Monday, June 8, 2009

What Makes Luxury Bed Linens so Luxurious?

There are all kinds of fabrics and materials that are used to create comfortable sheets and pillow cases, but only the finest are used to create luxury bed linens. From Egyptian cotton to pure silk, these are the materials that give us the most luxurious night’s sleep. Material is not the only thing that makes luxury bed linens so fabulous though; there are other factors involved as well.
First of all, the thread count of some fabrics is influential in the comfort that people get from sleeping with them. The higher the thread count, the more tightly knit together the fibers are and the softer the material will be. High quality bedding will have a thread count of 180 at the very least, and often is higher.
Another factor is the quality of the yarn that is used for the bedding. Egyptian cotton, which is known as one of the highest-quality fabrics in the world, is grown on the banks of the Nile River. This type of cotton yields the longest staple cotton in the world. The staple is the individual fiber or “hair”. Egyptian cotton sheets that are produced in Egyptian cotton mills produce fine fabrics that ensure superior quality of cotton that is created. The long staple cotton can be spun into much stronger and smoother yarn than other types of cotton. This means that it is possible to weave more threads per inch into the fabric which results in the higher thread count.
Quality of Construction is another factor that determines whether or not bedding will be classified as luxury bed linens or not. The expertise and skill of the craftsmen enables them to select the type and fineness of the yarns, they must choose the diameter of the yarn to create the desired hand (such as crisp percale, jacquard, or silk sateen), and they must have the knowledge of how to best put everything together for the highest quality of linens.
A final factor in the quality of luxury bed linens is the quality of finishing. Beyond selecting the right fibers and then spinning and weaving the fabrics, craftsman must have the skill to also finish the fabric and to sew it to completion to produce the absolute most luxurious bedding. Some Egyptian cotton sheets are mercerized, which makes the fibers plump up and fill out to strengthen the fabric and give it the ultimate look of luxury bed linens.

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