Glossary

decorative trim (edging/ piping) on the fold-down portion of a flat sheet or pillowcase

type of, usually, thick quilt, also referred to as a duvet, filled with natural (e.g. down) or synthetic (e.g. polyester) insulation material and generally rectangular in shape. It is intended to sit on top of your sheets.

large cover with flap, button or zip closure, protects your comforter.Also refferred to as a duvet cover.

contrasting band or border at the edge of a pillowcase or top sheet

the amount of fabric that hangs from the top of your table to the hem.

type of, usually, thick quilted bed covering, also referred to as a comforter, filled with natural (e.g. feathers) or synthetic (e.g. polyester) insulation material and generally rectangular in shape. It is protected with a removable cover, the duvet cover.

decorative protective fabric case/bag with zipper, button or flap closure; protects your duvet insert. Often made from machine washable cotton fabric.

our sets contain one duvet cover and 1 or 2 pillowcases (a duvet insert is not included).

standard style, removable pillowcover with an opening on one side. Our knife edge pillowcase has a flap inside to prevent the pillow from sliding out.

pillowcase with flange of about 5 cm at 3 or 4 sides for more luxury

sheet with (usually contrasting) band/ border

a large, square pillow, cushion or pillowcase measuring 65 x 65 cm, often referred to as a 'Euro'. It is most often placed directly on the headboard and behind the standard pillows for decoration and comfort.

bottom sheet with elastic for a perfect, tight fit. Quality fitted sheets, like our fitted sheets, have elastic all the way around.

decorative band of straight fabric of about 5 cm at three or four sides of a pillowcase or pillow sham, creating a tailored look.

top sheet, usually tucked around the mattress at the sides and bottom. Sometimes they are also used as bottom sheet.

the overlocked edge of a piece of cloth (e.g. a plain flat sheet)

larger size pillow (appr. 50 x 90 cm)

protects the mattress, adds extra cushioning and support.

They go over the mattress and under the fitted sheet and come in a variety of thicknesses. When ordering a fitted/ bottom sheet, don't forget to also take into account the thickness of your matress pad.

a densely woven fabric with a thread count of at least 180. The term percale refers to the weave of the fabric and has nothing to do with the materials used; percale can be 100% cotton, 50% polyester and 50% cotton, or any other blend. A percale weave is noticeably tighter compared to the standard type of weave used for bed sheets. Percale is one of the best, high quality sheeting available.

plain, removable cover used underneath a pillowcase. Made of a durable, thick fabric, usually zippered. It protects your pillow from dust, dirt and body oils.

our pillowcases are removable covers with an opening on one side. They have a flap inside to hold pillows in place. The edging of all our pillowcases is embroidered around the opening with a stitch (filled with a narrow corded centre) in contrasting colour to the fabric. Our baby and toddler pillowcases have a contrasting border of about 7 cm/ 2.8 inch.

decorative pillow cover with a slit in the back to insert a pillow. They are frequently/ usually ruffled or flanged around all four edges. Shams are used as extra pillows on beds

decorative slim band of folded fabric, usually used to trim seams or edges. It can be filled with a narrow corded centre, but is usually unfilled for sheet headers or other trimming effects.

set containing fitted (bottom) sheet, flat (top) sheet and 1 or 2 pillowcases

the contraction of a fibre, yarn or fabric after washing and drying. Most products made of natural fibres will shrink 2-6%. Therefore bed linen is made oversized to allow this shrinkage to occur and the bedding to fit perfectly after the first wash. Measurements given have a +/- 1" tolerance

sample, piece of fabric

the actual number of threads going in either direction in one square cm of fabric For marketing purposes, it is not uncommon to count twisted yarn as double and, for example, describefabric with 250 individual four-ply yarns in a square cm as a 1,000 thread count product. The softness of a fabric depends more on the quality of the fibre. A 200 thread count fabric can have a softer feel than a 400 thread count fabric.