Drew, I took a quick look at your site and really liked it--looking forward to reading more when I have time. (Any other readers out there who really should be getting back to/starting work this Monday AM?)

Anyway, I'm here to profess my own personal love for Calvin Klein "Bamboo Flowers" bedding. The thread count is only 220, but the cotton gets incredibly soft after a few washings and the colors and patterns are truly subtle and lovely. They seem to only improve with wear.

(Pretty damned tranquil, isn't it?)
I've had 2 sets for 2+ years, but realize replacements may be in my future. Should I stay the course or go to a higher thread count? Ideas, opinions, anyone?

I just bought Bamboo Flowers from a dept. store. I love it, but, it only measures 86" x 90" for queen. It is supposed to measure 88" x 92, according to the paper included. It is too short for my bed. I went back, and we measured the other two that the store had in stock, and they measured 85x90, and 86x92. I don't understand how something so expensive can be so wrong in measurements. I am upset.

600-thread count Hotel Collection sheet sets are now on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond for $99.

i just got two sets of white last Friday. Tons of sets still in the store on 59th.

FYI - we clean up comments every few months and integrate them into the post... the site and the DREW that Nora is referring to is www.designpublic.com. We removed the shameless plug, but do recommend them.

Am I missing something? Did I make a 'shameless plug' this morning? I just woke up and don't remember posting anything to AT in about a month . . .

Apparently Shameless in SF,

Drew

Ahh I see that Nora posted that a year ago, in which case I'm sorry to have been shameless last October. But thanks for keeping me honest eleven months after the fact . . . and great job on the new site.

D

What? No Anichini? My wife and I were given a gorgeous set of white Anichini sheets for our engagement. Now I don't want to sleep on anything else.

ABC Home does stock lovely sheets, but when I was there in February, the staff was absolutely horrid. So if you want to enjoy ACQUIRING the sheets as well as sleeping on them, I recommend not buying them in person at ABC. They definitely lost my business. Permanently.

Area's Blocks in Vanilla has long been a favorite of mine. Thanks for posting it.

Now if their sample sale would just roll around again....

I love the modern looks in Design Public and such, but found that none of these stores offer Cal King sized bedding. :-( What do we do in this case? Thanks! Love the site!

I also like the Calvin K. bamboo flowers collection, but was surprised how coarse they were. Glad to hear they'll soften up with additional washing. Until then, I am getting a full-body exfoliation with each night's sleep.

Also regarding the 600 thread-count Hotel Collection at BB&B: We just returned a set because they pilled after a few weeks. The store and online customer service were great.

Finally, there's some good info on sheets on Consumer Reports web site (subscription needed). They try to debunk the thread-count myth. Seems not everyone is playing kosher with how they count the treads!

You forgot Restoration Hardware! The 464 and 600's are amazing!

The W Hotel sheets (classic hotel) pilled immediately. I would not recommend them to anyone.

Area makes Cal-king fitted sheets, although the price may not be listed they have them. Contact your online vendor of choice and they will check stock for you. Easy as pie.

Target is near the top of my list. There's a wide selection of good quality quilts, throws, and throw pillows. Nothing wrong with acrylic or other synthetics in my book. I've matched twilight sleeper from DWR with Target's $20 plaid acrylic throw and they look terrific together. The cats like it too.

The Bed Bath & Beyond "HOTEL" 600+ thread sheets are also a dirty, dirty lie. Read an article recently - don't recall where, possibly even here (but probably not) - where thread counts were discussed in detail. A lot of the lower-end companies claiming really high thread counts at "affordable" prices are actually counting each thread ply as a thread. So the 600-thread Hotel sheets actually had something more like 300 threads.

Worst crap I've ever bought was a $100 Grand Patrician duvet cover from BB&B. Only one side of it is made from the high-thread jacquard sateen sheet; the other side is more like a fine canvas. This is bad enough, but worse is that the seams simply don't stay in; I exchanged it several times. Buttons come off very easily too. Avoid Grand Patrician bedding.

I have some decent sheets from Overstock.com from a few years ago - can't recall the thread count, probably around 350, but the sheets are crisp and satiny with a 1"-ish windowpane check. They are a no-name brand made in China. The problem with them is that the seams in the fitted sheet aren't really that great and have popped a little. The seams are still intact but have lost their outer layer of stitching.

I also have a pair of 270-thread sheets that are floppy and weird and constantly look like they need ironing, but they are the softest sheets I've ever touched. I think they're Royal Velvet, but I could be mistaken.

I loved the original "Swell Stripe" sheet set at Target, from a few years ago, although it has pilled. I use it with a white duvet cover, and use the top sheet, which is orange with a floating pattern of multicolored "petals" (really, they look like ovoid blobs), as a cover on the body pillow that I've pressed into service as a bolster. I just wrap the sheet around the pillows; it doesn't have to be as durable as a case or duvet cover; it looks nice for the two weeks until I'm going to change it to wash the sheets.

Any opinions on Garnet Hill linens?

I'm a fan of Garnet Hill linens, especially their kids stuff -- it's not overly cute and very soft (much softer than sheets I bought from The Company Store).

I absolutely ADORE Garnet Hill bedding. I had a set on my last (fullsized) bed and the 100% cotton stayed crispy and cool without pilling, and the elastic wore well. Now married, our cal king bed has their great koi sheets -- again, adoration! Unfortunately, they don't have much in cal king sizes, and as I'm a huge sucker for interesting prints (i.e., garnet hill, the company store), I'm disappointed that so many vendors choose not to carry these. Even those on the top 10 list above don't do well. Where are the spunky fabu cal king sheet sellers when you need them?

Stayed at a 5-star and slept on incredible sheets-told my fiancee, we have to find a set like these. The set I purchased was 3x better, phenomenal. Found on Google, Venus Rising Limited-also a store on ebay (venusrisinglimited); you can search their sheets by name, like Titan Sheets or you can call their number 1.877.42.VENUS ; absolute best Egyptian Cotton sheets and Cashmere blankets ever-try their Titan or Gramercy sheets. In Newsweek and a book-

Tried Overstock a few months ago, cuz they said they had high thread counts, seemed like decent prices-absolute worst purchase ever. Fell apart in the washer, got balls, felt like sandpaper. The Overstock sheets I guess were 4-ply, which I didn't realize meant that their 600 thread count was really 150, or something like that. Not a real thread count. Just sucked

Hotel Collection sheets at Macy's are really amazing, I bought the first set full price in black, then went back and got the second set in brown for more than 1/2 off, flou is a italian brand that we picked up in Milan its designed too work for a platform bed, or one that you would want to tuck in the duvet all around, it comes with the duvet sheet and pillow cases.

I've purchased 3 sets of Italian sheet sets from venusrisinglimited on ebay, and they're the most supreme sets I've ever used. They don't ball on the surface, and are the softest I've found. I've purchased Italian sets from other places before, including Europe while traveling, and the Venus Rising sets are the nicest I've used. They're even better than the Frette or Pratesi sets I bought previously, that are really expensive. Saw Troy's comments while looking them up on Google to do my Xmas shopping-and couldn't agree more. Have used them the past 2 years for holidays, because they ship the latest of any bedding retailer and have the rarest sets I've seen. They say their Italian sets surpass 1500TC made in the U.S./other places, and it's totally true. Can't rave enough about these sheet sets, and I'm really picky.

Also the Mongolian Cashmere bed blankets, and throw blankets, also Made in Italy. Ordered a Cashmere blanket from Frontgate catalogue before that, paid over $900 and it starting pilling/getting surface balling. Leary about ordering another Cashmere blanket online, after that experience, but talked with one of their representatives by phone and was very informative. The quality of the Venus Rising Limited Cashmere Blanket was double-I've never seen anything like it. Also have tried the Company Store, and their bedding has been so-so, not very soft and doesn't wear very well after it's been washed, even in an expensive Duet washer. Venus Rising has a bunch of different styles available of Italian blankets, including a Silk and Merino Wool, 25% Cashmere, and a 100% Cashmere. The 25% Cashmere Blanket is also excellent, very affordable for the quality, extremely soft and warm. I think they have about 40 colors, or that's what it seems like-every style has a bunch of colors to choose from.

how about Jonathan Adler sheets? I love the prints, but If BB&B is saying the thread count is 300, does that mean they are actually much less? For $140 for a set of Queen sheets, I'm hoping they are at the very least not scratchy! If you have them, please tell me, do they wash well?

i like the plain white cotton sheets from Vermont Country Store, no sizing or resin, 300tc, percale (i prefer them to sateen sheets).

My mom purchased a set of LL Bean solid sheet set as a gift to me and it is heaven. I think it's the cotton sateen line. But it is so soft and smooth, never pills.

The colors aren't the best but you should choose sheets based on feel first, then colors/design second.

By the way, I've had some experience with expensive (high thread count) that balled up (pilled).

I felt bad about throwing them out so I decided to shave them using a disposable razor blade and it actually removed all the pills. This took a while but I felt that I save the sheets from being discarded.

Minty, you have got some p-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-e-n-c-e, actually with a CAPITAL P! I've never heard such due diligence in pill removal! **LOL** I have to hand it to you, to save your high thread count sheets by shaving them is quite a feat.

Just had a holiday experience at Macy's and has reaffirmed my belief that I prefer online shopping for my bedding. I only go in when absolutely necessary, and am finding that necessity to be obsolete. The linens just aren't as nice, and I always feel like I'm paying more for less. Went in for the sale but there's just nothing intriguing, nothing new, nothing different, nothing not bland. Our world of linens and bedrooms needs some color, some vitality, and our country just seems to be lacking in that area. It's all a world of tans, beiges, tans, chocolates, blacks, whites, ivories, and a few more tans.

Speaking of which, finally venus rising ltd was listed in the bedding area. It is about time. Best of luck with those sheets Minty, if you try the venus rising sets instead, you won't be having that need to take a blade to your linens! LOL

Someone asked about Garnet Hill: my opinion, I've tried several times and have never really been impressed. Decent, and some nice traditional styles. Not bad, maybe just not my style.

Happy New Year everyone!

And to all a good night...

As far as the linens that Venus Rising Limited sells, you can get the same stuff at costco.com for a tenth the price! check it out!

Kat-

Research, research, research, my friend. That crossed my mind when I ran across it but you obviously didn't take the time to check into. KNOW your stuff first before making random correlations. You can't just go by looking at a description. If you'd tried it you'd know the Venus Rising linens are nothing like you can find here. I purchased one from both because I was afraid I'd missed a deal. The Venus Rising Limited blanket is still with me, the other was sent back the day after I got it. No comparison. Frontgate also had an Italian blanket that's under $1000 that I'd price compared. Had already placed an order with Venus Rising Limited off the link in Top 10 Bedding. I didn't get the Frontgate blanket because I'd read two mediocre/bad reviews. I was VERY pleased with my Venus Rising blanket and couldn't have been happier or, honestly, more surpised. Wasn't expecting the world because even with good reviews, sometimes you just don't know. The Venus Rising Limited one is NOT the same as costcoand was twice the thickness, and much softer which I'm more than willing to pay a couple hundred more for. You obviously didn't order from them. Kinda sounds like you didn't order from costc either. Really rather insulting to people who are trying to do research and have actually TRIED products they're talking about. You obviously just read some text desc because these are not the same in the slightest. They were in Newsweek because they have chain items? yeah, right. Next time try kicking down the money BEFORE giving input. I also just ordered two Italian egyptian shower curtains for myself and daughter from Venus Rising, and haven't found anything like them which goes for their sheets too. I can only afford one set right now but they're the best I've ever slept on.

Anyone know at all how the target towels are now? Got some a couple years ago that I THINK were Egyptian cotton but maybe just regular cotton, not sure. They stood up pretty well though and stayed pretty soft. Didn't know if that had changed. I know certain things at target are different now. Just redecorated the bath and need some new colors. That's what I appreciated too was the color selection so looking for something similar in good quality.

Thx, Vera

Vera,

fyi...i have bought from venus rising (on ebay) AND costco. i have bought the cashmere blanket and the italian sheet sets. i have had them sitting right next to each other...they are EXACTLY the same!! same manufacturer, same packaging, same patten, same, same, same!! if you had bought the cashmere blanket from costco or the italian sheet sets, you would obviously see that for yourself also. i don't go making random comments...this is a FACT!! they are exactly the same items. i'm just trying to be helpful to people out there. so thanks for the insults when i'm actually helping people save hundreds of dollars. hopefully, people will listen and buy directly from COSTCO .com, because you're saving a ton of money. infact, i'm wondering if venus is buying from costco and then reselling on ebay?? probably. people can take my advice for what it's worth. but don't go insulting me when you don't even know me or what i have purchased. that's not very intelligent.

Kat-

Certainly, that's why Venus Rising has been in media and all over sites. That's always how it goes: companies are profiled for really unique items that are carried in chains. I guess journalists are impressed by that and I just didn't know. And I guess that means all of us must be wrong, wow! That's some insight you have. So you bought all these things at the same time, had them sitting next to each other, wow that's quite an investment AND coincidental timing. You might want to know that you keep referring to it as "Venus" which actually isn't the company name-I've purchased Venus sheets before, and Venus makes regular cotton sheets. Perhaps you're confused since you don't know the name, or perhaps you've never really seen the brand it all. It's so interesting you didn't mention in your first post ever purchasing, but now you do, after I'd been talking about how I'd ACTUALLY tried the Venus Rising sets. I'm sorry you seem so upset and offended. You seem a bit defensive for just a regular person offering a helping hand to those in bedding need. Upset, in fact, to the point of calling me unintelligent. I've never seen that happen on a post before, not even with years of posting. You seem more than a bit dismayed over linens. This sheet thing really seems to be getting you down ;0 With all your references to ebay, it almost seems like you might be one of those sellers there with the the cheap quality sheets I've gotten taken by. I know, you're just "helping people save hundreds of dollars," with what is definitely firsthand knowledge that is so apparent ;) Clean up, aisle 5! ;0

Anyone have an update on the towels I've been asking about, or anyplace other than target that has a good towel selection in colors that don't bleed? Softness essential, for at least a year with regular use. Kat, do you know if costco has them? ;0

the target towels are no longer the good ones they used to have. don't know if martha stewart upset the whole balance with her "away" time :) i've tried numerous companies and are just as frustrated as you, vera. wish i could be of more help. can't find anything good yet, but i'm holdiing out hope.

i'd just like to say, aside from what i haven't been impressed with in terms of their products, abc has the worst customer service of anyplace i've been. bed, bath, and beyond, uggghhhhh. overstock.com, the biggest rip-off of all time and made in india, the set i bought anyway. just shredded. on the positive side, i've bought a couple of really great sets made by a company called hecking that were german. has anybody seen them lately? they were really deep, with good fit and can't locate anymore.

can the webmaster or someone please clean up the comments by "kat," very obviously spamming for costco? kat, anybody whose tried their products knows their linens fall apart in a split second and feel horrible. worse than overstock.com, which is quite a feat. please take your spam elsewhere. this is not a spammer's site, so please go fill someone else's site instead of intruding on our space.

Hey...KAT is right. You can find the most outstanding italian linens at costco.com. Not the Costo stores. They are only online. And the pictures of the bed sheets look exactly like those of the ebay pages of venusrisinglimited. Maybe you should look at Costco's webpage before you go slamming other people who are obviously trying to help.

Kat/Joey/Whoever Else You're Posing As/SPAMMER

TAKE YOUR SPAM SOMEWHERE ELSE

Regardless of some of the controversy, this discussion has been really helpful. I'm finally getting a really expensive bed, so want to outfit it well but just don't know what to look for. I read the Consumer Reports story on thread count, etc., but it didn't really tell you what to look for.

Is Italian usually a good bet?

Has anyone ever tried West Elm bedding? The look is exactly what I'm going for, but I know this is not a top quality resource for furniture.

Thanks for any insight!

Hi everyone! This is my first post. My husband and I just purchased a new home and are excited about getting new sheets for our bed. We were looking at Frette sheets on overstock and also the Costco sheets that were mentioned earlier. Our bed is a Cal King - do you know if the Frette King or the Costco Italian king sheets will fit on our bed?
The Venus cashmere blankets other posters have referred to - are they machine washable?
Also, do you know of any company that makes really nice bath rugs?
*Any help would be greatly appreciated.*
Thank you!

Winnie, Nancy:

Yes- Italian linens are the best you can purchase without doubt BUT IT MATTERS WHERE YOU PURCHASE THEM FROM. Different mills have different quality. UNLESS YOU WANT FRAUDULENT MERCHANDISE OR A HAIR IN YOUR LINENS STAY AWAY FROM COSTCO ONLINE. I bought the 1st set from them that were supposed to made in italy and they arrived with inside tags saying DESIGNED in italy MADE IN CHINA. And as everyone knows-China's the worst place for linens and the tc's are fake-consumer reports did a big article on it. Sheets I received felt nothing like the ones I carried back from Florence. Was so ticked about the China thing and the LIE AND MISREPRESENTATION that I called Costco's corp
office and found out that they don't actualy have anything to do with their linens-that it's actually separate companies shipping them with no quality control at all. They apologized but said couldn't do anything about it. Like a fool I tried again with a different set from cosco that was supposed to be made in italy-ARRIVED USED AND WITH A HAIR IN THE LINENS. SO ANGRY I CALLED COSTCO AGAIN AND WAS GIVEN THE COMPANY TELEPHONE THAT SHIPPED IT-COMPANY SAID DIDN'T I KNOW THAT "ALL THE SHEETS ON THE COSTCO SITE ARE CUSTOMER RETURNS"? I SAID OF COURSE NOT-WHY WOULD I BUY USED SHEETS THAT WERE RETURNED!!! She said they repackage and everything on their site is RETURNS and that i should know that about their linens-and that "what do I expect". For one-I expect not to get used linens and for two-I expect not to get false packages with a place they're not really made. Didn't think those were such huge expectations. Cosco said they don't have any control over the shipments. I'M STILL ARGUING WITH THE COMPANY OVER GETTING MY MONEY BACK. WHOEVER THE COSTCO EMPLOYEE JOKER IS WHO LEFT THE POSTS ABOUT COSTCO IS A SPAMMER-THE ONLY THING YOU'LL FIND ABOUT THEM IS HOW CRA*PPY THEIR LINENS ARE.

There is no company that has a worse reputation than overstock-just type their name into yahoo, google, whatever, and you'll see how many complaints they get for their sheets. HORRIBLE AND YOU'LL BE STUCK WITH THEM. the FRETTE SHEETS ON OVERSTOCK ARE SECONDS/IRREGULAR AND DON'T FIT CORRECTLY. They're also designed in italy and not actually made there-czech republic. The pockets shrink and don't fit right. The majority of their things are no longer made there, only DESIGNED in italy-VERY MISLEADING. The frette are lesser quality than others you can buy and WAY overpriced. The Venus Rising Limited sheet sets are far superior-they're really the best you can find and I've shopped around and put in the time. Use the link at the top of this page to find them-Venus Rising is the best you can get.

The West Elm stuff is so-so and definitely not top quality linens. About like low quality dept store. Think it's owned by pottery barn or williams sonoma-one of those. They just tried to make it look like it's not of those but it is owned by one of those two. Low quality-not soft and fades after about 4 washes in my experience. Will never buy there again.

someone asked about Cashmere and launder. wanted to say learn from my lesson and NEVER put your Cashmere blankets into a washer. had a thorough assistant who put my Cashmere King size blanket into the wash when cleaning and promptly shrunk it to Queen. learned AFTER that cashmere and also wools will shrink if not dry cleaned. not the kind of thing you want to be replacing but that's what i had to do. cashmere and good wools are dry clean only. the 'washable' wools are the very cheap ones and not good quality. not worth buying. farbault makes one washable i've tried but not thick or warm, shrinks and very rough. the greatest Cashmere blankets i've found are the venus rising ltd, winnie, to answer your question. haven't found any better at more reasonable cost. i've even paid twice the price for other brands and gotten much lower quality. luscious! stay with italy but know that it really depends where it's made there. i.e. i've gotten made in italy sheets that don't feel good and others fabulous. venus rising is consistently excellent. i stay with them for nearly all my purchases. stay away from places that carry more than just bedding and bath. not that you can't get bad quality bedding from places that only sell bedding (i.e. crud from bb&beyond,linens&things,etc) but your chances really increase when a place sells everything from books to watches to sheets. logic just tells you they're not going to have much knowlege in any one area. also beware of knock offs when the company has no reputation or you can't see there stuff in google when looking for them by teh comp name. now everything from perfumes to golf clubs are being knocked off in china and nearly impossible to tell the difference til you've been using it. expect to pay above 400 or 450 or so for a really excellent sheet set. anything too low and you're in a danger zone for knock offs. the good stuff costs more to make and is going to cost more but ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh it's worth it

SERIOUS RESOURCE not for the faint of heart if you really want to know about sheets

http://stores.ebay.com/Venus-Rising-Limited/Truth-About-Thread-Count-and-Fiber.html

cashmere too

http://stores.ebay.com/Venus-Rising-Limited/TRUTH-ABOUT-CASHMERE-WORLDS-FINEST.html

just one last statement for all of you...why does venus rising use the pictures from the costco website if they are not the same product? his "titan" uses the picture from costco's "amalfi" and his "corton" uses the picture from costco's "capri" and his "trellis" uses the picture from costco's "sorrento". these pictures are straight from costco's website...hmmm....

also, that is a complete lie that costco sheets purchased from their website are all customer returns, or made in china. i have bought so many of their italian sheet sets and they are perfect, brand new, unopened. when their website says made in italy, they are indeed made in italy. they are direct from an italian mill! i'm sure their legal dept would have a field day with your posting. why so much antimosity towards costco? they sell top quality italian linens at fantastic prices!!

"kat"/"joey"/COSTCO EMPLOYEE SPAMMER

IT'S OBVIOUS YOU'RE A COSTCO EMPLOYEE OR YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SUCH AN INTEREST IN TALKING ABOUT IT IN POSTING AFTER POSTING- QUIT FILLING THIS SITE WITH YOUR SPAM AND GET A LIFE. THIS IS A POSTING BOARD AND NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR FOOLISH RAMBLINGS ABOUT SOME LEGAL DEPT GIVING ONE IOTA ABOUT PEOPLE'S POSTINGS AND OPINIONS. NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE FROM GIVING THEIR OPINIONS BECAUSE YOU'RE AN EMPLOYEE SPAMMER? PEOPLE WILL SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY AND CAN TELL THAT YOU WORK THERE

NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR FROM SOME COSTCO EMPLOYEE SPAMMER- QUIT WASTING OUR SPACE

"kat"/"joey"/ SPAMMER

OH AND, NOW YOU'VE "BOUGHT SO MANY OF THEIR SHEETS" -"SO MANY" REALLY SEEMS LIKE A LOT, DON'T YOU THINK. OR DID YOU NOT THINK THAT THROUGH. TAKE YOUR SPAM SOMEWHERE ELSE YOU LIAR

Consumer Reports has done a number of articles I've followed closely in the past years on sheets and thread count in conjunction with the organization's testing of products. I'm an attorney, and research runs in my blood for every issue I become interested in. I've felt for several years now that thread counts are misleading or even fake and have been trying to research that area for awhile, without finding adequate coverage on the topic. One thing I've found disappointing has been the Consumer Reports lack of research in true high-end linens and sheet sets. It's just seemed like their research begins and ends with regular department store quality sets. Which is fine if you're trying to choose a standard sheet set. But it just doesn't work for luxury merchandise. What I found with their last article from several months ago shocked me, but also solidified what I'd been feeling like for years. Consumer Reports covered what they referred to as "inflated" Thread Counts, fake thread counts from manufacturers.
A couple of years ago I'd read a blurb by Fast Company magazine which insinuated this was happening but the article was short and not detailed. Consumer Reports has finally helped expose this problem and bring it to the forefront for consumers. I've always respected the research efforts of Consumer Reports. The one thing I will say aobut the organization however is that I think their research is not extensive enough. For instance, I do not agree at all with the statement that they don't think there's any difference above a 400 plus thread count. The Consumer Reports study did not include the finest Italian linens, the best of which have a different weaving method that is much better and much finer. I'll have to agree that the best Italian bed linens are Venus Rising Limited. For years I used Frette and then Sferra. I haven't found a better product than the Venus Rising sheets and duvets. If anyone has any enhanced information regarding Thread Counts and how they are enforced, I'd sincerely appreciate a post about it. Tom Bastenovich

guide to how to buy sheets

the '1200TC' sheets i just bought from overstock.com are horrible. stay away from overstock, amazon, linensource. i finally found out who regulates thread count (threads per square inch) is the FTC and i've read they're having a huge problem with cracking down on it. turns out there was a trade embargo lifted about a year ago and tons of sheet bedding from places like china have been flooding our market here. fake thread counts. the most fake counts have been from china and india. but i also bought a set from portugal that was terrible. this was really useful http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/sefton120905.html. also check out the free GUIDE TO BUYING SHEETS regardless of where you're purchasing from
http://stores.ebay.com/Venus-Rising-Limited/Truth-About-Thread-Count-and-Fiber.html

essential, really great

hi,

I looking to get a new look for the bedroom.
Looking for something that can be used year round
by also layered and co-ordinated. I want something that's comtemporary, not frilly & goes
with scandanavian platform bed.

Can you offer any advise?

marie
the 'TITAN' sheets are what we use for our bed. very classy italian geometric type pattern. elegant but not frilly so my husband likes it as much as i do. very clean looking. we use the sheets with the matching duvet you can buy separate and use over a down comforter. it's the link at teh top of this page for top 10 bedding venus rising limited
also the italian blankets that are perfect on a platform bed and have a very clean look. at least like twenty colors? or more. we rotate two colors of the wool blanket. color 'Cardinal Red' for fall/winter and 'Custard' (soft yellow) for spring.

sorry, guess the thread-count link i put wasn't working so hopefully this will work

Linens Get FTC Scrutiny
http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/sefton120905.html

ok looks like it's working so here are the links

Linens Get FTC Scrutiny
http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/sefton120905.html

How To Choose a Sheet Set
http://stores.ebay.com/Venus-Rising-Limited/Truth-About-Thread-Count-and-Fiber.html

Hello,
I am a 49 yr old disabled lady. I have degenerative arthritis. I have Fibromyalgia, hepatitis C, Thallasemia, and other illnesses. I became disabled with most of this 5 yrs ago after having a bad reaction to chemotherapy. I have had many surgeries, which have not helped me much.
I used to make 60 K a yr, now I make 621.00 a month and 21.00 worth of food stamps. I live in a town that has about 200 people. I am 30 miles to the nearest big town of 25,000 people. There are no more resources for me to get. I have tried them all, and I mean ALL. This was the cheapest place for me to live under my circumstances, so I was forced to move here in order to survive on the amount of disability I get.
I have no kids, except mom and dad in their 80‘s and barely get by themselves and cannot help me. I wish I could help them like I used to when I was able to work.
What I was wondering was if you ever made donations to individual people like me. I am in desperate need of a king size electric blanket, and anything you might be able to help me with. I have not had any sheets, comforters, curtains or any linen in almost 10 years. Everything I have has holes and is worn to pieces. I even need a new bed, but I know no one is that generous.
I would so much appreciate any type of help.
I could even use an electric throw while I am on the couch. I have to lay down quite a bit and I am literally freezing in here. My electric bill was 180.00 last month and I can get help only 3 times a year, so it has to come out of my food money.
I can provide you with any type of information to verify I am sick and not trying to run any type of scam. Maybe I can do some type of work for you in return. I can sit here for about 2 hours, and then I start hurting pretty bad.
I thought it would at least not hurt to try and ask, and if you say no, at least I tried. Times have just been very tough on me the last few years.
Anyway, I won’t bother you anymore with my problems.
God bless you for at least taking the time to read this, and thank you again.
Appreciatively,

Sonya Price
PO Box 12
100 s. McAlester Ave., #1
LeFlore, Ok 74942,

ATTN: SONYA PRICE
RE: REQUEST/NEED FOR KING SIZE BLANKET
FROM: ED
VENUS RISING LIMITED, CUSTOMER CARE

One of our regular customers has telephoned our Customer Care late this afternoon after being very concerned in reading about your dilemma. He was touched by the circumstances and urgency, directed our representative by telephone and expressed hope that our company might be able to assist. The representative he spoke searched for a listed email address to contact you directly but did not find one. It is not our norm to contact a customer through any other method than directly due to Privacy policies however we believe this to be a case with extenuating circumstances and are unable to reach you through any other method.

Venus Rising Limited does not manufacture Electric variety of blankets however our most popular blanket from our warm category will be sent to you in SIZE KING BLANKET to you have provided of

Sonya Price
PO Box 12
100 s. McAlester Ave., #1
LeFlore, Ok 74942,

Though not Electric this King Blanket that will be sent to you is made much larger than normal with 8" additional in size to provide even more warmth. It is very good quality and very warm and we hope that it will provide you additional warmth and insulation at night. If your address is not correct for any reason, please contact our Customer Service department immediately with any corrections at venusrisinglimited@yahoo.com

While our company cannot solve your problem in every capacity we do hope that this will in the least provide some help.

Sincerely,
Edward S.
Venus Rising Limited , Customer Care

In all due respect to everyone who commented and felt passionately about the topic, I did take the time to review the evidence in front of me. In the matter of the Venus Risings "Cortona" sheets see this url: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:31&Item=4442513328
compared to the "Capri" sheets offered by Costco use this url: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=10035261&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=

I did in fact see that as Kat had found, the pictures used in the heading and the main picture for their listing of the sheets is in fact the same as listed for Costco. All of the rest of the information also correlates. Unless someone is going to try to convince me that Costco copies Venusrisings layout and photo from Ebay, I am going to have to conclude they are the same. Now the question for me is do I continue using Yves Delorme, which I have been very satisfied with, or try a set of the "Capri" sheets from Costco. I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments here and am always excited to find and enjoy the best in linens. I will be back in Italy for a couple of weeks in May and would also love any suggestions anyone has for places to investigate while I am there for fabulous sheets! Just trying to keep my sheets together! ; )

Warm Regards, Jacky

What happened to all of the honest comments disclosing that the Venus Rising sheets use the same pictures and appear to be the same sheets offered at Costco? I spent alot of my time researching this and consider it to be pertinent to the honesty of this website that what I found be honestly disclosed? Why would that be delted but Anita's comments raving about the sheets is still posted? This is dishonest and suspiscious.

Would someone please remove the posts by the Costco employee who is posing as Jacky, jt, Kat and Joey.

An attorney in the Los Angeles area. I'm extremely discriminating in taste and what I demand for excellence. I own over half a dozen sets of the Venus Rising Limited sheets, four of the company's bed blankets for each bedroom and and have given these items as Hanukkah gifts and for special occasions for the past five years. I've also purchased from Costco, these are NOT anywhere near the same or even similar sets and I'm really tired of seeing your printed lies which are in fact libelous.
I've been watching this go on and am tired of it. The Apartment Therapy SITE HAS TAKEN ACTION WITH YOU and removed your lies and comments for obvious good reason. Don't insult customers' intelligence with your fraudulence.

You ask what happened to all the "honest" comments left by you previously and it's quite apparent that THIS SITE REMOVED YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU ARE SPAMMING, ARE AFFILIATED WITH COSTCO AND SPAMMING THIS SPACE WITH LIES. You've had multiple people ask you to stop spamming their private space, which you choose to ignore. The only reason your most recent comments have YET to be removed is because the monitor of this posting area hasn't had a chance to remove your fraudulent postings yet.

I, for one, am sick of your invasiveness into our site. You continue to pose as one of us, putting postings from different names when you're really working for Cosco. Quite frankly, I wish the Venus company would take some legal action for your libelous statements and actions. I would be the first to represent them. How about your full name and address.

hi-

does anyone know where to get a good blanket in the new york city area-either in-person but pref online/store. freezing cold! i've been looking on ebay at the cashmere-much better price than what i've seen in the store. is cashmere the best way to go?!?

advance thanks-tiffany

Is it true that you were threatened with legal action by Venus Rising if you did not remove the complaints against them?

CH GWYNDURA QUEST BRAVISSIMA. WP487360/01. Susan Secor and Donna Cave. By Ch Ederra's Canis Major Arrakis-Ch Gwyndura's Borealis Delight

it seems to me that this thad and winston t. are the same person. why the hating? what's wrong with costco and so what if some people think that they are the same? if they appear the same, perhaps people are led to believe that, oho, they ARE the same? ok, so what if they're not the same? they're expressing how they think that the quality of these sheets are identical, no? and if this is a discussion forum about sheets, why can't they express their own opinions? you guys need to quit the whining and be adults. immaturity is not an excuse for intolerance.

LOL ;) Employees as spammers and all that jazz-immaturity is right "homegirl"-doesn't anyone have anything better to do, because I'm sure there are much better topics of discussion instead of all the wasted space. Okay, electric or non-electric blanky, that is the question. I've heard certain electric blankets can overheat and be dangerous-any insight?

My boyfriend and I have been shopping for Sheets and have been finding that Thread Counts are not what they seem to be. I've been hearing lately about how some manufacturers are inflating the number to make consumers believe their sheets are better, and about how the ftc is stepping in to help with the misleading information. I found out that the grade of cotton is important, and really important if it's a long single ply or 2-ply or 4-ply. I'd always thought the bigger numbers are better but then had heard how the lower number is better with ply, best being the single or 1 ply. Anyway, have not been impressed with any of the sets we've been touching in even the best known department stores. They've pretty much all felt not so great, especially for the price. I'm ok with spending more, even in the $500 range if I know it's a good set. Have heard Italian is the best but have also heard it depends on where they're made in the country and that there are frauds or rip offs of the stuff. Would only buy from the most reputable. Still considering and def looking online because that type is not in dept stores for sure. Not impressed with dept store selection and don't want seconds or irregulars from overstock or the other discounters because I've heard that's what they have and have gotten stuck with horrible sets from some of them. Even when paying a couple hundred or near that. Found this to be a great help for Thread Count and FTC My boyfriend and I have been shopping for Sheets and have been finding that Thread Counts are not what they seem to be. I've been hearing lately about how some manufacturers are inflating the number to make consumers believe their sheets are better, and about how the ftc is stepping in to help with the misleading information. I found out that the grade of cotton is important, and really important if it's a long single ply or 2-ply or 4-ply. I'd always thought the bigger numbers are better but then had heard how the lower number is better with ply, best being the single or 1 ply. Anyway, have not been impressed with any of the sets we've been touching in even the best known department stores. They've pretty much all felt not so great, especially for the price. I'm ok with spending more, even in the $500 range if I know it's a good set. Have heard Italian is the best but have also heard it depends on where they're made in the country and that there are frauds or rip offs of the stuff. Would only buy from the most reputable. Still considering and def looking online because that type is not in dept stores for sure. Not impressed with dept store selection and don't want seconds or irregulars from overstock or the other discounters because I've heard that's what they have and have gotten stuck with horrible sets from some of them. Even when paying a couple hundred or near that. Found this to be a great help for Thread Count and FTC My boyfriend and I have been shopping for Sheets and have been finding that Thread Counts are not what they seem to be. I've been hearing lately about how some manufacturers are inflating the number to make consumers believe their sheets are better, and about how the ftc is stepping in to help with the misleading information. I found out that the grade of cotton is important, and really important if it's a long single ply or 2-ply or 4-ply. I'd always thought the bigger numbers are better but then had heard how the lower number is better with ply, best being the single or 1 ply. Anyway, have not been impressed with any of the sets we've been touching in even the best known department stores. They've pretty much all felt not so great, especially for the price. I'm ok with spending more, even in the $500 range if I know it's a good set. Have heard Italian is the best but have also heard it depends on where they're made in the country and that there are frauds or rip offs of the stuff. Would only buy from the most reputable. Still considering and def looking online because that type is not in dept stores for sure. Not impressed with dept store selection and don't want seconds or irregulars from overstock or the other discounters because I've heard that's what they have and have gotten stuck with horrible sets from some of them. Even when paying a couple hundred or near that. Found this to be a great help for Thread Count and FTC linked to my name

finally...people are using their brains, yea!! you can all see that this site is suspiciously "stocked" by venusrising and they vehemently oppose anyone giving honest opinions that may steer you away from their website. that is very unethical and i'm glad people are finally seeing that for themselves. way to go!

kat-you've got a screw or few loose-this is the apt therapy website not anyone else's, so no one is "steering" anyone away from anywhere. i've been watching this go on for months with all of your crazy spam and posing as 5 or 6 different people at least and i'm sick of it.

how many times does the webmaster of this site have to remove your comments before you get a clue to take your spam somewhere different? all your craziness about 'unethical'-your opinions aren't 'honest'-you're a crackpot posing as different people which i personally find insulting. you're a wacko, a liar, apartment therapy has told you they don't want you on here by taking your wacko comments off, and at least 4 other users have asked you to take your spam and bs elsewhere. get your spam off here

Guys, just wanted to point out that the comment from the person who calls hereself Sonya Price is only two hours earlier than the response from the Venus Rising Ltd company.

So if I get a P.O.Box and write a story like this one on this web-site then the manager of Venus Rising Ltd will respond to me in two hours offering me a free blanket that they sell for a nearly a thousand dollars just like that?

Oh man, how kind are those people? I actually have a hundred of people I know with very bad disabilites, could you, please, send them all a blanket or two?

And I guess that you will respond to me as quickly as you did before as it looks like you are all Venus managers just watching the comments on this aritcle throughout the day just in case someone asks for a free blankie.

Good on you, Venus, great move to get more clients who would pour an ocean of tears over your kindness....

this is to "can't stop working"...i'm so glad you noticed that also! i thought it was so interesting.

to "sharona/venusrising"...none of my comments have been removed (if you had've bothered to look). they are factual and honest and the webmaster has been happy to keep them on the site. i guess you aren't the webmaster, or they probably would have been removed. other people are now putting all of this together and realizing that this board is not 100% objective.

that previous first comment was for "can't stop wondering".

Kat I agree with you 100%. Everyone questioning you IMO is the same individuals that run Venus Rising. They I bet will probably even question this post. But here we go all the same-

The Cashmere Blanket that Venus Rising offer and Costco offer are one in the same. Made in Italy by Zambaiti. If you don't believe this then purchase from Venus Rising and Costco and compare yourself.

Secondly the Sheets are also the same ones that are being sold on Costco's website as Kat and others have shown above.

Thirdly do you really think Costco would be wasting their time here trying to convice you to buy one of their products out of the thousands of products they sell?

Lastly the site admin could step in here and show the IP addresses of the posts made above. Then you will know if the posts are coming from the same person just using different names.

hello all:

does anyone know what the best brand of bed mattress is nowadays? serta and sealy have always been good but considering one of the european beds that is filled with i think cashmere? they are quite expensive but heard that they are some of the best in the world. is this true?

also looking for a good cashmere blanket as a topper i think. considering goose down but heard that it overheats sometimes, particularly in the higher weights? have heard reviews that this is particularly true for males or that women tend not to overheat the same. if anyone knows anything about down comforters i'd be interested. also sheets, need to purchase at least a couple of new sets to rotate. gets a bit sticky with humidity in my neck of the woods, don't know if anyone else has the same problem but heard it works best to rotate sets and have found that to work fairly well.

isn't it interesting how all the postings stopped once it became apparent to everyone that venusrisinglimited was using this forum to plug their own auctions/website?? shame on you venusrising!

I came to the site to get reviews for different sheet sets I looked at, and found it suspicious that EVERYONE praised Venus Rising, and pretty much ALL other brands and sites are dissed.

I have had the "cheapo" department store stuff, and it can be and does stay soft.

Moreover, people have had very good experiences from overstock.com, as well as bad ones. That is why they have consumer reviews. They have WAY too many products to fake those, moreover, some of the sets do get bad reviews.

The people I feel sorry for, though, are ones who would read this site and assume something so one-brand oriented was trustworthy.

Learning about fine bedding and linens is like learning about other fine things in life...fine wines, fine cigars, etc. Until you have used the finest products available, something truly exquisite, you simply do not have the knowledge for comparison. Referring to Overstock or 'cheapo' department store bedding as being even close to decent is ridiculous, an utter joke. Granted, at top department stores you may be able to locate decent bedding if you're paying the higher prices. But let's get real, there's no comparison to the finest Italian brands, none of which even the best department stores carry. In terms of consumer reviews, Overstock has the worst rating of any retailer. Anyone who really knows linens would turn pale hearing such a statement and think you a total fool if you ever repeated the statement in public.

If you're really investing in bedding, only the best Italian linens are worth considering. Equivalent quality just can't be found outside of the country and they have true thread counts. The Pratesi and Frette bed linens are among the best you can purchase. Same is true for the Venus Rising Limited brand which designers use because of the rich colors and masculine patterns that are hard to find. All of the Pratesi is Made in Italy and there are good patterns however Frette is different in that regard and not all of their things are Italian, with only their Italian lines worth considering for updating a bedroom. Anichini is a good brand but focuses on high-priced and mainly custom bedding. Their Hotel line is more reasonable but frankly not worth the price for the quality. The better Italian linens are elegant with good designs, but the prices can be very high for most of the items, especially when similar quality is often half the cost. Barbacci and Nancy Koltes are also good lines but the focus is on sheet sets, and blankets aren't available.

Do the research, read blogs and reviews endlessly, and know tp start with Italian or you're just wasting your money. For the fools with statements such as 'I have had the cheapo department store stuff and it does stay soft,' let it serve as case in point that culture simply cannot be learned. You can lead a horse to water...

Hmmm, I just got a good deal on a queen plush top bed from the W Hotel Store (35% off code) and started researching sheets. This thread definitely caught my eye.

It's pretty obvious that Kat makes a very good point yet everyone pounced on him claiming he worked for costco. Which, as someone else posted, is kind of ridiculous. I can see an Ebaystore sending out spammers but Costco, I don't think so. I think they actually pay for advertising when they need to. Of all the thousands of items they sell, you think they have some online spies go out and represent them.

The icing on the cake really was the electric blanket letter. I mean come on, who are you kidding here? As for the person who wrote a lengthy bit about their exchange with costco customer service. Um, hello, do you think we're dumb? Costco probably has the most liberal return policy ever. Right, they gave you a hard time.

It seems to me that most (can't say all) of the pro VenusRising posts are the real spammers.

Thank you Kat. I would like to ask those who bought (probably) the exact same sheets from costco, are they nice?

PS - I'm a math teacher, I don't make any money on the side as a part-time spammer for costco. In fact I don't even have a membership but a friend of mine does. So if the sheets are good, I'll ask her to buy em for me.

PPS - The code for 35% off of anything on the whotelsthestore.com site is T6X4A. Still working I think. Originally from the hot deals forum at fatwallet.com.

hi max,

thanks for your observations. you are 100% correct.

i own the cashmere blanket from costco, as well as the sorrento sheets. they are outstanding!! the sheets are $200 but they are the best sheets you will ever buy. same goes for the cashmere. and yes, their return policy is always fantastic. good luck!

Although interesting for an insomniac, am I correct in my observation that there are people in the world getting hostile over sheets?

This has been very entertaining. I am sure you all know that not just on this site but ON EVERY opinionated bulletin board there are bogus postings. I am sure you all realize that sheet world, or whatever you call it here, is not immune to the reality that surrounds us.

I'm going back to Consumer Reports. Or wait, are they owned by Wamsutta or something. I am dying to know. No, really I am on the edge of my seat.

I will carry on in my long walk to find the truth about thread counts and brands. I hope I can find the perfect sheets before I die.

Oh, and If I was dying and needed sheets to die on could someone grant my last dying wish and send me some free sheets to my general delivery address in Montana?

are you kidding? some of us would like to be informed consumers. sheets aren't your thing, you can sleep on a potato sack, we get it.

montana only has 3 electoral votes, so no free sheets for you.

Max,

Well said! did you try the costco sheets?? what did you think?

Count me as another guy trying to figure out how to get some good sheets. I'm still ignorant about sheets, but I know how to work this here internet. Punched up an VenusRisingLimited eBay auction and compared it to Costco's picture. Guess what? Exactly the same.

Anyone who comes to this site, I suggest you do the same thing I did. Ignore what everyone says and look it up. It'll take you 30 seconds. If you disagree with me, I'm a dirty CostCo spammer. If not, well then you just possibly saved yourself $250. Isn't that worth a bit of extra effort?

Sadly, I can't recommend the Costco return policy anymore. When I tried to return an item the other day, I was told by the customer service rep (at the Clackamas, OR location) that they now have a "30-day" satisfaction guarantee.

I had to find a manager and point them to the wording on their membership brochure and web site -- which doesn't mention any "30-day" time limit -- before I could get help.

If you're still considering the Costco "made in Italy" sheets -- which is why I'm at this site --get them because you like the sheets, not because of the Costco return policy.

Does anyone have the Dwell Silhouette duvet and sheets? How does it feel? Would you recommend it?

great god almighty! well, i've got 3 sets of restoration hardware sheets. they're wonderful. i've got the 600 count and the 400 count (i think those are the right numbers) and they're fabuous. i bought them on ebay, in colors that i don't really like, because they feel so good. i sleep on my side, and i love to rub the top of my foot against them. they always feel cool and smooth, and it's a delightful experience. maybe, someday, porthault, but i can't imagine that they feel a whole lot better. the best sheets i've ever slept on are sheets that i bought from a thrift shop in the late '70's. they were probably at least 40 years old, and had been washed many times. the stiching was beautiful, and i have never felt anything softer, except for an newborn's face. the RH sheets are a good, if distant, second.

i used to buy the high end ralph lauren sheets, because i like the silky feel of sateen. thing is, it doesn't last. actually, it's gone after one washing. seems like supima cotton, with a finish more matte than that of sateen, will soften with washing. sateen loses it's silky feel after washing, then degrades from there.

harrumph. the flood of "egyptian cotton 7 billion thread count" sheets on ebay over the last 3 years was a dead giveaway that something was amiss. just for giggles, let me tell you that amercian southwest produced long thread supima cotton is wonderous. sateen is a finish. length of the thread and ply of the thread is important. blah blah blah.

i wouldn't try the costco stuff, though i don't doubt kat's integrity. i DO think that thad sounds nutty.

so, enough. the RH sheets are fabulous.

Happy Labor Day 2006,

Has any one tried the Dreamfit sheet set Select Comfort® 300-thread-count?

I recently purchased the Dwell Edition Talon, and am hoping it is a beautiful as it looks. Now I need a full sheet set for it.
I luv your site! Thank you.

Barbara

The most comfortable and affordable 600 thread count sheets are from Daniadown. Oversized and very deep. I never want to get out of bed!

I got the Gaiam organic sateen cotten queen fall colored sheets as a shower present. I thought that I was going to love them. I haven't even washed them yet and they already have tons of pills. It only took a couple of days. It is very disapointing considering they cost $130 for the whole set. I like my bamboo/cotten blend sheets from target way better and they cost less than half the price.

For high quality sheets visit www.myprivatequarters.com and find a consultant near you to show you how fabulous they are.

For high quality sheets visit www.myprivatequarters.com and find a consultant near you to show you how fabulous they are. We carry 300, 400, 500, and 600 tread count all single ply and very reasonably priced. By finding a consultant you can feel them before you buy.

Bravo! This post has keep me entertained for a while.

I love Costco. I might bring up their site in a minute and buy some sheets.

P.S. - If I whine about having some kind of illness or not making a lot of money, will the fancy sheet manufacturer send me some free sheets too? Funny nobody commented on that.

P.P.S - Hello Kitty, iPhone, and Spanish language tapes.