Carousel Designs Blog

It’s arrived!!

No, not the little bundle of joy you have been waiting for - your nursery bedding! You anxiously unwrap it, anticipating how wonderful it is going to look on your new crib.

One key to a beautiful and safe nursery is the proper installation of crib bedding, especially the crib bumper. We have prepared this step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of your new crib bedding.

Keep in mind that the bumper should fit tightly in order to provide the most security and safety. Some fabrics, such as minky, have more stretch than others. As all fabrics and patterns differ it is important to understand the fundamentals of installing the crib bumper to ensure the perfect fit.

Step 1: After unwrapping your crib bumper, look closely at each of the 3-sectioned panels at both ends of the bumper. You will notice that one of the 3-paneled end sections will be slightly shorter than the other.

You will want to start with the shortest end section. It is important that you begin by securing the corner of the short end piece to the back corner of either the headboard or footboard of the crib.

Step 2: Securely tie the corner piece of the short end to the back corner crib post.

Step 3: Position the bumper around the inside rails with the corner seams placed accordingly. The ties should be facing the outside of the bumper.

Step 4: Firmly pull the back section of the bumper until it is tight along the back rails and fasten at the other back corner (back corner #2). This may require more tension on fabrics that have a lot of stretch or “give”to them. Remember, it is important that the bumper is taut.

Step 5: Once the back corners are secure you may tie the center back ties for extra reinforcement. Now the crib bumper should be firmly attached along the back of the crib.

Step 6: Now you are ready to tie the front corners of the crib bumper in the same manner. Tie the front corner pieces to the front crib posts. Work around to the final corner where the two ends meet.

Step 7: Using the ties from the short end (Step 1) and the ties on the front section, secure both of these to the front corner crib post. To prevent gapping, criss-cross the ties before tying around the post.

Step 8: Lastly, secure the center ties on the front.

Voila! You now have a perfectly fitting crib bumper.

Now all that is left to do is stand back and admire your new nursery! And of course, decide on the drapes!

Rose

Remember the nurseries of yesteryear? Rooms covered with pink or blue paint (for girls and boys, respectively,) and full of decorations that screamed, “baby, baby, baby!” These super-sweet nurseries typically had one thing in mind - making people think that there were no adults involved in the decorating of this special room.

The babies of today are much more chic and stylish than their mothers and fathers ever were (no offense parents!) And who can blame them? With such fabulous nursery designs and themes available (like Circus Toile and Shabby Chic Chenille) today’s nurseries are proving to be the most fashionable rooms in the house. So who’s going to enjoy these decked-out nurseries more, parents or baby?

These cute nurseries are all about mom and dad!

Haley

One of my best friends from college just had a baby. In fact, as I write, the baby is only 6 days old. I went over there last night and saw her 8-pound baby boy, who was absolutely beautiful. But I won’t spend my time gushing about how cute the baby was, because as we all know, babies are just that - cute.

What I will gush about is their nursery. It wasn’t the typical baby boy blue. It was a fresh, bright, candy green color. It was such an inviting room, I almost wanted to just stay there. Maybe it’s just me, but I like the movement away from a strictly blue or pink nursery. Breathing some fresh, green air into the nursery is a wonderfully fun idea!

Haley

My name is Jonathan Hartley and back in 1988 my parents Mike and Balva Hartley founded Carousel Designs. Our manufacturing plant in Douglasville, Georgia has been here since the 70’s and prior to Carousel Designs had been owned by a different company which made items such as rubber baby pants and women’s clothing.

In 1988, Carousel Designs launched and concentrated solely on manufacturing crib bedding and nursery décor. We designed, manufactured, and distributed our products for the better baby specialty stores throughout the United States.

The bedding collections we’ve manufactured over the years matched the trends popular at the time, but looking back on those older collections can be quite entertaining.

Here’s one of the originals circa 1989 named “Bashful Bunny”…

Twenty years later we’re still making baby bedding, and the designs have changed quite a bit! (See our newest arrivals)

Allan Sicat (our President), Jason Warren, and I acquired the business over a year ago. Mike and Balva still are involved somewhat, but are enjoying retirement somewhere in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

We’ve got a lot of exciting things brewing and stay tuned for some of our future product offerings and website enhancements.

We’ve also recently opened up our latest consumer-facing website which features the tremendous inventory of fabrics we have here at our 20,000 square foot facility. The website is Carousel Fabrics and we offer all of our fabrics in stock at some very competitive prices.

Jonathan

Have you ever stopped and wondered where the cute little Sock Monkey originated? Well, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do a little research. (OK, it wasn’t that hard as there is a lot of information out there about this little guy with the big red smile).

The history of the Sock Monkey goes back to when the stuffed animal craze swept across Europe and the United States during the Great Depression. Money was scarce and people could not afford “luxury” items such as stuffed animals. So the American Mom, being creative and resourceful, started making stuffed monkey dolls out of socks, filling them with whatever was available in the house - paper, rice, even old pantyhose.

In 1932, the Nelson Knitting Company in Rockford, IL invented a work sock with a trademarked red heel. These socks became known as “Rockfords.” Not only were they the most popular work sock of their time, they became the basis for one of the most popular and long-lasting toys. When made into a doll, the red sock heel created a distinctive red mouth.

The Nelson Knitting Company soon became aware that their socks were being used to create this extremely popular stuffed toy. They decided to patent the pattern for the Sock Monkey doll and use it in their advertising and promotional campaigns. They even included the Sock Monkey pattern with each pair of “Rockford”socks sold!

In 1992, Fox River Mills acquired the Nelson Knitting Company. And while the Rockford sock is still in production today, the red heel design has undergone a noteworthy change. The red heel pattern that gave the Sock Monkey its famous smile has been replaced by a more oval pattern.

The Sock Monkey theme has seen a new growth in popularity in the 21th Century. While it has taken on many new forms and faces, the original remains steadfast. A yearly Sock Monkey Festival is held in Rockford, IL where visitors can also enjoy a museum honoring this wonderful fuzzy fella that brought smiles to so many faces for over 100 years.

Rose

One of the hottest items right now is the Shabby Chic bedding collection. Who wouldn’t look at it and just have to have it for their little one? The textures are incredible….the design features not only the ever-popular cotton chenille dot fabric but also the newest softest minky fabric available. And it’s topped off with the beautiful flowing sheer voile ruffle and skirt. The array of different fabrics is one of the things that makes this set so unique. It is a journey into time with the soft pastel floral print comforter and sheer pale pink voile ruffle which brings the design into the present.

This one is a “must have!”

Rose

Ordering online can be a bit daunting, especially with something like baby bedding. Without being able to see and feel the fabrics, it is very difficult to have a true idea of what you will be getting; fortunately, the zoom and pan features on babybedding.com will help alleviate some of those problems. Even with the best of technology, though, colors of fabrics may differ from how you see them on your monitor. Until modern technology invents some way for you to feel the fabric through your computer screen, fabric swatches can be an online-orderer’s best friend.

We at Carousel Designs want our customers to be happy and satisfied with their purchase, because we know how important their nursery is to them. To ensure an exact match for your nursery, and satisfaction with fabric texture and quality, we recommend ordering swatches before placing your bedding order.

And, as always, Customer Service is just a phone call away to help address any concerns or answer any questions.

Andrea

A wonderful– albeit a bit strange– phenomenon begins to take place somewhere around the middle of the second trimester of pregnancy. A deep-seated need to clean and organize everything in sight. To get all prepped and ready for that little one to make his or her entrance into the world. Things are mopped, vacuumed, dusted, and scrubbed from top to bottom. Everything from diaper wipe warmers to convertible cribs is researched, studied, researched some more. Nothing ever seems clean enough, organized enough, or safe enough for that monumental date looming ahead.

Yes, it’s the Nesting Syndrome. One of the more humorous symptoms of pregnancy, it is also basic, natural instinct. Animals carefully build their nests in order to protect their babies from inclimate weather, predators and other hazards. We do the same, in our own fashion. And because we are human, we build our nests in a way that is pleasing to our eye. A major part of nesting is setting up the nursery… choosing a crib, crib bedding, and accessories that really appeal to us, and reflect our lifestyle and home. And never has there been such a wide variety of styles, textures, and colors available for baby bedding as there is in today’s world. So, enjoy, explore, and nest away!!

Andrea

You’ve recieved the wonderful news! You’re expecting! The excitement begins! One of the most fun yet challanging tasks is “What will we do in the nursery?” “What colors will we use?” “What motif should we go with?” It can be a bit overwelming to say the least. In todays world of cyberspace your choices are unlimited!

My suggetion would be to just have fun with it. Nursery decor should be as individual as you are and as your baby will be. Seems like for 2009 Pantone, the Fashion Color Authority, agrees with me. Their Spring/Summer 2009 color palettes lean toward “individuality” including medium pastels with a tinge of retro glamour and “independant-ism” featuring tart, bold colors.

We all know that fashion and colors tend to run full circle. Proven by the recent recurrance of the looks from the 60’s and 70’s. This look is still going strong for the baby’s room and will continue into 2009. As colors pertain to the baby’s room you can never go wrong with the tradional pink and blues….just add a twist….with all of the wonderful textures in fabrics available in today’s market it is easy to do. The textures will be sure to not only delight your little one but I am sure you will not be able to keep your hands off the incredibly soft fabric as well! Don’t believe me? Just check out our wonderful plush minky fabric and see.

Whatever you decide to do with your nursery decor just remember, have fun with it and enjoy this wonderful experience. Babies are a precious gift and will bring you a lifetime of joy! Congratulations!

Rose

So, you’ve landed on the Carousel Designs baby bedding website, and have fallen in love with THE perfect crib set that will help to create the nursery you’ve always envisioned. You excitedly pick out your items, place them in your virtual shopping cart, fill out all the necessary information, and hit the “Submit Order” button. Now what? Well, let’s go through a day in the life of an order, shall we?

When you hit that submit button, a team of trained carrier pigeons flies your order to our plant in Douglasville, GA. Okay, not really. But, through the power of the internet, your order does arrive with lightning speed to the Customer Service email inbox. Once that order comes in, it is downloaded into our system and we begin the process of filling your order. After some initial administrative steps, your order is printed out and taken onto the plant floor.

A little known fact is that, unlike many stores, we don’t really keep a lot of backstock. This means that because most products are not made until an order is placed, your order really is being made just for you and your baby!

Once your order hits the floor, our amazing team of seamstresses begins the process of cutting, piecing, sewing, inspecting, and packaging the items. The utmost care is given in making a high-quality product, and we take pride in being able to get your orders produced and shipped in typically 2-3 business days.

This post would be remiss in not mentioning the hard work of our Customer Service department, who oversees orders from start to finish. Not only do they keep a close watch on your order, they are also available during regular office hours to answer any questions or to make changes to your order. Yes, a real, live (and helpful) person will answer the phone! In today’s society, that can be a rare commodity indeed.

Once your items have been produced, one final check is made by Customer Service to ensure that the order is ready to be sent. The last steps are taken to ready the shipment for UPS pick-up and then your order is off! And you get to check one more thing off your list of things to do before the baby comes. Congratulations!

Andrea