Carousel Designs Blog

We field many questions about our crib sheets.  It is the bedding item that touches the baby the most–you could argue it is the most “important” part of the bedding ensemble for your new baby.

The most common question is if our crib sheets have elastic all the way around.  It is worth mentioning that ALL of our crib sheets all have elastic all the way around.  In the past 21 years we’ve made literally thousands of crib sheets–experimented with different cuts, fabrics, and crib mattresses.  When we make a crib sheet we are taking into consideration all of those different factors, and we’ve got a wealth of experience to make sure that we get it right.

Here’s what you get from a Carousel Designs fitted crib sheet:

1. deep pockets to accomodate for shrinkage?  YES
2. fine fabrics that are fit for sheeting?  YES
3. elastic all the way around?  YES

Any other questions about our sheets?  Just ask!

Jonathan

We’re pretty excited about what has been going on over at the outlet store .  After a bit of brainstorming, there were several efforts made to “sharpen our pencils”, become more efficient and be better able to offer a wider array of discount baby bedding.

Here are a couple of good points from today’s press release:

“Our designer collections are composed of specific fabrics that have been detailed by our design team,” added Allan Sicat, President of Carousel Designs. “Sometimes a fabric vendor will unexpectedly discontinue a fabric that we use as a part of a designed baby bedding collection. When that happens, we must find ways to optimize and utilize those specific fabrics. We salvage the situation by creating new, limited, high-quality products at deeply discounted prices.”

And to add to this point:

The multitude of steps involved in designing a new collection can take many iterations of testing before producing the end product that is offered on babybedding.com. “When we design a new collection we might make several versions of a crib skirt, for instance, to see which one best aligns with the overall designed collection,” stated Rose Grove, Carousel Designs’ lead designer. “Even though a particular crib skirt or comforter creation doesn’t make it into a designed collection, it still remains well made, beautifully crafted and unique.”

The bottom line?  We just opened the door to greater savings on our website.  If you haven’t dropped by the outlet store lately, check it out.  We have made it even easier to buy unique, high-quality, American-made baby bedding on a budget.

John

This week we unveiled another of our popular Damask baby bedding creations – the Black and Yellow Damask Dot collection.

Featuring a brilliant Yellow Pindot fabric combined with our Black and White Damask Dot, Solid Black Minky, Black and White Middy Dot and Black Deck Stripe fabrics, this collection is elegant, attractive and appealing to a wide range of tastes.  The versatility of the black and white accented with yellow creates a charming foundation for any nursery.

The bumper and comforter both feature the Black and White Damask Dots fabric and are trimmed with Yellow Pindot.  The back of the comforter balances the damask print with an ultra soft solid Black Minky backing.  The front and back of the bumper feature the Black and White Damask print.  The crib skirt design features our black and white Black Deck Stripe fabric with a 4 inch Yellow Pindot trim.  The four piece collection is completed with a beautiful Black and White Middy crib sheet.

The Yellow Pindot crib sheet also works well with this collection and the solid Black Minky crib sheet is another great option for additional distinctiveness.  Add some Black and White Damask Dot drapes to the nursery or a matching window valance and your nursery will be a classy little castle for your prince or princess.

John

Today we are launching our newest damask collection of baby bedding and decor – Sage Damask.  Featuring earth tones paired with the elegance of a damask print, this collection cleverly combines sophistication and simplicity.  The earthy color combinations in this collection are just in time to celebrate Earth Day.

Our Sage Damask Four Piece Crib Bedding Set features a luxurious crib comforter with our sage damask print on the front balanced by sage stripes on the reverse.  Chocolate brown piping adds the finishing touches to this unique and versatile crib comforter.  The crib bumper echoes the design of the comforter featuring sage stripes on the inside with sage damask on the outside and chocolate brown ties and trim.  The box pleat crib skirt is made with our sage stripes print and trimmed with chocolate brown.  The four piece bundle comes with a chocolate brown crib sheet yet easily coordinates with sage stripe crib sheets.

To complete the nursery with coordinating pieces of decor, we offer Sage Damask Drapes in 84 and 96 inches.  Featuring sage damask fabric backed by a poly-cotton liner, our coordinating drapes have a solid chocolate brown bottom trim and tie-tops.  Other coordinating options include our Sage Damask window valances in either tab top or rod pocket style.  Other accessories include diaper stackers, changing pad covers, high chair pads and many other items that can be found on our Sage Damask Nursery Decor page.

John

We recently updated our dots and stripes baby bedding section and I’m really liking the new collections.  Here are the latest and greatest color combinations with contrasting dots.  Click the image to see the entire collection which includes crib bedding, toddler bedding, portable crib bedding, cradle bedding and nursery decor.

Black and White Dots and Stripes

Black and White Dots and Stripes offer a crisp contrast for the developing eyesight of newborns.  This collection features white dots on a black background and the reverse black dots on a white background.  Black and white stripes are added in the trim and ties.

Blue and Chocolate Dots and Stripes

The blue and chocolate dots and stripes collection features a soothing blue contrasted with brown – great for a baby boy nursery.

Pink and Chocolate Dots and Stripes

The pink and chocolate dots and stripes collection is an instant favorite with the fresh combination of pink and brown dots.

Brown and Natural Dots and Stripes

The natural and brown dots collection features a dark brown contrasted with natural, “raw-sugar” color to create a beautiful, earthy combination.  The crib sheet in this collection is made with organic cotton.

Green and Brown Dots and Stripes

The Green and Brown Dots and Stripes collection features another earthy combination of green apple and dark brown.

Red and White Dots and Stripes

This bold combination of red and white make the Red and White Dots and Stripes collection a real stand out.

Lime and White Dots and Stripes

The Lime and White Dots and Stripes Collection is perfect for a gender neutral nursery.

John

Previously available only through better baby retail stores,  the Spa and Chocolate Gumball Collection is now available on the babybedding.com website.

This collection contains tranquil earth tones and features blue and brown colors perfect for a baby boy nursery.  The Spa and Chocolate Fabric has branches of brown that bloom with blue and green gumballs.  Paired with Robin’s Egg Blue and Chocolate Brown, this collection combines charm with elegance.

The crib comforter front features the Spa and Gumball fabric and is backed in solid Robin’s Egg Blue and is trimmed in Chocolate Suede.  The crib bumper also shares this configuration with the outside in Spa and Gumball, the inside in Robin’s Egg Blue.  The bumper trim is in Chocolate Suede fabric.

The crib skirt combines blue and brown by utilizing the Robin’s Egg Blue fabric for the skirt body and the Chocolate Suede fabric for a 4″ trim.  The four piece crib set comes with a Solid Chocolate crib sheet but a Robin’s Egg Blue crib sheet matches perfectly as well.

This beautiful collection has been a staff favorite for some time and we are pleased to make it more widely available online.

Has it been 21 years already? 

We’re actually a little late on the celebrating (we’ve been busy!).  The true establishment date of Carousel Designs was February of 1988.  But that’s a minor detail…break out the cake and candles, we’re 21 years old and counting!

When I was first preparing to write this post, I thought it might be nice to go back and share some pictures of old website designs.  But that would only get as far back as our teenage years – and who likes to go back and look at pictures from the teen years?  Given the nature of our business, it would certainly be more fitting to see the infant years of Carousel Designs in pictures.  Maybe we can visit the wayback machine in another post.  And hopefully by then I can dig up some of the pictures from the 80’s to share.

In taking a look back, I noted that only 8 years ago we had less than 1/2 of the products we currently offer today.  We still carry a large assortment of solid colors, ginghams and toile patterns.  But now we have lots of modern prints, animal patterns, bold dots and stripes and super soft minky fabrics.  We even released an organic line of baby bedding recently.  And the custom baby bedding design studio is an amazing product that just keeps growing in popularity.  We are continuing to expand but our fundamentals really have not changed much. 

Styles have certainly evolved since our early years.  But one thing that has not been altered is quality and attention to detail.  If you have ever purchased any of our baby bedding items then you know that the quality of our products is immediately apparent.  And we still make everything here in Douglasville, Georgia.  Nothing gets outsourced overseas.

I have only been with the company for little more than a year and I remember bringing home a pink paisley crib comforter for our daughter last year.  My wife said, “Wow!  This is really nice.  Do they make these for adults?”  Actually, we don’t make adult size comforters.  Everything we make is for babies or toddlers, with the exception of rocking chair pads.  But that doesn’t seem keep my wife from occassionally curling up under the crib comfoter to enjoy a movie.

We’re looking forward to another 21 years and more in the baby bedding industry.  And we have the right team to make it happen.  Our CEO Jonathan Hartley was practically raised in the factory (his parents were the original founders) and it is doubtful whether anyone understands this business as well as he does.  And we couldn’t ask for a better customer service team.  If you have spoken with them, you know.  Our IT team is is top notch and has a diverse set of talents (even if they all seem to have the same name).   Our designer is simply amazing.  And the wealth of talent we have in the sewing and inspection teams is staggering.

So Happy Birthday Carousel Designs!  Now, where is that cake?

John

We are happy to announce that we have just launched our first certified organic crib bedding collection.  Certified to be grown without the use of petroleum based fertilizers or harsh chemicals, our natural organic collection is down to earth and comes in the sweet earthy shade of “raw sugar”.

The organic crib sheets are offered at the nice price of $24 and have been integrated into our new Modern Fern collection.  The organic changing pad cover is offered at $29.00.

Whether you are wishing to ensure that only the highest quality fabrics touch your baby’s skin or you want to have a completely green household, we now have a comprehensive offering of organic crib bedding, portable crib bedding, toddler bedding and nursery decor to complete your nursery.

Stay tuned for the introduction of new organic colors in the future.

John

We’re happy to introduce yet another stellar collection of fun and funky baby bedding to our repitoire.  Our new Hip Floral baby bedding collection was previously a retail store exclusive.  Now we are offering it on our website.

The Hip Floral collection combines a taste of retro and two shakes of hip.  The black, brown, blue and lime green floral patterns contrast with a white background to create a whimsical tone for any girl nursery.  The four piece crib set comes with a solid citron sheet but solid black minky and key lime minky sheets match perfectly as well.  The matching black deck crib skirt creates a cool, contrasting accent with a black and white striped design that will catch the eye of baby as well as parents.

The Hip Floral comforter is made to be as fun as it is long-lasting.  Perfect as a tummy-time blanket for infants or a great way to stay cozy for a toddler, the Hip Floral comforter features whimsical flowers on one side and high contrast black and white stripes on the other.  As with all of our collections, we offer a full set of matching nursery decor including drapes, decorative pillows and diaper stackers.  All items can be purchased individually.

John

A little secret about toddler beds that does not seem immediately self-evident is that most crib mattresses are actually the same size as toddler mattresses.  In other words, crib mattresses and toddler mattresses are one and the same.  The real difference lies in the sheeting and the fact that a crib is enclosed and a toddler bed is not.

Babies don’t sleep with top sheets, blankets or pillows since it is considered unsafe.  Toddlers, however, can use pillows, blankets and a nice warm comforter.  The size of the actual mattress, however, stays the same.  This means that most cribs can be converted for toddlers and can be used for several years.

All of the cribs that I looked at when making the purchase claimed to be “convertible”.  A convertible crib simply means that the movable rail can be detached and the mattress lowered – enabling a toddler to move in and out of his new “big kid” bed on his own.  Each crib has a unique way of making the conversion, but the fundamentals remains the same.  Check your crib manufacturer for specifics on crib to toddler bed conversion.

So when babies become toddlers and make the transition to a “toddler bed”, it is time to trade in the bumper for a pillow and add top sheets and comforters to their fitted crib, er, toddler sheet.

John