sinceresissy

I too, have looked for Percale and have not found it. I have bought Wal-mart sheets and I did not like them at all. They were limp and wrinkly. I have bought LLBean sheets and they were so wrinkly all the time. They came out of the dryer wrinkled up in a wad. They were soft and they were expensive This last time I bought sheets from Target and they were the med. expensive ones. They are pretty good but are a bit wrinkly and don't hold the crispness. Percale as I remember just was crisp and nice and not all wrinkly. I don't want sateen and Egyptian cotton is wrinkly too. It just isn't like it use to be. I don't know what percale means but I wish I could find it somewhere.

sparkys_mom

I always loved percale sheets because they were 'crisp'. Suddenly, they seemed impossible to find. I bought some really expensive, high thread count sheets that I hated. Nothing compares to percale IMO. About a year ago, I sold my condo and moved to a retirement community. Part of my monthly fee includes weekly housekeeping and all my linens so I don't worry about it any more. The sheets are not as crisp but I find having someone else making the bed and laundering them makes up for it.

SewSassy

We also like the crispness of percale and the closest thing I have found was Wamsutta Cool Touch from Bed Bath and Beyond

JustAbitCrazy

The new sheets I've had are so much thinner than percale sheets were, they actually got so thin they tore! I have some old sheets I bought at a yard sale, which have the hems taken out. The owner was a quilter and bought them to use for backings. I'm thinking of sewing the hems back up and using them as sheets.

Geri B

I use those sheet garters too to keep corners of fitted sheet snug......don't remember where I bought them, but easily copied...elastic and old fashioned garters.......when the elastic stretches on these, I will just replace from JAF....

also, up until 10 yrs ago, in my old house, I had a clothesline and hung linens out to dry as soon as weather permitted.....loved the crispness and fresh air smell of them in the linen closet.....getting older and I guess lazier...use dryer all the time now, although I could put up a line at this house.....life styles change.....

Prism99

I looked up the definition of percale online. It is the weave of the fibers, called a plain weave, one thread over and one thread under. According to Wikipedia, this weave is noticeably tighter than other weaves used for sheets. I thought percale would refer only to cotton, but percale can also be polyester or other fiber. Thread count for percale is supposed to be 200 or higher. I'm thinking that the thread used for cotton percale sheets is probably finer and smoother than cotton threads used for other types of sheet. Also, who knows about the finishes on sheets? I have had all-cotton sheets that wrinkle a lot and all-cotton sheets that have almost no wrinkles. I think it's all about the finish. All I know is that the cotton sheets I bought last year from Sam's Club are *way* better than the ones I bought from Sam's Club and other places years ago.

gramajo

When I was in a house, I hung my sheets outside. I'm in an apartment now and don't have a clothesline. I miss the crispness and scent of line-dried sheets.

Misty's Mom

And now, the HOA won't allow clothes lines in the backyard either.

Crispy_Frog

One of the earlier posts mentioned Peacock sheets. You can buy those for a discount at Tuesday Morning.

Needles

If you google cotton percale sheets, you will come up with lots of companies who have them. I love the ones made of Egyptian cotton and a 600 thread count. They are NOT cheap but they last a long time. Do not buy sheets with any kind of polyester in them unless you like sleeping on plastic bottles, because that is polyester. The fabric will also pill and those little balls are horrible to sleep on. I can't even wear polyester in the heat of the summer in blouses, etc. Even those sheer lovely blouses that say polyester voile, like wearing a wool sweater.

So I look for cotton or silk voile, even some catalogs are carrying them again now. Satin polyester is the same, HOT!
Since I sew, I look for cotton, silk or lightweight cotton knits that have maybe a 40% poly. Since quilters know about the hand of a fabric, I too buy sheets singly. Your touch can feel the softness. I wash them before ever putting them on the bed, if they don't feel right, return them.

Here is the definition of percale: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/percale

Believe it or not, one said cotton or polyester. Don't believe it for one moment, my great grandmothers made sheets, 100 years ago, and they used cotton percale. Polyester wasn't even heard of then. I think one store was Bed Bath and Beyond. I always buy my cotton percale sheets at JC Penneys.