The Summer Skirt Sheet Swap

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So you’ve gone to the thrift shop, gotten yourself a lovely twin sheet for a steal, and made a fun skirt out of it. But what are you going to do with the rest of that sheet? Assuming you like your skirts about 25 inches long or less, you’ve only used 1/4 of the sheet. You still have enough left to make three more skirts!

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What if you could take the rest of that fabric, send it away, and get back three new skirt-ready sheet pieces in three different patterns? It sounds like a fun idea to me, and that’s why I think we need to do a Summer Skirt Sheet Swap!

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Here’s what you would need to do:

  1. Leave a comment on this page by this Friday, April 25th, letting me know you want to join
  2. Pick out a lovely twin (104″ x 72″) sheet, making sure there is no fading or other blemish that would make it undesirable to wear
  3. Cut the sheet into quarters (4 pieces 26″ x 72″)
  4. By May 1st, put as many sheet pieces as you want to trade in the mail to me, along with $$ to cover the cost of return postage (there’s a postal increase coming in mid-May, and if we hurry with this, we can get it all done before the prices go up)

Here’s what I will do:

  1. Once all of the sheet pieces arrive, I’ll redistribute them
  2. I’ll mail back to you the same number of sheet pieces you sent me, but in different patterns

And then you will:

  1. Wait by your mailbox with bated breath
  2. Jump up and down with glee when your new sheet pieces arrive
  3. Make yourself a bunch of new summer skirts, using this tutorial, or any method you choose
  4. Show off your new summer wardrobe on the swap’s flickr group

Sound like fun? I can hardly wait to get started! 🙂

[edited 4/25 – Thank you, everyone, we have 48 participants!   I’m looking forward to seeing what great sheets everyone has found!]

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72 thoughts on “The Summer Skirt Sheet Swap

  1. I would absolutely love to participate. I plan on going to a nice large Salvation Army store tomorrow. Thanks! Beth

  2. This sounds very intriguing. I’m in!
    -Mary

  3. Thanks for inviting me to join, this sounds really fun! I am off to find the perfect sheet now : )

  4. This sounds like fun! Thanks for starting this up and I would love to join:)

  5. I would love to join!

  6. If I can find a cute sheet or two, I’m TOTALLY in! I went to Goodwill today and didn’t find anything good, but I’m going to try some other places too.

  7. […] bought it for me.  Then today, I went to Goodwill to see if they had any cute old sheets for the Summer Skirt Sheet Swap (try saying that 5x fast!) over at Polka Dot Creations (I’m hopefully going to blog more […]

  8. This is great! I’m so glad there are other people who like this idea as much as I do! I’ll give everyone until Friday to sign up, and then I’ll email you all the particulars (like, where to send the sheets, for one thing).

    I’m sending you all “pretty sheet finding” vibes, so that we will all look lovely this summer in our new repurposed skirts! (Come to think of it, this is actually a pretty good swap to post on Earth Day, isn’t it? Totally unintentional!)

    1. Yes, i would love to participate. I love this idea!

  9. Okay, okay! Anything to get listed on your site!!!

    1. Haha, Wes, are you sure you have the legs for a pretty floral summer skirt? I’ve never met you so, of course, there is the chance that your legs are exceptionally smooth and svelt for a man. I just thought I should ask 😉

  10. This sounds like super fun!! I joined the flickr group & can’t wait to get some funk-o-licious & yummy sheets! I totally LOOOOOVE that crazy flower skirt in the first pic of this post!!!!

  11. I’ll look SO cool in my Star Wars skirt! How do I get started?!

    1. Bahahahahahaha! I was thinking about that possibility. Thirty years ago I would have LOVED a Star Wars skirt–because it would have gone with the t-shirt I wore three times a week in fifth grade.

      1. I’m starting to think I need to get out my old Empire Strikes Back pillowcase…

  12. Yeah yes yes I would love to play along!!!
    warmly
    Stacy~Creativemuse

  13. Thank you to invite me 🙂 It’s seems to be really fun. But I have a question.
    I live in France so I need to know how I can send you money for the shipping return ? Can you answer me on my e mail ? I am really interresting by this idea. Maybe i have misunderstood what you explain.

    Have a nice day
    Alfine

  14. Lisa you always come up with great ideas! Sounds like fun! Count me in!

  15. This sounds like fun, count me in!

  16. This is a cool idea Lisa, and presuming I can find some swap-worthy sheets in my ‘hood, I’m in too! I’m not sure if I’ll be wearing them as short as you prefer (being a full-figured gal makes me a bit shyer about showing off) and may also futz with measurements…

    I’ll let you know when I strike it rich!

  17. In case it wasn’t abundantly clear yet, I’m in. I’m like Laura, maybe 25-inches aren’t my personal ideal length, but that’s all the more reason to get creative, I figure.

  18. this sounds like a blast!!!! can’t wait!!!

  19. I guess I need to sign up since my pictures is up there. What a compliment to see it after clicking over here from Beki’s Artsy-Crafty Babe site!!

    SO, I’m in! (and the bottom right corner shot…don’t you love the pink concrete patio floor…thanks to the previous MALE SINGLE owner. I was amazed) he he he

    See what Beth H has been blogging about: I heart Kitchen Gadgets

    1. Oh, how funny! I was so inspired wandering around flickr a few weeks ago – I was just dying to make a sheet skirt! Loved yours.

  20. Oh what a great idea I can’t wait. Now I have another reason to go “shopping” Like we need one right?!

  21. I would love to join in!

  22. I’m in! Super idea!

  23. I would love to get in on the action! Sounds like a lot of fun!!

  24. Me. I want in on this action.

  25. I’d love to participate in the swap. Can’t resist getting goodies in the mail 🙂

  26. Oooh, I have the perfect sheet in mind!! I’m in! What a great idea.

  27. Wow, I can’t believe all of the responses – this is going to be such fun! I just hope I can keep up with all of this 🙂

  28. how super fun! i would love to play!! 🙂 i guess i will be spending my weekend thrifting~ YAY!!

    sidenote: ugh! another postal increase??!! (stomps foot and whines!!!)

  29. I read about this great idea at Whimsy-girl’s blog and think it sounds like a blast! I’m in. My girls are going to love this! Now I just have to find a minute to look for a fantabulous sheet … between planning birthday parties and getting ready for my 3 upcoming shows. Sheez! Wish me luck.

  30. I would like to be included the swap. It sounds like fun and I already have cute sheet to cut up. I found your blog through artsy-crafty babe.

  31. Sounds like fun and I already have the sheet(s) to swap! Thanks for the tutorial too. Count me in.

  32. Yes please!!! This is such a great idea, I love it! Found it through the Sew, Mama, Sew tutorial link…. Now I just need for Spring to actually come to Seattle.

  33. I would love to joint your swap! This looks like fun times!

  34. OMG I have to join… I love the skirt (Do you think it matters that I have never sewn anything? I didn’t think so either)

  35. I’d like to join if you’d also include Canada.

  36. I am so in on this! My kind of swap…not to pricey and something I love…thrift store sheets.

  37. Sounds great! Count me in!

    I’m Dorothy’s sister BTW. 🙂

  38. What a great idea!

  39. Wow! How awesome and amazing is this! Please count me in! I can’t wait to hit some thrift stores and look for some amazing sheets. 🙂

  40. Please count me in. I’ve been collecting sheets without an end result in mind. I can’t wait to see what others contribute.

  41. I’d love to participate! This will be my first swap event. How exciting!

  42. oh! i came over via artsycrafty blog, i would love to particiapate if i may hope i’m not too late!Bring on the skirt sheet love!

  43. I was just on artsycrafty and was intrgued by the sheet swap. I spent 2 hrs in my basement sorting through fabric and I have the perfect sheet for the swap! I live in Canada and I know that you will need extra postage $ from me. How much would the postage be. I will have to get a US $ order?

  44. Hi, I am in like flynn! How fun, and I believe I have some vintage sheets on hand already!
    Jenn

  45. Hi Lisa,

    I’d love to join the skirt swap. I’ve started looking for the right piece of fabric in the thrift stores. Thanks!

    Laura

  46. I want to join! Sounds like fun. I love new fabrics!

  47. Sign me up! This sounds like such fun!

  48. I’d love to join in the swap. I have a few sheets that would work.

  49. Count me in! I commented over on Flickr but I’ll stick my note in here too.

    Thrift store visiting this weekend!

  50. yes, please! i’m looking forward to it already!
    ~liz

  51. I’d love to be in this swap as well! Just found a great sheet today at the thrift store… 🙂

  52. Do I still have time? I just found this lovely blog and I would love to join in the fun!

  53. Am I too late? I would love to play too! I don’t have any fun sheets but I will make it my mission tomorrow to find something wonderful.

    Thanks, Melissa

  54. […] all hopped in the van today and took a field trip.  I was hoping to find a funky sheet to use for the swap.  What I found was this very neutral taupe sheet – not exactly funky, but sometimes neutral is […]

  55. […] a break from the garden, I spent a little time sewing today. I am going to participate in the Polka Dot Creations Summer Skirt Sheet Swap so, I found this great sheet at the GW yesterday. It was the right size and I love the pattern […]

  56. […] we’ve got fifty swappers signed up (not including me), and I spent some time yesterday trying to decide how to handle this […]

  57. […] April 29, 2008 by jennbenn Ok, sheets are cut and packaged for travel.. for Polka Dot Creations Summer Skirt Sheet Swap […]

  58. […] display of forethought (yes, that is sarcasm, in case you didn’t recognize it) I scheduled a swap for this week. So while I’m cleaning the crafty supplies out of the dining room, I’ll […]

  59. […] swap is coming together! I’m still waiting for about 15 packages, but I thought I should get […]

  60. […] think we all knew it wouldn’t be long before I cut into another swapped sheet, am I right? That’s ok. My predictability is part of my charm. At least, that’s […]

  61. […] a whim, I laid out my Simplicity 3835 pattern pieces on one of the swap sheets. To my delight, all of the parts fit! Allow me to present my new shirt, made from the very […]

  62. […] so happy we did this sheet swap. Besides the obvious benefit of having a nice stack of vintage textiles that I didn’t have to […]

  63. […] anyway, this is another Built By Wendy top, and I used a Sheet Swap sheet from Regina for it. I am in love with this sheet, and I had been so excited about the skirt […]

  64. […] of skirts in my closet. (And a tendency towards sarcastic remarks.) This one came to be from a Sheet Swap sheet from […]

  65. […] I do that, there may still be some space in my closet, when I get around to making the rest of my Sheet Swap skirts and the two that I have been holding off on as weight loss reward skirts.  (My resolve is […]

  66. […] my head. So here it is. I think this qualifies as a crazy floral. It’s one of the sheets from the swap, and it originally came from […]

  67. […] feel another sheet swap coming […]

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