This reproduction blanket is woven by Family Heirloom Weavers in Red Lion, PA, a weaver with an extensive knowledge of historic textiles. In addition to weaving the blanket in the United States the yarn for this blanket was custom dyed and mixed to our specifications right here in the USA. This cobalt blue 100% wool blanket is woven with a 2/2 twill ( blanket) weave with proper return (shuttle woven) selvage with linen in the selvage edge as found in the surviving originals. The surviving originals have olive or brown stripes. The consensus is that when new these stripes were black. We choose to reproduce this blanket using a blackish dark brown yarn so as to represent a black that is beginning to break to brown.
We have personally examined the original in daylight for the purpose of color matching. We did not simply use a dark museum photograph from a book nor choose to copy a reproduction for the purpose of shade matching this blanket. The original blanket is a cobalt blue color rather than a shade as dark as blue gray kersey, a.k.a. EAC. See comparison photos below.
Another detail seen in some original blankets you will find in our reproduction run are subtle shade bars in both the body and stripes (see echos of glory) we cannot guarantee your blanket will have one of these shade bars but you may be lucky enough to get one.
These blankets measure approximately 66" x 77" and weight approximately 3.5 pounds.
This is a great blanket for portraying North Carolina Soldier from Mid-war to the end of the war. The original blankets were believed to be of English manufacture and run through the blockade.
A portion of every North Carolina blanket we sell from this run will be donated to The New Bern Historial Society who cares for the original artifact we studied before beginning this project. The original blanket is attributed to Henry Clay Whitehurst of the 67th NC Regiment. His regiment served in North Carolina and was involved in the Carolina's campaign.
Original New Bern Blanket atop a 1980's reproduction
Our reproduction atop the same 1980's reproduction
Additional information about North Carolina Blankets can be found in the following article from the Company of Military Historians
