Carousel Designs Blog

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 The red heel pattern that gave the Sock Monkey its famous smile has been replaced by a more oval pattern.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