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ina wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:10 am What my mother used to do - cut those sheets in half down the middle and sow them back together inside out. You do have a slightly annoying seam down the middle, but the sheets will last another few years.

They were known as Sides to Middles in our house, if you made a careful French seam there wasn't much of a ridge down the centre. I'm pretty sure all the single sheets were remakes of the parents' doubles. And my sister and I learned to hem whilst finishing them.

Doesn't work so well with fitted sheets... ;)

snapdragon wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 3:17 pm

ina wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:10 am What my mother used to do - cut those sheets in half down the middle and sow them back together inside out. You do have a slightly annoying seam down the middle, but the sheets will last another few years.

They were known as Sides to Middles in our house, if you made a careful French seam there wasn't much of a ridge down the centre. I'm pretty sure all the single sheets were remakes of the parents' doubles. And my sister and I learned to hem whilst finishing them.

Went through all my old sheets yesterday, in search for something bad enough so I wouldn't mind using it for masks... Found two of those, one with my mother's initials on it (in the middle, of course, next to the seam!) - so that is rather older than me... And one with my own initials, which is also at least half a century old. Still better quality than the new ones I've bought since.

And now I have to find the energy to make a mask or two without a sewing machine...

I rather like this, ina.
https://www.thespruce.com/no-sew-mask-4801991

Easy to make, and even better, easy to wash, which is where, I'm guessing most people will fall down. The mask's no good unless it's washed and any filter (coffee filters are apparently quite good) safely discarded after each use.

Thanks, Maggie - I'd seen that one before, but I don't really trust it not to fall apart at some awkward moment! And my coffee filters won't go for any mask; they are difficult enough (and bloody expensive) to get in this country as it is... Somebody suggested hoover bags, too. Well, the last time I bought a new hoover it was because I couldn't get bags any more for the old one!