I watch with interest the discussions here in the CC on whether elegant all-white is better than fun pastel bedding, but remain very, very quiet. I absolutely should never weigh in on those, um, "threads".
Here's why.
Forgive me, fellow hosts, for there are bears on my sheets.
What I can get away with
Just the one sheet with the bears actually, a fitted flannelette. The bears are joined by a flock of deer and some moose on that one. Couldn't believe my good fortune when I scored it. Deep discount. What do you mean, "no kidding"?
Moreover, I have a full set with cardinals perched all over, a fitted that is busy with roses, and a flat in plaid. Tartan of the Clan McGarish? Also some plain fitted and flat thrown in, none of it white, to mix and (mis)match.
Then there are the blankets.
Patching is easy...
I've got one freebee acquired years ago that needs darning at those turnovers when guests melt bits of it. It's got phentex in it, if anyone remembers that awful stuff. Slowly I am patching it to the point where the phentex will be gone and it will be a new blanket entirely.
I made a wool one that is better material-wise, doesn't melt, but is what knitters refer to as a "stash buster". Doesn't matter what colour pillowcases you put with it. It matches everything.
The worst is a blanket that is not meant to look like cobwebs but does. I was going for a geometric feel and achieved a Halloween fail.
Not cool at all
Please don't think that I make nothing but awful blankets. I don't. I give any nice blankets I make to children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and I use a few in the house.
Guests in the house -- I know! What misty memory is this? Guests in the house? -- get white and cream: white duvet, cream wool blanket. No flora, fauna, or frights.
But this is how I know I am the luckiest host out there: I can make up the treehouse bed with the homeliest (North American use of the word, not UK) linens, and as long as they are clean (they are very clean), guests don't complain. Or no guest has yet. I even get "amazing amenities" compliments, and surely by that they mean there are bears on the sheets.