Write Right~Fitted Sheets

In my mind’s ever wandering fashion, I came up with a new historical question this week, and it all began with new sheets. 

Before I share my historical tidbit, I need to explain that this topic started with the purchase of DARK CHOCOLATE brown sheets. I’ve never had dark sheets before, and after one night on them, I’m still not sure how I feel about the color.

My husband thinks I’m weird because I’m won’t sleep on certain colors. As we were shopping he mentioned maybe red would be nice. “Are you kidding?” I exclaimed. “No way!” (I’m sorry if any of our readers like red sheets. I don’t mean to be offensive, but I think the color would keep me awake.) 

So, as I was putting my new dark brown, soft cotton sheets on the bed, I remembered my grandmother making beds. Her sheets were white, starched, ironed, and all flat. Scratchy to the touch, hard to put on the mattress, and harder to keep on. 

That’s when I wondered. . .when were fitted sheets invented? 

Seems in 1959, an African American woman named Bertha Berman patented a design for fitted sheets. Hers had corners sewn in a way that fit the sheet to the mattress. These needed elastic garters and other things to keep the sheets on the mattress. 

In 1990, Gisele Jubinville created a fitted sheet with deep corner pockets that grab a mattress and stay put. (Oh happy day!) And then she sold the patent in 1993 for $1 million.

Thanks to these two women, we have bottom sheets that stay put.