DEAR GAIL: I have been trying to find new bedding for my master bedroom for months with no luck. We have a very high pillow top mattress and nothing fits right, plus I haven’t found anything that I’ve fallen in love with. So I’ve decided to have it made, but when I met with someone there were so many different styles and options to choose from that I got confused. I already know it will be more expensive than anything I can purchase in the store, so I want to be sure in making the right decisions. So can you tell me some of the differences in styles and options? Plus what is a cap fitted style, I’ve never heard of that. Dianna W.
DEAR DIANNA: Anything custom whether bedding, window treatments or furniture can be confusing and become overwhelming because it can be made any way that you want. And with that said it can and will be much more expensive than anything ready made that you can purchase from a store. But what makes it worth the extra money is that you can get exactly what you want.
So let’s first start with what the difference is between a bedspread, comforter, coverlet and a duvet cover. A bedspread completely covers the bed with a drop that goes down to the floor. A comforter has a drop that just covers the mattress, so you’ll also need a duster to cover the box spring and frame. A coverlet is the same as a comforter, except that it is longer and has a pillow tuck. A pillow tuck allows you to cover your bed pillows like you would with a bedspread. A duvet cover is like a giant pillow case that also just covers the mattress that you then need a filler inside.
With a bedspread, comforter or coverlet they all have fillers already in them between your decorative fabric and lining. With custom bedding you can select how much filler you want as well as the quilting pattern that will show on the top. These styles need to be quilted to hold the filler in place. The filler is a batting like you would use when making a quilt and comes in weights from 5 ounces to over 20 ounces. The heavier the ounce the fluffier the bedding and the heavier in weight. So you need to determine if you’re going to be sleeping with your bedding on or off and how fluffy you want your bed to look.
The next thing you need to consider is your quilting pattern. Some quilting patterns look better with different fill weights. Also, the pattern on your fabric needs to be considered when selecting your quilting pattern. You can be as simple as a channel, block or small tucks to hold the filler in place, to a custom quilt pattern in the shape of shells, flowers and even hearts. A standard quilt pattern is an outline which is where they outline the pattern in your fabric. The quilt pattern that you select will also vary in price from no additional charge to hundreds of dollars.
Your next decision is the style of your bedding or what the corners will look like. The standard style that most ready made bedding is, is a throw where the corners are rounded and they flair out. A cap fitted style is where the corners are sewn shut and it fits tightly down on the corners. A waterfall style is where the sides are sewn down underneath and then the ends fabric flows over the bottom of the bed.
Some other options to consider is how you want the top edge of your mattress treated. It can simply flow down to the side, as most ready made bedding is. Or you can add a contrasting welt at the edge that can be fabric or a decorative cord. At the bottom end corners you can knot the welt, have ties or place tassels.
On your bedspread and coverlets, you can also have different pillow tuck options. Standard is like ready made where the fabric goes up and around the pillows to the back. But you can have a reverse pillow tuck, where your pillows would sit on the fabric, and then your bedspread would extend to your headboard and then flip back over your pillows towards the bottom of the bed. So you really are not tucking the pillows in but encasing them with your bedspread. Then on the edge you can place fringe, a welt, a ruffle or even scallop.
There are many other options and styles that you can do since your bedding will be custom, but I hope some of these basic explanations will help you in your decisions.