HUMAN TOUCH
Every blanket is inspected by multiple eyes and hands. This is not an automated process. One of the beautiful aspects of Brahms Mount product is that all ‘things’ are not the same as every step of the inspection process is done by a human.
THREE INSPECTIONS
Every item goes through 3 inspections. Each item is inspected before and after they are washed. Our fabric is piece finished: That is, each blanket is pre-washed and therefore pre-shrunk. Washing brings yarn and fabric to life. It makes it dimensionally stable so it does NOT shrink with future washes.
FULL COVER
Fabric that comes off the loom at 120″ wide – ends up 90″ wide once through the finishing process. Fabric is woven as closely as possible so the finishing process results in full cover and a long-lasting integrity!
Attributes:
- Our merino wool blankets are purposefully designed to avoid motifs as they command so much attention.
- Ours are on the contemporary side: A lambswool broadcloth with a crisp sheet in Hallowell, Maine.
- Longest track record: As far as we know, there was no tropical-weight/layering-weight wool blanket before ours. Our fabric continues to withstand the test of time. Read our past post The Best Present for Every Season
- These blankets fit in a suitcase, or a knapsack, which some suggest make them a great men’s blanket. Brahms Mount wool is warm and just the right thickness as a coverlet or blanket. They truly have a broad style appeal for both men and women Read Reviews of Merino Wool Blankets
- Our recommendation: Get under one! Rather than by “touching” it with your hands, the beauty of the blanket is felt by being underneath it. After this you will own the difference! Read our past post5 Reasons to Love Merino Wool Blankets
 Flint Broadcloth Blanket Traditional Pairings:
- People bring up the tradition of Wool and Linen. They are very compatible. Brahms Mount Linen functions to trap the warmth from the heat created by the body, assisted by the wool, which itself heats as it is exposed to body moisture.
Cotton Lovers:
Our cotton blankets are luxurious, soft, familiar, comforting and ”as soon as one touches the fabric; they cannot wait to sleep under the blanket”. Read Reviews
Our cotton blankets layer well and add warmth with duvet covers for the Fall/Winter season and work beautifully as a coverlet in the Summer.
The cotton herringbone blankets have an adaptable style and work well in Summer cottages, loft platform beds as well as dutch beds! A Cornflower blue herringbone blanket or ticking stripe
looks beautiful on an old wooden or iron bed frame.. and our Sahara white blankets lay well on a single mattress platform bed.
Brahms Mount introduced cotton blankets to the market in the early 80s – Read this informative post
Shop our cotton blankets – Click Here
The folks at Brahms Mount are proud to be one of the few remaining American textile manufacturing mills left in the US. In the world of textile manufacturing there are company’s that will tout the Made in America moniker but an explanation of what that means may be helpful.
 Photo: Crystal Garcia A textile mill that is totally vertically integrated would raise the sheep for the wool or grow the cotton or flax for the fiber, then take that raw fiber and put it through their own carding process before it is spun and possibly dyed. That same mill would take spun yarn and weave and finish their own products.
A company that would follow this entire process would be, in fact, vertically integrated.
 Woven on looms in Hallowell, ME Brahms Mount runs with the yarn after receipt from the dye house and spinner. While not totally vertically integrated, we originate design as well as weave on our looms all products from the fiber spool forward in Maine and have done so since 1982. The woven rolls are then cut and sewn to product specifications then finished with designed edge treatments, inspected, washed, packaged and finally shipped.
 Finishing in Maine There are company’s that will source the woven fiber from Europe, Asia and else where, bring the finished fiber rolls to the states and then do cut and sew and finishing in their facility. These companies’s are cut and sew practitioners or converters.
 Mr. Smith in Hallowell Maine Some companies are in the business of aggregating products, they buy completely finished products from abroad, bring them to the states and resell them in their own retail establishments or place their own private label on the products.
Not to be picky, but it’s a point of pride with us at Brahms Mount, and important to understand what’s behind the ‘Made in America’ moniker!
 It is believed that linen helps us sleep. ( SEE OUR 11 YEAR OLD PRESS RELEASE) Sleep comes easily, is deeper and more restful especially in a humid environment. Linen is also thought to reduce stress, bringing relaxation along with physical and psychic well-being. Linen as a fabric is noble, elegant, and distinctive in its sophistication and luxury. Brahms Mount is the only linen blanket manufacturer in North America. READ AN EXTREMELY POSITIVE REVIEW
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. It is:
- A replaceable resource that has little impact on water quality compared to other fibers
- Besides its fiber, the flax plant is used for its seeds, high in nutritional value, and oil (Linseed oil)
- The hollow fiber is a natural insulator, valued for its ability to keep cool in the summer months and trap warmth in colder weather
- Linen is also valued for its ability to repel microorganisms
- Linen is long lasting becoming softer and more beautiful with use and does not lose its shape
- Towels and bath sheets made of linen are incredibly absorbent and quick drying!
- They can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp and are strong when wet
Textiles made of linen appear to be some of the oldest in the world, dating back thousands of years. Egyptians sometimes used linen as currency. It symbolized light and purity, as well as a display of wealth. Use of the flax plant is believed to date back to approximately 8,000 BC.
In the last entry, Claudia Brahms described the environment of the ‘home/lifestyle’ market in 1983 that gave rise to the Brahms Mount cotton blankets. In this entry, Claudia discusses the unique closed selvedge found on Brahms Mount throws and day blankets:
The closed selvedge, a distinct look that is possible only on our shuttle looms, shows the hand of the weaver.
The antiquity lends authenticity to the history of fabric and a beautiful clean fabric edge.
We take advantage of that aesthetic on our throws and day blankets.
Our twin, full, queen and king blankets are hemmed on all four sides… there are naturaly two raw edges that occur from cutting the fabric into lengths and so those edges need to be secured with a hem. So for uniformity and a clean presentation, we hem all four sides of our blankets whereas the closed selvedge is featured on throws, day blankets and towels.
 |
1. The looms used by Brahms Mount utilize a shuttle which carries the fill yarn, spooled on a bobbin, across and back, closing the ends… a closed selvedge. |
 |
2. The magazine holds the bobbins that are automatically dropped into the shuttle |
 |
3. Here, the fill yarn is slack as the shuttle awaits its hammer returning it in the other direction |
 |
4.See the well finished ends? The loose tail in this photo indicates where the empty bobbin is replaced with a new bobbin from the magazine. The loose tail is “hand-tucked” during the finishing process, a step that takes up to 10 minutes per blanket |
 |
5. A beautiful closed selvedge! |
 Brahms Mount Cotton Blanket in Houndstooth and Starry Night patterns There was no cotton blanket on the market in 1983.The only cotton blankets were in hospitals and one being manufactured in England. This was a hole in the growing home market – a cotton blanket that is much more than a commodity!
Thick yarn was being used in the hand knit trade and we felt it had another use - in the bedroom. We were hearing about lifestyle merchandising, foretelling of the “nesting” trend. The home, and the textiles we surround ourselves with at home, were about to become the focus of an entire market. There were few natural fiber blankets other than wool, and merino hadn’t hit its stride.
 An antique shuttle loom used by Brahms Mount prepared for transport We had designed a fabric that we wanted as a blanket and Brahms Mount was born. The yarn we use and the looms in the Maine Mill are a perfect match. Our artisans can climb inside the loom to thread. You cannot do that on modern looms. On modern looms the harnesses and working guts are removed and threaded away from the loom then ‘plugged’ back in.
Our looms need little in the way of electronics and the parts were readily available. The looms themselves are far more approachable in terms of threading and setting up for shorter production runs. We did not have the space for the warping and ancillary equipment needed for high speed looms.
And that has given us the flexibility to design from a broad base of options.
Brahms Mount has an informative collection of videos hosted on YouTube
It’s summer in Florida – which is my best blanket to use? How about in Michigan? How about New York? Brahms Mount blankets answer the “which blanket is best for my area” query through the diversity of the products offered. All available in natural fibers.
Cotton
is number one in versatility, cost, ease of use. It truly is a four season blanket. Used alone in summer and spring – and especially where air conditioning is used – it provides just enough warmth to ward off a chill. Cotton breathes and does not trap moisture.
Used in fall and winter – cotton added to a light down quilt or a wool blanket again breathes and adds just the added weight and warmth to provide a restful, quiet sleep with the softness and comfort cotton is known for.
Click here to see our current line of 100% Cotton Blankets
 Linen
adds the bonus of luxury to the line. The drape of our Brahms Mount Linen Blanket, the weight of the long fiber linen used speak of its durability as well as luxury – and linen only gets softer with use. The added luxury of its inherent qualities – anti microbial, fast drying, moisture wicking, clean natural scent all contribute to its versatility. Linen is truly a four season blanket as well as it traps warmth in its channels. Adding just the right amount of warmth needed in summer air conditioning – aesthetics are never compromised when linen is used as a blanket or bedspread.
Click here to see our current line of 100% Linen Blankets
Click here to see our current line of Linen / Cotton Blankets
Merino Wool
blankets are the perfect extra added lightweight wool blanket for your bed in fall, winter and spring. In the mountains in the summer? – use our wool blankets for that needed coziness to warm up with.
Click Here to see our current line of Washable Merino Wool Broadcloth and Herringbone Blankets
The bonus of all Brahms Mount blankets?
Ease of use: all are machine washable and dryable. All have been prewashed, preshrunk. These are not fussy blankets – but made to be used for generations to come, in any climate, any season, all decors.
There is a Brahms Mount blanket just right for your needs. Just ask, we’ll direct you to the best for your needs.
 Since we’re in the Northeast, we’re used to getting those winter doldrums in February, March, and sometimes even April. But there’s good news! It may be gray outside, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be inside.
Color is a wonderful way to cheer up your space during the icy late winter, and pillows and blankets are the perfect way to do it. Far more easy than changing a paint color or the color on your upholstery, blankets can quickly add the perfect pop of color that your space needs!
Living Room
Showcase color by throwing a blanket over the back of the couch or a chair. You could even try switching out your favorite pillows to add some contrast to the blanket.
Bedrooms
The same goes for the bedrooms: throw your favorite colored blanket over the foot of the bed, the chair in the corner of the room, or even in some strategically placed open storage for the extra pop of color.
Laundry Room or Storage Closet
If you’re willing and able, open storage can be beautiful way to add both color and interest to a space. Even if your blankets are being stored for the winter, use clear plastic bags or containers to still see the blankets.
100% Merino Wool Broadcloth Blanket in Flint Have you been having a hard time finding the perfect present for your co-worker, friend, or family member? Look no further than lambswool. That’s right, lambswool.
Forget the age old classic itchy sweater like Grandma used to make; these blankets are soft, supple, and the best news? They aren’t a bit itchy.
Our perfect blend of merino wool gives you all the benefits of our softer fabrics like cotton and linen, with the bonus of being perfect for anytime of year! Available in a number of colors, the special person in your life will love a blanket they won’t have to put away after the winter is over.
Since you’re still able to throw these blankets in the wash, don’t fret about creating a lot of work for your loved one.
Ready to pick out the perfect lambswool blanket? Try our two designs in a number of great colors:
Herringbone merino wool, available in Flint, Shale, Hazelnut, and Nutmeg
Broadcloth merino wool, available in Nutmeg and Flint
|
Brahms Mount Social Media:
|
