Monday 8 August 2011

Cover Sets – Duvet Covers, Quilt Covers, Doona Covers

A duvet (from the French duvet "down") or doona is a type of bedding a soft flat bag traditionally filled with down or feathers, or a combination of both and used on a bed as a blanket. Duvets originally came out of rural Europe and were ready from the down feathers of the Eider duck, which is well known for its usefulness as an insulator.


Duvets reduce the complexity of making a bed, as it is a single covering instead of the mixture of sheets, blankets, and quilts or other bed covers, which is traditional in many parts of the world. The cover is called a duvet cover or a "quilt cover".


In Australia a duvet is called a "Doona", from a trademarked brand name derived from the Old Norse "dunn" meaning "down feathers". Though still registered to the Tontine Company, the name "Doona" has become a general term for a duvet or down quilt. A duvet is sometimes confused with a comforter, although comforters go on top of the traditional sheets and blankets and are primarily decorative while duvets are used alone.



    * Originally the term "continental quilt" was the standard name used across Australia, some regions of Australia still use this term today.

    * A duvet is also called a quilt, following British tradition.

    * Duvets are still commonly used in Europe (especially in northern Europe and Scandinavia where it is the most common form of bed covering), and have become popular throughout the world in the late twentieth century.

    * In Danish and Norwegian a duvet is called a dyne, which is pronounced similarly to the Australian name "doona".

    * In the US, confusion often occurs as the word "duvet" may refer to a comforter cover rather than the down blanket itself.

    * In Spain and Latin America a duvet is known as edredon.

    * In Russia a duvet is called a "cotton blanket". It is the most general form of bed covering in Russia and a bright coloured atlas is often used for top and bottom cloth.



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Tuesday 2 August 2011

A Touch of Luxury in the Bedroom

For many people, one of the highlights of a holiday is staying in a hotel – crisp bedding, perfectly made beds and a mattress which makes you feel like you are floating on a cloud. In fact, it isn't that difficult to bring that luxurious feeling of a hotel stay into your own home by choosing bedding which looks and feels that extra bit special. In fact, you can change your bedroom in an instant by selecting bedding in fabrics which will make sleep experience more comfortable and pleasant. Read on, and discover which materials will make you feel fabulous when you slip between the sheets.

Egyptian Cotton

The world's best cotton is harvested from the white, fluffy fibres produced by Gossypium barbadense, perhaps better known as the cotton plant. Egyptian Cotton, grown along the banks of the majestic Nile river has become famous for its superb quality and inviting texture which hasled in turn to it being used in prestigious hotels including the Hilton chain. Bedsheets which are made from Egyptian Cotton feel incredibly smooth against your skin, and because they are highly breathable, they will prevent you from overheating in summer, or feeling chilly in winter.

Pure Linen

Pure Linen brings a sensation of classic opulence to a bedroom, and is surprisingly easy to carefor. With its rich, crisp feel and soft sheen, the texture is quite different from other fabrics. Linen is made by spinning fibres from the Flax plant which is grown commercially throughout Europe. Some of the best known linens come from Scotland and Ireland, with Belgian linen also rated very highly in terms of luxury.

Mulberry Silk

Perhaps the most romantic fabric that you could choose for your bedding – silk is sensual andexotic. The best silk is Mulberry Silk – completely natural, it is produced by the Bombyx mori, more commonly known as the silkworm moth. The larvae of the moth eat the leaves of mulberrytrees, and produce the silky substance which is harvested and woven. These moths have beencultivated in China for thousands of years for commercial purposes, and to this day, the best silkcomes from the Western region of the country – an area sometimes known as the Silk Road.

A Final Tip

If you want to indulge yourself with luxury bedding fabrics such as Egyptian Cotton, Pure Linenor Mulberry Silk, choose the highest thread-count that you can afford. If you follow the care instructions carefully, your bedding will last for many years making it a real investment, even if the initial outlay is fairly high.


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