CANADIAN ICON-Hudson Bay Point Blankets
As the Olympics draw near and all eyes are on Canada, I thought I would do a few features on Canadian goods and designers.
My first in a series is the Hudson's Bay blanket, now in existence for over 325 years. First brought to Canada in the 1700's as an import from England to use for trade, these blankets are an icon here in Canada. Each blanket has a line known as a point stitched onto one end. The # of lines tells how large the blanket is, up to 6 points being the largest. Made of 100% wool, the blankets are made larger, then shrunk, or felted, to the correct size. All HB blankets have an identifying label sewn onto the corner. There are many makes of fantastic vintage blankets though, and you can find them fairly often at flea markets.
Designers have been playing around with the gorgeous wool and colors and have adapted them into ottomans, bags, chairs and coats. This image is from the Globe and Mail 2009. Photograph by Charla Jones. I am sorry I could not find the name of the designer.
Red Coat www.alaskafurproducts.com
Vintage Point Blanket- image from www.factory20.com
Trapper Bag. www.Rebeccaraydesigns.com
Pillows from vintage camp blankets www.etsy.com/shop/ouno
If you want a little something to bring home from you Canadian Olympic holiday, consider treating yourself to a genuine or vintage Husdon Bay Blanket.
Chania
I loved learning about these blankets. They're beautiful. And I love the way different designers and artisans have re-invented them as new, but equally enchanting items. Thanks for sharing this here.
ReplyDelete-maria