About Custom Bedding

Design Nashville bedding is hand made in the United States by a small team of seamstresses.

Quality shines out from across the room when certain things are immediately recognizable.

Materials:  Beautiful fabric combinations and proportions are placed to complement each other. Often fabrics of different textures are in the same color to enhance the richness of the color. Only first quality fabrics and trims are used. Fabrics are stored in climate controlled areas to ensure their freshness for bedding. The fiber content is disclosed so that you can choose the amount of natural fibers and synthetic fibers you prefer. 

Cutting: Our most experienced seamstress cuts the bedding by hand after carefully considering the layout to maximize the beauty of the material within the design and to be efficient with the yardage. Patterns and motifs are cut to center each piece and to match from piece to piece and match at the seams. Velvet and fabrics with nap are cut in the same direction unless the design specifically calls for shading of the velvet. 

Sewing: All seams are made with matching thread. Sewing is by machine wherever possible. Several machines are used depending on their role in fabrication. There may be places where the joining of seams is so thick, we have to reinforce by hand, sometimes sewing with pliers. Pillows and duvet covers are finished inside with overlocking seams to protect them from wear as inserts move during use or when removed for cleaning.  

Trim work: Trim is expertly placed in relation to seams considering how the sewing will impact the way the trim is seen. We use a square and professional marking tools to aide in placing trim before stitching. A combination of methods are used to attach trim to fabric in the smoothest manner possible. Care is given to where and how trim starts and stops to make the trim look as continuous as possible. Trim is not pieced or joined at the tops of elements or at focal points. 

Zippers are industrial grade, non stretching, non rusting made of polyester tape with nylon teeth. Zippers are usually sewn on the back of a pillow or duvet cover near the bottom, covered by a flap in the fabric. 

Pillow inserts: Inserts are available in polyester, feather/down, poly combined with feather, and foam.  You may prefer one over the other because of the fiber type. From a functioning point of view, there are differences. Polyester inserts are the firmest, ideal for anywhere you want support or to achieve a tailored look. However, they are not as good to fill out corners of pillows, because they are stiffer and less pliable. Feather/ down pillows provide a highly manipulatable pillow that will depresses and conforms to pressure. To regain the full look, feather pillows must be hand fluffed or tossed in a dryer with no heat. Feather/ down pillow inserts are often chosen for smaller pillows and silk pillows to create an inviting look. Most feather pillow inserts are not 100% down as some stiffness if needed to create bulk, and pure down is costly.  Feather/ down  inserts for bedding sold online are 90% feather/ 10% down, though higher down content is available upon request. Feather/ down is excellent in filling out shapes and small places. Foam is very firm, typically used for bolsters, boxed pillows, and seat cushions. We usually wrap foam with polyester to provide some softness so that foam filled elements can be combined with others without drastic visual contrast. 

Quilting: Most quilting patterns are scalable to create effects and to harmonize with fabrics. Outline quilting is available upon request. Our quilted bed covers are made with either 4 or 8 oz. polypill   Quilted bed coverings can be made as throws, coverlets, or comforters. Quilted pillows and other decorative items can be made by quilting fabric before it is cut for the end use including upholstery and window treatments. 

Types of bed covers;

Bedspread: This is a universal term that some apply to any type of bed cover. Traditionally, though, a bedspread is a non quilted bed cover such as a crocheted cover, decorative blanket, or other one layer bed cover without shaping at the corners. The look is unstructured (though some tuck the sides and foot under the mattress to control). Banding and other confining types of detail are not usually present. Sizing may vary quite a bit as the decorative nature of the piece is more important than its dimensions.  Bedspreads may be used in combinations to cover the whole mattress. Bedspreads may  include extra fabric at the top though not usually enough to go under and back over pillows. Some expand the definition to include thin quilted throw bed coverings. 

Quilted Throw  is the industry name for a quilted bedspread. The top fabric is decorative; the back is  lined; and the sides are hemmed. This type of bed covering is understood to cover the entire mattress and then some. Quilted throws may go to the floor. Typically, this type of bed cover may have extra fabric at the top (pillow tuck).  Hotels often use quilted throw bed covers.

Coverlet: The meaning of coverlet is currently in flux. The traditional meaning is that the bedcover is thin, not always quilted, has at least 15" extra fabric at the top (pillow tuck), is backed with lining or solid fabric. The foot is often gusseted, and the edges may may be hemmed or finished with fabric covered cording (no hem). The coverlet can be further tailored so that there are seams outlining the top of the mattress. Today, the term coverlet is sometimes interchanged with "quilt" which is a thin two faced cover typically finished with a binding on the edge. When a quilt is called a coverlet, it is usually used in combination with a duvet cover. The quilt "covers" the mattress fully while the duvet cover conforms to the size of the filler (usually not covering the entire mattress).

Comforters are moderate to very thick quilted bedcovers with one decorative fabric on the top and another decorative fabric on the back. Quilting is available in many formations including simple tacks or small circles or X stitches. Tacking may be hand or machine stitched. There are no hems on comforters. The edges are not much noticed because of the puffy nature of the comforter, so trim is rarely used on the edge. It is important to note that the thicker the filler, the less perfect the quilting will be. For this reason, the thickes (highest loft) comforters (12 oz.) are usually made with simple, large scale quilting patterns such as channels and tucks. Symmetrical patterns are not ideal for thick comforters, because patterns will shift.