Measure Like a Pro for Custom Silk Bedding

Chosen theme: How to Measure for Custom Silk Bedding. Your calm, confidence-building guide to nailing dimensions for fitted sheets, flat sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases—so your silk drapes flawlessly, feels luxurious, and fits perfectly. Join us, ask questions, and subscribe for future measuring checklists.

Know Your Mattress: The Foundation of Every Measurement

Place a rigid tape from the very outer edge of the mattress at the head to the foot, then left to right. Remove pillows and frames from the equation. Write both numbers immediately, in inches or centimeters, to avoid memory slipups.

Measure depth from the bottom seam to the highest point of your sleep stack, including toppers, pads, and protectors. Silk fitted sheets need accurate pocket depth. A half-inch missed here often becomes a nightly corner pop.

For flat sheets, add generous drop allowances—usually 14–18 inches per side for deep mattresses. For fitted sheets, add two inches beyond measured depth. Pre-washed silk shrinks less, but ask your maker; record and confirm the allowance in writing.

Calculate Pocket Depth with Real-World Margin

Add two inches to your exact mattress depth for pocket depth; add three if you share with a restless sleeper or use a plush topper. Elastic grips better when the sheet is not stressed to its limit.

Elastic Perimeter: Corners, Grippers, and Stretch

Note whether you want full-perimeter elastic or just corners. If you have arthritis or prefer easy changes, request softer elastic. Mention mattress encasements; they can add surprising bulk and change the stretch behavior.

A Tailor’s Anecdote: The Two-Centimeter Lesson

A client once insisted her depth was twenty-five centimeters. We remeasured together: actually twenty-seven. Those two centimeters spared nightly battles with slipping corners and saved the relationship with her new silk sheets. Measure twice; sleep once.

For queen mattresses around sixty by eighty inches, aim for at least eighteen inches drop per side and twenty-four at the foot. Taller beds or bed frames with footboards may need more. Confirm personal preferences before cutting.

Duvet Covers That Fit the Insert, Not the Label

Lay the insert on a flat surface after a good shake. Smooth without compressing. Measure length and width seam to seam. Record seasonal variance if you switch between lofty winter and slim summer duvets.

Duvet Covers That Fit the Insert, Not the Label

For feathery loft, choose a slightly smaller cover for a plump look. For slippery silk, request equal dimensions for easy making. Add internal corner ties and middle anchors; note their positions so the maker places them accurately.

Pillows, Shams, and the Subtle Art of Loft

If your pillow bulges, wrap a soft tape around its girth and divide by two to estimate a truer width. Combine with seam-to-seam length for cases that skim without crushing the fill.

Pillows, Shams, and the Subtle Art of Loft

Housewife styles match the insert dimensions for a neat fit. Oxford shams add a flange—usually two to three inches. Decide flange size early and add it after you finalize the inner case measurements to avoid compounding errors.

From Numbers to Order: Communicate Clearly and Avoid Mistakes

State metric or imperial and stick to one. Provide a tolerance like plus or minus five millimeters. Add a quick sketch showing corners, elastic, ties, and closures. Photos of your bed setup help more than you think.

From Numbers to Order: Communicate Clearly and Avoid Mistakes

Do not measure with the sheet on. Do include toppers. Do not round down pocket depth. Do mark head versus foot. Do confirm preshrunk silk status. Save this checklist and share it with anyone helping.