Aussie mum builds a $1M business during school hours by solving the fitted sheet problem
It was a simple idea born from a common, infuriating problem: wrestling with sheets while making the bed. For Swiss-born entrepreneur Kathrin Bickel, the solution was obvious once she spotted the gap, and she turned it into Australia’s first 100% Australian knitted cotton jersey bedding range.
It all started when Kathrin came to visit her family in Australia and her mother mentioned that jersey sheets simply weren’t readily available here. “It is such a basic thing in my home country of Switzerland. Every shop sells jersey sheets, and it just makes sense. Mattresses are soft and flexible, the sheets should match,” Kathrin said.
With a background in textiles and fashion design, she got to work.
From side hustle to seven figures
It-Fits launched in 2016 with just fitted sheets and made $44,400 in its first year with no Meta Ads and minimal marketing spend. Over the past decade the range has expanded to include flat sheets, pillowcases, sheet sets and doona covers. When the pandemic hit, online shopping skyrocketed and so did It-Fits, with Kathrin doubling revenue each year and reaching seven figures in 2025.
“It’s something I’m really proud of. I have grown this business while working in another job and raising children. I am thrilled to be making more than $1M a year and doing it all during school hours.”
What makes It-Fits different
While traditional woven cotton, linen or bamboo sheets are stiff, It-Fits bedding is made from 100% Australian knitted cotton jersey. The stretchy nature of the fabric makes it easy and pain-free to make beds of all shapes and sizes, with no corners popping off and no bed unmaking itself every time you roll over.
The sheets also feature the patented Magic Corners: unique colour-coded loops for quick and easy fitting that take the guesswork out of which side goes where and make folding for the linen cupboard far less of a drama. The range is also designed with an optimised cutline pattern for neat corners, a 360-degree elastic hem and is completely wrinkle-free.
“We say if you hate making the bed, you need It-Fits sheets,” Kathrin said. “The sheets actually stay on the bed!”
A fit for every family
It-Fits has built a cult following among parents of young children, caravan enthusiasts and families navigating the particular misery of bunk beds. The sheets maintain a snug fit on thinner caravan mattresses and beds with rounded corners, and are equally popular for adjustable and electric beds, where jersey fabric stretches and adapts to movement while standard woven sheets bunch up and pop off.
The brand stocks a range of sizes including less common ones like Long Single, King Single, Long Double, Split Queen and Split King. It-Fits also boasts the largest colour range of jersey cotton sheets in Australia, so finding a hue to suit any bedroom decor is easy.
“At the end of the day, everyone wants a comfortable, sweat-free night’s sleep, and no one wants to fight with their sheets every time they make the bed,” Kathrin said. “These sheets are more than just cosy and convenient; they are giving people back their independence and making bedtime a dream.”
For more information visit it-fits.com.au
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