The Blanket Lady

Posted on | October 27, 2011 | 9 Comments

Did you know snow is in the forecast for much of New England today? Winter is upon us and it’s time to cuddle up with a warm wool blanket and drink hot apple cider. MacKimmie Co. new to Marblehead’s historic district is filled with stacks of plaid, stripe, and herringbone blankets.

Doris carries all my favorites: Johnstons of Elgin throws from Scotland, herringbones in wool and cotton from Brahms Mount, jeweled toned lambswool from Sorcha and cozy stripe wool blankets from Prince Edward Island.

Reversible 100% lambswool throws from Johnstons (above) are gorgeous and have a nice weight and size 55” X 75” without being too bulky. Brahms Mount throws and merino wool blankets are irresistible. View photos from my visit to their mill in Hallowell, Maine this summer.

Pop into the shop for a visit or Doris would be happy to accept phone orders and mail a blanket directly to you. Below snapshots of my favorites in the shop.

MacKimmie Co.
Doris Barsauskas
134 Washington Street
Marblehead, Massachusetts (map)
781.631.1080
DB@mackimmieco.com

Johnstons “Point Blankets” are available in stripes and solids in green, red and blue.

A selection of Brahms Mount herringbone merino wool blankets samples. The green on the left caught my eye.

This 100% lambswool plaid throw from Sorcha is amazing. The colors are out of this world. I had a hard time resisting.

Reversible tweed 100% lambswool throws from Johnstons.

An assortment of blankets and throws in blues and khaki.

A tartan reversible throw from Johnstons.

Category: blankets & throws, marblehead

Coterie

Posted on | September 8, 2011 | 3 Comments

Have you check out the new online shop Coterie? Launched earlier this year from design blogger Jane at Ill Seen, Ill Said; the tightly curated collection features handmade goods and home accessories. Melin Tregwynt throws from Wales mix well with a collection of handmade rolling pins, muddlers and cutting boards from Prince Edward Island. Beautiful unlined marble notebooks from Ireland remind of my college years when I actually kept a real journal, not just a blog. Above a few of my favorites.

Clockwise from top: Walnut Round Slab $170, Pine Cone Candle $13, Knot Garden teal throw $230, Tiger Maple Muddler $40, St David’s Cross throw $250, Vermont Sky Scarf $60, Maple Pin and Wood Slab, Medium linen notebook $30, and Stripe Cup $30.

Category: accessories, blankets & throws

Mill Tour of Brahms Mount in Maine

Posted on | August 24, 2011 | 20 Comments

Sample closet of herringbone blankets and throws.

Maine has a long textile history dating back to the 1800’s, “when almost every family spun fine yarns from local flax and wool”. In the mid-1800’s textile mills popped up along the Saco, Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers. As I kid I can remember buying fabric with my Mom at the Cascade Woolen Mill outlet in Oakland. The mill was built in the 1880s and closed in the 1990s. Countless other mills in Maine have shared the same fate.

Brahms Mount has long captured my attention. Back in 2009 I wrote a short piece about the redesign of their website, the next day I got an e-mail from David Kaufman asking if he could call to thank me. We chatted for a few minutes as he explained he recently purchased the company and was working with the former owners to continue the tradition of creating heirloom quality blankets. I was completely blown away by his enthusiasm.

27-years-ago Claudia Brahms and Noel Mount purchased and renovated two historic buildings overlooking the Kennebec river in Hallowell, Maine. They came in search of open air and a large workspace to “make a mess”. “Antique shuttle looms, the backbone of Maine’s textile tradition, were readily available to equip the mill.” The couple trained artisans and designed a collection of heirloom quality linen and cotton blankets. Since the purchase in 2009, Claudia has continued on as the lead designer and Noel manages the manufacturing aspect of the business.

In late July, my mom and I headed up to Hallowell for a mill tour. Greeted by the charismatic David in flip flops and shorts (he was leaving for vacation in an hour), he introduced us to Claudia Brahms (founder and lead designer) working in her studio. We headed just a few steps from their offices to the mill. Antique shuttle looms banged moving up and down while hundreds of white fiber strands neatly found their way into the warper. Amidst this chaos David whirled us in and around the antique shuttle looms explaining the process and allowing me to snap as many photos as I liked.

We headed upstairs to watch artisans twisting fridge on their signature cotton herringbone throws. We followed David who has the energy of 20-year-old stopping every few steps to touch little bits of fiber. It’s hard not notice his passion. It’s not a pitch. Everything about this man is a pleasure. He’ll talk fiber construction with as much ease as his plans to grow the company and expand product lines. An infectious passion fills the mill as I absorb how each process meticulously handled by “artisans more than fifty times” becomes a beautiful blanket.

Maine has a long tradition of making things. Brahms Mount has built upon this creating simple and familiar textures adapted from classic designs. Brahms Mount is the only weaver of linen blankets in North America. They use the best linen and get their cotton out the Carolinas. Once you actually touch a Brahms Mount piece, you’ll be captivated. The hand and drape is out this world. The colors and design, timeless.

I believe in supporting American-based companies and artisans who continue local traditions. To me it makes a difference to know artisans who love their craft made the blankets that I will cover my family with every night. To me that is worth investing in and spending a bit more for. Below photos from my mill visit. To learn more about Brahms Mount visit brahmsmount.com.

Brahms Mount
19 Central Street
Hallowell, Maine
brahmsmount.com

A sample of the Herringbone blanket I ordered in white/misty blue.

Herringbone and ticking stripe blankets.

A Creel that holds up to 600 combs to make the weft. Learn more about this process and view a video on their blog.

All 600 combs are hand thread into the warper. The warp is the vertical fiber in a textile. Watch a video from the Brahms Mount team explaining this process.

The warper with the creel in the background.

Brahms Mount team working on the warp.

Bobbins being thread.

John Smith “Master Weaver” oversees the antique shuttle looms.

100% cotton herringbone throw in melon on the loom. Are you drooling? Gorgeous, right?

Bobbins for weft.

The warp threaded on the loom.

100% cotton rib weave in white on loom. One of my favorites!

A detail of the weft on the loom.

David showing me a cotton herringbone throw with their signature fringe.

I ordered a 50% cotton and 50% linen ombre day blanket.

I picked up two 100% linen body towels in a ticking stripe.

Brahms Mount from Maine Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

Category: blankets & throws, maine, textiles

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