Hi Karen. Thank you for reviewing the Company Cotton Holiday Print Classic Ultra-Cozy Cotton Velvet Flannel Fitted Bed Sheet, and we are so pleased that you love the beautiful print! High water and dryer temperatures and over-drying can diminish flannel quality and contribute to roughness, so always wash on cold and tumble dry on low. Flannel bedding gets softer with each wash but may pill (shed or produce lint) during the first few washes. This is natural—the new fibers shed with friction. A gentle washing cycle reduces how much the sheets rub together while in the laundry, which can help reduce the pilling that creates a scratchy feel. Following the machine wash cold, gentle cycle, tumble dry low, washing recommendation is important to maintain the softness of flannel sheets. Also, using wool dryer balls in the dryer (instead of using softeners and dryer sheets which cling to the fabric) will keep sheets moving in the dryer and help soften them. We hope that this will help with the issues you are having. If you should have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-323-8000. We are always happy to help in any way possible!