Turning a sheet

I was making my bed, looked at the comfy pretty sheet I like that I was putting on, thought "About time to turn that one!" and wondered how many people know what turning a sheet is, and have ever done it?

To turn a sheet that is worn threadbare in the center, you cut it down the center, and sew what were the outside edges together, leaving the worn parts to be the new outside edge, and the center the fabric that isn't so worn out.

I lived in NM, and have pain problems that make getting into a cold bed very painful, as my muscles spasm from the sudden change. But I couldn't afford flannel sheets for winter, and in NM they are not something you see in thrift stores. But! One day at a thrift store I found a flannel duvet cover, brought it home, took it apart and made sheets out of it. LOVE THEM!! When each sheet got worn, I turned them.  I got a good 10 years out of a duvet cover I paid 6.00 for.

Ever turn your sheets? Or turn your drapes? Or turn a skirt? It's a useful thing to know how to do! I bet my grandma is proud of me...
:D  

I admit I've never bothered to "turn a sheet", but I do make all sorts of useful things out of the border of a sheet that's worn in the center. Cloth napkins is a biggie - even out of flannel sheets which due to our cool on-shore breezes at night get used most of the year.  Yes, flannel napkins aren't high fashion, but they are soft and absorbent!
I wish it was possible to still get what were called "flannel blankets" as they were much heavier duty than the typical flannel sheets available around here and lasted far longer than the sheet version did.

Yes I have done this. My mother used to turn collars on shirts for my dad and brothers. Sometimes an entire garment could be unmade and turned to have a fresh surface on the outside. Remaking old garments into clothes was the norm. My dad's old wool suits got made into winter coats for me. I had a few feed sack dresses growing up too. I even used the cuff portion of my brothers' worn out cotton socks to make woven hot pads for the kitchen. Now I mostly just wear stuff until it can't be mended anymore (too many patches on patches) and barely makes a good rag. My mother would be appalled, although I never wear anything with obvious patches in permies. Some taboos from childhood still hold.

Howdy!
No, I've never 'turned' a sheet. Hadn't known it was a thing to do.
I have some old, worn flannel and non-flannel sheets that I had tossed into the "Turn this into something else or use as mock-up" pile. I will happily dig them out and see if I can make them into useful sheets again!
Thank you for the idea, and instructions!

I've heard of it but I cannot see how it works in practice with a double bed we don't wear the middle of the sheet but the middle of both sides, to swap it all round would be three seams and a much smaller and more uncomfortable sheet.  I can't see how one turns curtains either, yes they get sun bleached on the inside, but the fabric has a right and a wrong side so it can't just be swapped round so the less faded side is now forward (My curtains are lined so no bleaching for them on either side)

Skandi Rogers wrote:

but the fabric has a right and a wrong side so it can't just be swapped round so the less faded side is now forward

I've had some drapes out of "printed" fabric which only had one "right" side, but the drapes I made for the first house I lived in were all woven pattern drapes that looked identical on both sides - or at least close to it - one might have been mirror-image on one side. In my current house all the drapes could be reversed, although most are lined. In fact, some of the linings are starting to look sad. I hadn't thought of simply taking the curtains apart and reversing the lining, so that the less solar exposed side is out - it's plain white, so not an issue with pattern or colour.
The drapes I made for the boys rooms are Roman shades, so taking them apart would be a big job!

Yes, have done it, but not recently: as Skandi says, it doesn’t really work as well if there are two people sleeping in the bed and creating two worn spots.

I do second the recommendation for flannel table napkins made out of the edges, though. And even better, handkerchiefs - so soft on the nose, and absorbent!