When making your own bed linen, where possible apply any decorative touches before finishing the seams. Decoration is best limited to borders and edgings (it is uncomfortable to sleep on when used elsewhere). Use full width fabric for the reverse of the duvet and bottom sheet to avoid uncomfortable seams.
Cording and pin tucks are described here – other finishes are described elsewhere: applique, frills and piping. Sheets and duvet covers should be made up in sheeting width fabric – normally 228 cm wide. If you want to use a print which is not available in sheeting width, just use it for the parts of the bed linen that will show – the borders all around the pillowcase or along the top edge of the duvet, for example.
Choose washable fabrics. Linen is luxurious, but demands time and effort to keep it at its best; cotton or a cotton/polyester mix are more practical alternatives. Where possible, use enclosed seams to prevent fraying during laundering. CORDING Use fine cotton cord, in white or a color to match or contrast with the fabric. Thread the machine with an appropriate color: if you use contrast cording, use a contrast color in the needle; the bobbin thread can be matched to the fabric so that the stitching is less obvious on the underside. Set the sewing machine to a medium length and width zigzag stitch and fit the cording foot on the machine.
This has a hole to guide the cording thread under the needle.
Mark the position of the cording with chalk or a line of tacking threads on the right side of the fabric. Thread the end of the cord into the foot and position the edge of the work under the foot of the machine. Stitch along the marked line, feeding the cord under the foot, so that the zigzag stitch holds the cord in place. Two parallel lines of cording, 6 mm apart, are a simple, effective touch.
TUCKING Decide on a suitable width and spacing for the tucks: they may be stitched close to the folded edge of the fabric for a very narrow tuck (pin tucks), or up to about 15 mm from the fold for a wider tuck. Calculate the total number of tucks and allow to each tucking when working out} you will need. Add an extra a you can trim the panel a, making up the item. Mark out the tucks across the edge of the area to be stitch areas, such as a duvet cover, center of the fabric as well.