i always choose the fabric unless i know the nursery has a specific theme. And i do NOT use pastels unless specifically requested. most young children look better on bright colors...red, navy, forest green... our family is all blonde and redheads and have little enough color as it is... in addition, they are far more practical when being used as play/sleep mat on the floor or as part of their first playhouse/fort... darker colors hold up well into their pre-school years... pastels are just treated differently because WE worry about them more.