Words To Design By

We've defined some basic bedding terms to help guide you in your design process.

Bolster: A bolster pillow is long and narrow. They are placed front and center of all bedding pillows for a decorative touch. Bolsters will vary in size and finished edging. Pictured below is a bolster in quilted navy fabric and a bolster in beige with trim detail down the center.

Box Edge: A box edge pillow is sewn with side walls. The box edge is finished in varying widths and coordinating or contrast fabrics or trim. Pictured is a box edge finished with a ruffle (white sham).

Flange Edge: A flange is a strip of fabric, typically 1 - 3 inches, that has been added to an edge creating a more formal decorative look. Flanges can be a coordinating fabric and include special stitching. A duvet cover has three sides with flanges and a pillow sham has flanges on all four sides. Pictured below is a coordinating flange (blue sham) and a matelasse sham (white sham) with a 2 1/2" flange edge.

Knife Edge Pillow: A knife edge pillow is created when two pieces of fabric are sewn together around the edges, forming a “knife edge” or a sharp corner. The crisp edges create a simple clean look as shown in the pictures below.

Matelasse: A matelasse is a heavier woven fabric that mimics a quilted pattern and appears to be padded but actually is not. Matelasse coverlets are preferred by many as an everyday sleeping blanket. Designers love adding Matelasse shams and pillows to bedding ensembles for added texture and dimension.

Percale: Percale is a closely woven plain-weave fabric mostly used for bedding. Percale has a thread count of about 200 or higher and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bedsheets. It is a medium weight fabric that is firm and smooth with no gloss, and warps and washes very well. Percale bedding is usually made into duvet covers, shams and sheeting.

Sateen: Sateen refers to the type of weave. Sateen is typically made from a cotton; woven using a higher ratio of warp yarns over weft yarns; i.e. four yarns over and one under. The long floats create a silky smooth feel and tend to be wrinkle-resistant. This weave creates a heavier weight; which makes it the perfect choice for cold sleepers or colder months. Sateen cotton fabrics are made into duvets covers, shams, and sheeting. The luxury feel is an easy choice to add trim, borders and embroidery.

Welted Edge: A welted or corded edge is sewn in a knife edge pillow at seam. The welted edge tapers and is described as either "contrast"; a contrast cord/piping from the body of the pillow or "self-welt"; the same fabric as the body of the pillow (shown below).