Lambs & Ivy is a well-recognized and respected designer and manufacturer of baby crib bedding and accessories, available at national chains and baby specialty stores throughout the United States and at a wide assortment of internet retailers. Baby Aviator crib bedding, first introduced to consumers in early 2005, provides an appealing alternative to those looking for an airplane theme for their nursery, an unconventional theme based upon my research of competing products offered by major manufacturers. Despite the fact that Baby Aviator is one of the more expensive crib bedding sets offered from Lambs & Ivy, it is a good value between $185 and $210 for a six-piece crib set.

Baby Aviator is sold as a six-piece crib set including a quilt, bumper, fitted sheet, crib skirt, valance, and diaper stacker. The fitted sheet and valance are also available for separate purchase. The Baby Aviator collection is made from 100% cotton and is machine washable - a very practical advantage. The typical assortment of coordinating accessories are available to fill out the nursery: musical mobile, wall border, wall decorations, pillows, blankets, lamp and shade, hamper, and rug. An interesting accessory, not available with most other crib bedding collections, is a child sized upholstered rocking chair, a nice touch to make an older sibling feel a part of the new nursery.

The Baby Aviator collection includes embroidered airplanes set against stars on the quilt, bumper, valance, and most other accessories. The quilt is made from a genuine patchwork design in which each square of the fabric is sewn together to create the pattern. The primary fabrics used in Baby Aviator are: a soft horizon blue velour, a woven blue plaid, and a printed blue and white gingham. I was pleased with the quality of the velour and woven plaid, but somewhat disappointed that a printed gingham (where the checkered pattern is imprinted on a solid colored fabric) was used instead of a woven gingham. The embroidered airplanes use fabric appliqus; I noted minor instances where the fabric appliqus extended beyond the boundary of embroidery stitches, creating a slight "coloring outside the lines" appearance. Overall, however, I would rate the workmanship of this collection acceptable given its price point.

The bumper stands 10" tall with ties on the top only. A slight drawback of the bumper is the fact that it comes as one continuous piece, as opposed to being broken up into two, three, or even four pieces. The crib skirt has a 13" drop to complete the look of the set. The fitted sheet is cream with blue planes and yellow and red stars decorating it. Due to the fact that the sheet is a printed fabric, I would caution a buyer to be aware that the pattern could fade or wear more quickly than would be the case with a higher quality woven fabric; I would recommend that consumers purchase separate solid colored sheets for every day use (white or pale blue should work just fine), and reserve the Baby Aviator sheet for when you want to show off your nursery to visitors. The valance measures 14" by 70" and comes in the tab style. The diaper stacker can hold up to three dozen diapers.

Because Baby Aviator merchandise is assembled in the United States, it can be particularly appealing for Canadian customers purchasing from a US retailer. It can be shipped to Canada duty-free, thereby avoiding charges of 17% or more of the purchase price that apply to bedding manufactured in China or India.

My research indicates that alternatives in the Airplane theme category are limited when it comes to the major national brands. You might be interested in Build Fly Run by Kimberly Grant. As frequently happens, if Baby Aviator is successful with consumers, other manufacturers will quickly come out with new collections to fill out the category.