When people migrated from Pennsylvania in the 1700s, many carried weaving patterns for the blankets that would come in handy on such treks.
Pulaski County farmer Richard Guthrie found some of those patterns when he was going through family heirlooms dating back several hundred years.
Guthrie said he and his siblings had divided items from the family farm, and he and his wife got a so-called butler’s safe. In it, they found a copy of the 1700s deed to the original farm and the weaving patterns.
He donated the patterns to Bob Harman at the Olde Virginia Textile Museum, which opened last year in Pulaski, and Harman has started producing them on vintage looms at his museum.
The 54-by-68-inch blankets will go for $45 wholesale and $95 retail. Harman is hoping history organizations will use them as fundraisers. He also hopes to raise money from them to support the museum.
1700s weaving patterns produced on vintage looms — The Roanoke Times