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Fitted Sheets by Gigi Stetler

First developed for RVs, these sheets can be customized to fit the curve of your boat. "Gear and Gadgets" from our February 25, 2009, CW Reckonings

/CW/ deputy editor Elaine Lembo worked with Gigi Stetler to create custom sheets for her Crocker ketch /Land’s End/.

CW deputy editor Elaine Lembo worked with Gigi Stetler to create custom sheets for her Crocker ketch Land’s End. Elaine Lembo

Sleep comes better aboard-that we know. But it comes even sweeter when you’re not getting all twisted up in the bunk in unfitted sheets you stole from the linen closet at home.

Gigi Stetler first got into the bedding business by creating a line of fitted sheets for recreational vehicles, then expanded into belowdecks accommodations. When she offered some test sets and pillowcases, I jumped at the chance.

But first, I needed to send her accurate sketches and detailed measurements, as the bunks aboard Land’s End, our Crocker ketch, curve with the camber of the hull. When sketching out custom-sized bunks, thinking multi-dimensionally is essential to getting a sheet that fits your mattress right. Faxing a sketch with all planes measured helps a lot. One test set didn’t make the cut in that it was too small to get around the foam properly, leaving the mattress more in the shape of a banana than a sleeping surface.

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But the test sets that worked, worked well. They come in two styles: elastic fit and envelope fit.

Elastic fit is the more conventional style: the bottom sheet has elastic bands at each corner that grip it to the mattress; the top sheet is a flat one that you lay over the bottom one and tuck in.

The envelope fit, an all-in-one design in which the top and bottom sheets are sewn in end to end, is a bit of a bear to get around the mattress and zip up, but the extra effort is worth it. Using this style means an end to that lonely realization in the middle of the night that the top sheet has fallen off of you. With the envelope, it’s just not possible to lose the top sheet.

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Sheets come in 100 percent cotton, 50/50 cotton polyester blends, and bamboo fabric, in 400-, 500-, and 600-thread counts. Choose from 20 colors, four of them with striped patterns, in sizes ranging from regular, queen, king, and custom.

Sets come with two pillow cases, and here was my only real complaint. The pillow cases are huge (maybe Gigi’s still thinking RV), which is great for a master cabin, problematic for a single berth. For more details about the sheets and cost, contact the maker.

www.ridinggigistyle.com

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