Cocalo, started in the late 1990's, quickly became one of the most exciting new baby bedding designers, mainly through its introduction of baby bedding collections under the Baby Martex, OshKosh, and Kimberly Grant brands. Recently, they have begun to expand their own house brand of crib bedding, Cocalo, with bright and colorful themed bedding collections. Turtle Bay crib bedding is one of these recently introduced collections. Retailing for $170-180 for a 4-piece crib set (including comforter, bumpers, dust ruffle, and sheet), this bedding appears to be an excellent value.

Turtle Bay bedding features vibrant hues of blue and green which were perfectly selected and combined to communicate an aquatic scene. The fabrics used are all very "touchable," including chenille, sherpa, and terry. The comforter also features an effective use of rickrack and incorporates some higher quality woven fabrics. In woven fabrics, differently dyed or colored threads are woven together in a manner to create the desired pattern. Contrast this with printed fabrics, where a pattern is imprinted on the surface of a solid colored fabric. Woven fabrics are superior to, and more expensive than, printed fabrics, being more vibrant, durable, and color-fast.

As if the colors themselves were not enough, Turtle Bay features extensive embroidered appliqus of turtles, fish, and starfish. Close examination of this embroidery shows that a great deal of effort was put into making these decorative features high quality. As compared to other brands I have seen, there is no "bleeding" of appliqud fabrics outside the lines of the embroidery. See Turtle Bay Crib Bedding, and you will be able to examine for yourself many very detailed images of these features. Also note the wall paint colors that have been selected by a professional interior designer to coordinate perfectly with the Turtle Bay bedding. The bright colors in Turtle Bay can sometimes present quite a challenge to beginners who are trying to design their nursery.

Consumers should note that the Turtle Bay crib sheet was changed somewhat from what was originally conceived for the collection - the picture available for viewing on most websites has the original green plaid sheet. The new sheet has a printed pattern of turtles and starfish on a green polyester and cotton background.

Turtle Bay is just one more collection in the popular sea-life crib bedding themed category. If it is this theme that interests you, the following crib bedding collections may be of interest to you: Aloha Baby by Lambs & Ivy, featuring surfboards, palm tress, and beachwear; Lilly by Glenna Jean, featuring flamingos and seashells on a vibrant green and pink background; Surf's Up by Glenna Jean, for a more sophisticated look with surfboards and classic cars; and Whales Tales by Lambs & Ivy.