Martha and Macy's... Is it a good thing?

I've been waiting for Martha Stewart to make her debut at Macy's, wondering what the talented arbiter of taste would offer consumers in a venue a step up the retail ladder from Kmart, where Stewart brought stylish, good quality merchandise to shoppers on a budget.

In those days, I greatly admired Stewart lending her upscale persona to Kmart, telling all Americans that they should -- and do -- have access to goods to make their homes better. But what about Macy's?

Stewart's department store collection, much of it on sale this week, offers such goods as the Maidenfern collection, shown here, which includes linens depicting the fresh patterns of ferns encountered by Stewart on her nature walks. In a video presentation on Macy's Web site,
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Stewart chats with visitors about her collection, the largest launch in Macy's history. She reminisces about the goodies she has landed at tag sales, as well as the recipes and household hints she is sharing with readers of Macys.com (in case you hadn't already mastered the skill, Stewart will tell you how to make a bed.)

Expect to see cookware and dishes in Stewart's vintage color palette, in addition to linens inspired by century-old trousseaus. As a bonus, Stewart's $50 decorating book is a give-away with purchases from her collection.

In coming weeks, we'll be comparing the goods with Stewart's Kmart line, which is in the waning years of her landmark deal. If you've shopped both places and handled the goods, feel free to share your impressions. After all, we shoppers are in this together.