Artist Dale Chihuly and Pendleton Woolen Mills Create Limited Edition Blankets

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Artist Dale Chihuly, Chihuly Workshop in Seattle, Wash. and Pendleton Woolen Mills, a globally celebrated American lifestyle brand, have created three new Pendleton blanket designs for 2014. Inspired by designs from Chihuly's Navajo Blanket Cylinders series, Chihuly blankets celebrate the patterns, colors and Native American traditions evident in his work.

"My first serious use of glass consisted of my weaving small pieces of glass into tapestries," said Chihuly. "This was during my junior and senior years at the University of Washington in the early sixties. After studying weaving and textiles, I wound up falling in love with both Navajo blankets and Pendleton trade blankets. As a student, I began to collect the intricately designed Pendleton blankets. This was the beginning of my involvement with Native American design."

Inspired by the geometric designs and colors of Pendleton blankets, Chihuly and his team began creating drawings out of glass threads in the 1970s. Using a newly-developed technique, the team carefully arranged the threads and picked them up onto the surface of hot molten glass, which led to the creation of the Navajo Blanket Cylinder series.  In 2002 this series inspired the creation of Chihuly's first blanket, blanket No.1.

Chihuly Workshop is pleased to announce the latest limited edition blankets in the series, Chihuly Blankets Nos. 7, 8 and 9 woven at Pendleton's original mill in Pendleton, Oregon.

"Pendleton is proud to collaborate with Chihuly in creating these exquisite, limited edition blankets.  Chihuly's design inspiration, along with the legendary craftsmanship and quality of Pendleton blankets, are a perfect and rewarding combination for any customer," said Bob Christnacht, Pendleton's director of sales - worldwide.

An impressive statement hanging on a wall, or warm and practical folded in a chair; these limited edition blankets are perfect for collectors and make a memorable gift. These 64 x 80" blankets are a blend of pure wool with a cotton warp. A sewn suede patch includes the Chihuly signature and number in the limited edition of 250.

Chihuly Blankets are available for purchase online at chihulyworkshop.com and in select retail stores. For more information, or to learn more about retail opportunities for Chihuly Blankets in your store, please call 1.800.574.7272.

About Dale Chihuly
Chihuly is credited with revolutionizing the Studio Glass movement and elevating the perception of the glass medium from the realm of craft to fine art. He is renowned for his ambitious architectural installations around the world, in historic cities, museums and gardens. Chihuly's work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass. Major exhibitions include Chihuly Over Venice (1995-96), Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (2000), de Young Museum in San Francisco (2008), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2011) the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2012) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (2013). Chihuly Garden and Glass opened at Seattle Center in 2012. For more information, please visit the Website, Facebook andTwitter.

About Chihuly Workshop
Chihuly Workshop celebrates artist Dale Chihuly's innovation, imagination and bold creative spirit. Originally established in 1992 as Portland Press, a small company dedicated to publishing books about Chihuly's art, it eventually began to produce and distribute Studio Editions and prints. Over the years, Chihuly Workshop has extended its scope by collaborating with Chihuly on a range of projects from books, films, and stationery to limited edition blankets produced by Pendleton Woolen Mills.

About Pendleton
Setting the standard for classic American style, Pendleton is recognized worldwide as a symbol of American heritage, authenticity and craftsmanship.  With six generations of family ownership since 1863, the company celebrates 150 years of weaving fabric in the Pacific Northwest in 2013.  Pendleton owns and operates two of America's remaining woolen mills, constantly updating them with state-of-the-art looms and eco-friendly technology.  Inspired by its heritage, the company designs and produces apparel for men, women, blankets, accessories, home décor and gifts. Pendleton is available through select retailers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea and Australia, as well as Pendleton stores, company catalogs and direct-to-consumer channels including the Pendleton website, http://www.pendleton-usa.com.

Media Contact:
Linda Parker
[email protected]
503.535.5754

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140916/146298

SOURCE Pendleton Woolen Mills