Demand for artifacts of our agrarian past has skyrocketed as more and more Americans seek a return to a simpler time if only in metaphor. Many of us remember a time when people truly valued artisanship and every scrap of material, from wood to fabric was put to good use.



Frontier homes were small and sparsely furnished lacking any of the modern conveniences that we have learned to take for granted. My own home was built in the late eighteen hundreds and the kitchen was devoid of cabinets and countertops. It was not long before I figured why. Folks did not think in terms of coordinated decor and furnishings, but always thought about function and utility. The kitchen was often the center of family life and the kitchen table served many purposes, from work space to a place to share a meal.

Modern home decor dictates that we have communal seating like couches and chairs. Frontier home life dictated maximum of space and resource. The bed you slept in the night before could very well be used as a place to sit and congregate. This is exactly the purpose of the daybed, practical, functional and often decorative.

Patchwork has long been favored by devotees of country home decorating. All manner of household and personal goods could be made from piecing together scraps of cloth. The randomness of the pattern was not a big concern for folks who were more interested in having cloths to wear or a warm quilt to sleep with. Patchwork is the essence of early frontier and rural life and has come to represent precisely the philosophy of waste not, want not.

Capturing the charm and warmth of country living has driven the demand for all things country. Quality bed linens can be found that can help create a look that is welcoming for family and guests alike and country daybed ensembles have continued to be a very popular choice. Daybed bed covers can be found in an assortment of styles, patterns and colors that reflect the beauty and warmth of country decor.

Combining the best in country design and modern fabric choices, daybed ensembles can be found in a wide assortment of patterns and easy to care for materials. Cotton duck fabric is long wearing and machine washable. Cotton blends are another good practical choice. Some fabrics to avoid are those that require dry cleaning. Dry cleaning can be expensive and sometimes inconvenient. Be sure to look at the fabric care instructions when shopping for daybed covers.

There is no end of choices when it comes to quilted daybed covers. There are some important things to look for when choosing a quilted comforter ensemble. Make sure that the baffling is sewn in a way that will keep the fill from shifting. Comforters that are filled with natural materials like feather down can be more expensive but not all feather down is equal. Folks with allergies may choose to avoid feather down and opt instead for synthetic fill materials. A poorly sewn quilt or comforter will not last long with repeated machine washings.

Many comforters are mass produced and sold as hand sewn. A quick look at the baffle stitching will reveal whether the comforter was finished by hand or sewn by machine. Now there is nothing wrong with daybed linens that are machine sewn, but do not spend extra money on linens that claim to be hand sewn and are actually mass produced.