Connecting fiber farmers, processors, dyers and weavers together
to produce locally sourced and crafted blankets in Western North Carolina.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The mission of the Blue Ridge Blankets Project is to revitalize the fiber economy in Western North Carolina, by connecting fiber farmers, processors, dyers and weavers together, to produce locally sourced and crafted blankets. The project creates a local market for our region's fiber farmers; provides fair compensation to weavers and dyers; and offers local consumers an opportunity to purchase a beautiful, locally sourced hand-crafted product. Intended to be self-sustaining, proceeds from each year's sales support the purchase of wool, alpaca, and mohair to make the following year's blankets. We believe this small attempt to reconnect the parts of the supply chain will improve the income of our region's farmers and weavers.
We are excited to offer a limited run of the top designs of our Blue Ridge Blankets. In 2023, we launched the Asheville (multi-colored stripes), Barnardsville (white twill), Black Mountain (multi-colored plaid), French Broad River (indigo blue and white stripes), and Pisgah (brown and white twill). In 2024, we are launching the Weaverville (classic red and walnut plaid) and Leicester (warm walnut stripe).
All blankets feature a trio of hand selected fibers in what we call our Blue Ridge Blend: 75% Fine Wool, 15% Mohair and 10% Alpaca. All fiber comes from farms in the Blue Ridge Mountains Fibershed (farms located within a 100-mile radius of Asheville). Each blanket is handwoven by a local weaver in western North Carolina.
The Blue Ridge Blankets are named for a town or city where the farmers, dyers and weavers for the project reside, or one of the mountains or watersheds that grace our region. Each blanket is one of a kind, and an heirloom, to be treasured for years to come.
By purchasing a Limited Edition Blue Ridge Blanket, you are investing in our region's fiber economy and helping us to restore it's vibrancy. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Featured below are the 2023 and 2024 Limited Edition Blue Ridge Blankets coming soon and currently available for purchase.
ASHEVILLE
Classic bands of hand-dyed stripes accent a natural white on the Asheville blanket. The natural dyes include the full array of heritage colors: indigo, madder root, weld and walnut. This colorful classic design is timeless, yet modern. Brilliant, yet earthy.
BARNARDSVILLE
Featuring a classic twill design, the Barnardsville's natural, undyed fiber yields a warm, off-white hue. The soft, understated design makes this blanket an elegant and distinctive addition to your home.
BLACK MOUNTAIN
The Black Mountain blanket features a classic, multi-colored plaid. The natural dyes include the full array of heritage colors: indigo, madder root, weld and walnut. This lively, colorful plaid design is timeless.
FRENCH BROAD RIVER
A tribute to the beloved river that runs alongside the Local Cloth Studio in Asheville, the French Broad River blanket features the brilliant blue of naturally dyed indigo, accented with white stripes. A bold, yet classic addition to any home.
LECEISTER
New in 2024, the Leicester blanket showcases the heritage dye of locally sourced walnut and features a classic striped design. The perfect, cozy complement to any room.
PISGAH
The Pisgah blanket features the warm, earthy hue of locally sourced walnut, in a classic twill design. The pairing of walnut brown with undyed white yields a tone as soft to the eye as the blanket is to the hand. The Pisgah blanket honors the iconic mountain by the same name just west of Asheville. This blanket is a cozy, inviting classic to any home.
WEAVERVILLE
New in 2024, the Weaverville blanket features a beautiful and bright classic plaid design. The natural dyes include locally sourced madder root and walnut. Where style and comfort meet.
THE BLUE RIDGE BLANKET STORY
In 2021, with grant support from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Local Cloth began gathering fiber across the Blue Ridge Mountains with a single vision in mind: to make local blankets.
Wool, mohair, and alpaca were sourced from 15 different farms in the region, and then hand-picked, spun into yarn, hand-dyed with natural, heritage colors (indigo, madder root, walnut, weld) and woven into 19 different designs.
The Natural Dye Interest Group of the Local Cloth Studio dyed the yarn, using a palette of colors exclusively sourced from plants readily grown in the region. Heather K. Powers, a textile designer hailing from the former Churchill Weavers, one of the oldest weaving mills in the United States, acted as lead consultant on the blanket designs. Student weavers from the Textile Program at Haywood Community College, and from the Fiber Arts Program at Warren Wilson College under the guidance of Director Melanie Wilder, wove the yarn into sample blankets showcasing 19 different designs.
In 2022, we took our blankets on tour, including to the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair, and the Grovewood Gallery, asking for community input for the final designs. At each tour stop, the community was asked to consider the 19 different designs and vote for their favorite. The blanket design samples were created by our design team, brought to life by local weavers, and named for the towns and cities where the farmers, dyers, and weavers for the project reside as well as the watersheds that grace our region. By 2023, our tour was complete, the votes were in, and we began production, launching the first run of Blue Ridge Blankets in October 2023.
Through this process, we identified two major gaps in our region’s supply chain: the lack of a mid-sized spinning mill and the need for a loom room (a place where weavers can store and work on production-sized looms). We intend this to be an ongoing project, with proceeds from each year's sales supporting the purchase of wool, alpaca, and mohair for the next year's blankets, including for spinning, dyeing, and weaving. This small attempt to re-connect the many parts of the supply chain should also help improve the income of our region's farmers and weavers.
ABOUT THE PEOPLE, FARMS, MILLS AND ANIMALS BEHIND THE PROJECT
PARTICIPATING FIBER FARMS
+ Black Thorn Farm + Cherry Mountain Farm + Curly Cove Farm + Good Fibrations + Jasperwood Farm
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