Athene English’s Blanket Collection – Part 3

This is a blanket I acquired from the Brecon area and I have never seen or had another quite like it. It has been heavily and hastily bound at the top and bottom where often blankets become weak perhaps because people have snuggled in, pulling them up over their noses! To keep them warm at night!

The weave design is a double bird’s eye diamond pattern and the colour is a rich and striking deep blue and natural cream.

It is amazingly thick but quite small in size possibly made for a box bed. There is a border down both sides, it may have been framed on all four sides and a border at the top and bottom too, but long since gone through wear and tear.  The central seam, hand stitched up the middle, means that this was an early blanket made on a narrow loom.  The sewing in the centre is quite roughly executed, perhaps redone when the heavy handed taping was sewn on to the damaged ends ( which I have subsequently replaced ).

I’m not sure what natural dye was used for the beautiful blue in this blanket but there is such a smack of quality that my gut feeling tells me this came from a mansion house or a private estate.