101 Uses for a Welsh Blanket
101 Uses for a Welsh Blanket!…..What are your ideas or what innovative uses have you found for your Welsh blanket??? Please let us know
The stories these blankets could tell, perhaps once given as a Wedding Present in Wales in 1930s, then handed down from one generation to the next; but then disposed of with the arrival of The Duvet. This Swedish import did much to damage the Welsh Blanket’s reputation and it has lain, discarded and unloved until recently. It has been our mission to rebuild the profile of the Welsh Blanket and we have worked tirelessly to this end!
My own personal collection of these beautiful textiles is extensive, my house if full of them, ottomans overspill with Welsh Blankets. Blankets are everywhere as table cloth covers, wall hangings, sofa throws to protect from muddy dog syndrome; any surface is an excuse to display them…My favourite place is to exhibit these stunning pieces is over the hand rail at the top of the stairs, I rotate my most favoured examples on a regular basis, according to my mood! The end of beds is another great vehicle for decoration – upstairs there are white duvets in every bedroom and at the foot of each bed a carefully positioned plaid blanket, fringed throw or double cloth (tapestry). Or on the floor, the double cloth examples or antique tapestries make great floor coverings if placed where they won’t receive too much wear and tear. Alternatively we have smaller floor rugs made from double cloth, woven in one of the few remaining mills in Wales
Having had the misfortune to live in several army quarters I have learned the versatility of the Welsh Blanket – to hide hideous pieces of furniture, to make instant curtains (especially good at keeping out cold draughts), cover up ugly headboards and even make roman blinds…
During the Summer Festival season we sell numerous cream blankets to happy campers to keep them warm and cosy at night, and carrying cushions made from Welsh blankets to keep all Festival goers in comfort
Many of our customers have bought Welsh Baby blankets or Nursing Shawls as presents for new born babies or Christening gifts. The traditional Welsh Nursing Shawl is woollen, in cream or plaid design, with hand twisted tassels; the baby would have been cwtched, wrapped or swaddled in the shawl. The square shawl was folded into a triangle and draped over the shoulders and around the baby; the right side was then taken under the arm and brought up around the baby’s body, to create a sort of papoose, keeping the child warm and cosy and safely in place and leaving the mother’s hands free to work
Welsh blankets have been made by us into fringed bags and holdalls, doorstops, teddy bears, cushions, scented hearts for lining drawers and to give moth protection etc…Our vintage blanket cushions continue to be very popular and we also make Festival cushions – perfect for this year’s Hay Literary Festival
Our four footed friends love them too and many customers’ dogs are the proud owner of an old Welsh blanket. Often these blankets are not just in the dog bed but adopted elsewhere in the house, as they say possession is 9/10ths of the law, definitely the case with my border terrier
We are now welcoming a new generation of customers, as previous buyers who came to us in their 20’s, young free and single to buy a Welsh Blanket for their first home are now returning to us, a decade later, with their offspring to buy Welsh Blankets for their children. This is just so heartening
One of the most touching uses for a Welsh Blanket is when a parent and child or teenager comes to the shop and the child/teenager is going away to boarding school/college. As a parting gift they are invited by their parents to choose a blanket of their choice. Perhaps one day one of these children will return to us with their offspring to do the same!