Matching Bed linen

[winny]

Please tell me I am not alone as all my bed linen does not match. There seems to be a trend for having it all matching. Do you have to change the duvet cover if the children have only snotted on the pillow case. If the dog has put muddy paws on the duvet cover should you change the pillows and bottom too. I am becoming paranoid that I am failing my children as their bedding does not match.
If I am alone I accept I must change my ways.

[joko]

granted, it *looks* better if they match -

but given that you spend most of your time in there with not only your eyes shut, but the lights off, in the dark, and unconscious, i hardly think it matters...

(and if you are still bothered, wear infrared goggles and everything will be a matching shade of green anyway...lol )

[dancecaller]

We stayed at a B&B one weekend and the landlady was complaining about guests who took home souvenirs - one pillow-case - so she couldn't use the rest of the set.

I can understand it for guests, but for everyday - no way. Anyway I like more than one pillow so at least one pillow case won't match.

[chitchat]

OMG im not normal - I cant cope without matching bedding. If one piece was dirty I change the lot! I am going to book myself some therapy - the retail kind!

[Mammar]

OK - I know you're all dying to know
I had a really good night's sleep but don't know whether that was due to the matching bed linen or the fact that I'd exhausted myself changing it all!

[maggie01]

I used to try to match my bed linen but now I find it easier to have a nice throw that matches my bedroom and put that over the top of the duvet during the day. That way it hides any mis match underneath and my bedroom looks perfect if anyone should see.

[mimififi]

all the bedding matches and in the case of my two girls (4 of 5 and 5 of 5) who share a room, their bedding matches with each others because it is in the same room. I do not change one piece, if it becomes dirty before the designated laundering time, it all gets changed to an alternative matching set. In the case of the sharing bedroom, both sets of linen are matching to each other and to each set in case one set has to go in midweek but the other set doesn't, I must stress, that they are merely coordinating, not identical (though, that would be good....maybe i'll pop down to matalan this afternoon). My bed has a couple of sets of linen which are all matching with each other and the room, I also have a contrasting throw which matches with all sets.

Towels are coordinated with bathroon type. The children's bathroom (blue) has blue towels and blue mats and pedestal mats etc; our bathroom (cream) likewise; cloakroom (red) likewise still.

The Kitchen has all matching/coordinating teatowels, hand towels and dishcloths, curtains and oven gloves largely because these are often visible to the naked eye and 'on show' to visitors.

With the exception of the children's bedrooms which are decorated in a more personalised style to their owner, the whole house is coordinated with itself also. Downstairs; all the flooring is the same; upstairs likewise. The walls are all the same colour and rooms are differentiated via furniture (obviously) plants and softfurnishings each room being different but coordinating/contrasting. I like the sense of continuity and at the end of the day with matching things, everywhere looks tidier than if it doesn't match.

sorry, to be in the 'control freak' camp. I don't think I'm controlling, I just like things to be matching....

[mimififi]

oh, I forgot to say also:

Socks. When we take socks off, we turn them together just at the tops not the sole end, the open end. This means they go through the wash and come out ready paired and we never have any odd socks.

To help further, my son has only grey socks and my husband only black socks so I know without holding them up and flatterning them down to whom they belong.

For my daughters, I stitch a lilac cross in the top inside of 3 of 5's socks, and a yellow one in 4 of 5's socks and a red one in 5 of 5's socks. My oldest daughter's socks have no cross and so are recognisable by they crosslessness. I know my socks so don't need to identify them. I do the same with tights also except for my oldest daughter's tights which are identifiable by the fact that she wears tights and I wear stockings and so they never get mixed up. I also do the same with knickers and vests for the three youngest girls as a tumble dryer full of white socks, pants and vests in the sizes age 2,3 and 4 is just a rabble of white fabric and it's then you're glad you sat and stitched while watching Gladiator one evening.

( I would tell you also that books are alphabetised and sectioned, however this would be a lie. They USED to be alphabetised until the births of my 5 delights and now they are frankly lucky to be on shelves and not on the floor so I have to over look the non-alphabetisation and accept that a clear floor is preferable to an alphabetised shelf......I say that 5 times and then go to a happy place where I can look at my hieght ordered baking tins which are stacked by type and size....Phew! Order is regained...)

just to ask a question of you though: How many of you have to have your handbag matching with your shoes????????I bet there are some of you out there.......

[winny]

I must say that is impressive. I have however thought of the stitching crosses thing as I do have a job sorting them. My hubbies socks are all the same type etc and so are easy. The funny thing is if I walked into your house I would be in awe and sometimes I only wish I could do it but I feel it would drive me mad. Thanks everyone for all your truly honest answers.

[StudentGal]

My bed linen always matches and when i am buying a set, fif they do spare cases in the same colour/pattern etc, I buy extras incase I need to change just a pillow. I think the solution to the matching bed linen is to just have bed linen that is all exactly the same and then always matches!

The socks though, I don't do anythign special with them in the wash but they have to go on the airer in pairs so I know when i'm missing one then I can double check the machine for it or shake out some bigger items of clothign it may have got stuck in

[tigerlily11]

Me and the other half are the only ones who sleep in our bed so Its a case of he doesn't care and neither do I. A sheet is a Sheet.

[dancecaller]

The socks idea is good. A friend of mine did that. Of course if oldest daughter had the socks with blue cross this year, second daughter would have them next year as hand-me-downs, so a new colour for oldest.

Now tell me, do your pj trousers always match the tops?