Blanket season starts with a Hudson’s Bay bang!
Posted: December 2, 2014 Filed under: Fun Finds, Home and Garden, Sage Farm | Tags: shopping, Textile, vintage Hudson's Bay point blanket, vintage wool blanket 4 CommentsIf you were at the thrift store power-shopping through the linens rack that’s usually jammed with ugly modern comforters and floral curtains in weird colors, flipping the hangers fast because you’ve never seen anything worth getting on that rack, but you just never know. . . and then you spied this:
Would you make a noise that sounded like a startled elephant? And simultaneously lunge for the hanger this thing was on, just in case the person standing 20 feet away completely mesmerized by the moving electric Santa dolls decided to grab it instead?
Er, because that is what I did last Saturday.
Yep, it turned out to be a very vintage Hudson’s Bay point blanket.
Thick! Fuzzy! Wool! Made in England! And at the thrift store! Woot!
It took me a minute to find this out, because the blanket was folded over and over on itself on the hanger, and I was Not. Putting. It. Down. Not even for a second. Even though the lady mesmerized by the moving Santas 20 feet away still had her back to me.
It isn’t a big one—only 68″ x 60″. (I measured when I got it home!) Twin-size, or camp cot-size. Three and half points, to be exact.
Points—what a handy way to mark the size of a blanket! No need to pull out your tape measure in the store.
Alas, it has some issues. The blanket stitching on one edge is gone. I can fix that.
The yellow stripes have faded badly. Can’t fix that.
Why did the yellow fade, but not the red, green, or navy? That is a mystery!
No holes or weak spots, though!
Charmingly, someone embroidered initials on one edge. That’d be helpful if this really was a camp blanket. It would keep the kid in the next bunk from stealing your blanket. I think it says “JP 26.”
The “J P” looks pretty clear. I could be wrong about the “26.” What do you think?
First Hudson’s Bay point blanket I’ve seen in the wild!
If it were a double or queen, I’d be sleeping under it right now. Since it’s a twin, it’s going to the Sage Farm December market.
Hey, that’s this weekend!
luray
janeray
dish sisters vintage home and housewares 
In the 10 years I’ve been thrifting seriously, I’ve never found an authentic HB but I have found 2 lookalikes–one is a Faribo and one is another random brand. I actually just hung them up as curtains on my front windows while I’m waiting for the real curtains to arrive and I have to admit that I love them! I just used those ring clips. The blankets don’t match the room nor do they match each other but they are so charming and warm and homey that I might be sad to take them down! I always, always check the blankets because I’m convinced I’ll find another one someday but so far no luck. These were found probably 8 or 9 years ago so it has been a long drought!
Oh, Hudson’s Bay lookalikes as curtains sounds WONDERFUL. If we owned a little cabin in the woods I would totally steal your brilliant idea, Heidi. I hope you find the real deal (in the right size!) to sleep under, soon!
Hudson Bay has extended their Cyber Monday sale through today in case you want new striped flannel sheets or something else in those iconic stripes!
LOVE finds like that!!