing the fabric used in the making of the fitted variety of sheet. A sheet by its nature, should hang well off all sides of the bed before tucking. The person who invented the fitted sheet cut off all that lovely excess, chopped out the corners and sewed on some elastic material to the edges. This often gives up its stretch and you are left with limp corners. The fitted sheet cost more, because of its "useful" features. I am not in favour of this current bent of sizing items down while forgetting to remind the customer that you are actually paying either the same or more, for getting less. One of the most unpleasant things about the fitted sheet, is that it must be fitted. Your arthritic fingers know of what I speak. In the free days of flat sheets you could fling the huge expanse of cotton in just the right way, so that adept persons doing it, could throw regular all-round lengths from top to bottom to sides. It was a talent. And then, those who had studied bed making by their ambitious mothers, could show off their further knowledge by demonstrating "hospital corners". The tighter they made the sheet stretch evenly in making these folds and tucks, the more professional the job looked. In the army, for example, the sergeant could bounce a quarter on the middle of the bottom sheet proving your prowess. Another reason I don't favour the fitted sheet, is that the bottom sheet wears out invariably, first. It gets the wear and tear. A top sheet of a set, remains rather pristine and then must welcome a new bottom partner when this happens. At the U, for your dorm room, on the first day, you were given two flat sheets. For the next bed change, there was but one flat sheet. I told the house mother, that, sorry, I did not receive my second sheet. The sheet woman at the U, looked at me as though I were an idiot. "You use the bottom sheet, on top", she snorted, and turned about before I could get out my meek "Oh". Maybe that's why I don't like fitted sheets, a form of PTSD perhaps?
No comments:
Post a Comment