What the heck happened to old school acrylic blankets? (aka, I'm neurotic)

[Zulema]

OMG you brought back memories. I had a Chatham blanket as a child and I remember being fascinated that it was the same name as a local grocery store. I hate microfiber, it's too damn hot, so I've been looking for old fashioned blankets too but I wanted acrylic loose woven, what we called thermal, they were perfect for summer. A Chatham blanket and a thermal would take you through all seasons.

One thing I did find is all sorts of blankets made of Outlast which is a type of acrylic used by astronauts to regulate their body temperature. I got a mattress pad in this and now I'm ready to try a blanket. This might have been on the Vermont Country Store link. Hopefully goodbye hot flashes and night sweats.

[SoBeSparky]

The headline uses all the search terms for this blanket, which was sold by JC Penney and was also sold by Wamsutta http://www.amazon.com/Wamsutta-Acryl...0763011&sr=1-1

There is some glimmer of hope in the UK. I have found some references to similar blankets, the same as the baby acrylic blanket, but queen and king size.

Anyone with connections in the UK? Apparently they are still current and sold there.

[phouka]

You know, I've been reading this thread since it started, thinking to myself "how very odd and interesting. Isn't the human condition fascinating? Boy, I'm glad this isn't something I worry about."

Except for the part where I was completely wrong.

See, for me, it's not acrylic. Since I moved away from home after college, I've had some type of woven cotton throw, like a lap rug. They were really popular when I got my first one. They usually come in two or three colors, and one side is the reverse of the other. The cotton thread is actually very thick, almost like skinny string. I don't use it for a lap rug, because it's not warm enough by itself. I use it to wrap up my top half in bed when it's cold.

My first blanket like that lasted nearly ten years before the threads wore out and it tore in half. I even kept the halves for another couple of years. When I moved in with my parents to help take care of my dad, I "borrowed" the lap rug from the family room couch and have kept it in my bedroom ever since.

What kills me is that I can't find any more of the type I like in stores. Oh, there are woven cotton lap rugs, but they're all waffle weave, which is the wrong texture. Or they're too heavy or too light. Or worse, they're emblazoned with sports team logos or really obnoxious cowboy/country motifs.

I spotted a bedspread in a catalog that might do in a pinch, but it's too big, and it's at the other end of the spectrum from the cowboy/country in that it's completely New Agey and has elegant fairies with draping gowns and silver jewelry. Blech.

[jay-c]

Originally Posted by phouka

You know, I've been reading this thread since it started, thinking to myself "how very odd and interesting. Isn't the human condition fascinating? Boy, I'm glad this isn't something I worry about."

Except for the part where I was completely wrong.

See, for me, it's not acrylic. Since I moved away from home after college, I've had some type of woven cotton throw, like a lap rug. They were really popular when I got my first one. They usually come in two or three colors, and one side is the reverse of the other. The cotton thread is actually very thick, almost like skinny string. I don't use it for a lap rug, because it's not warm enough by itself. I use it to wrap up my top half in bed when it's cold.

My first blanket like that lasted nearly ten years before the threads wore out and it tore in half. I even kept the halves for another couple of years. When I moved in with my parents to help take care of my dad, I "borrowed" the lap rug from the family room couch and have kept it in my bedroom ever since.

What kills me is that I can't find any more of the type I like in stores. Oh, there are woven cotton lap rugs, but they're all waffle weave, which is the wrong texture. Or they're too heavy or too light. Or worse, they're emblazoned with sports team logos or really obnoxious cowboy/country motifs.

I spotted a bedspread in a catalog that might do in a pinch, but it's too big, and it's at the other end of the spectrum from the cowboy/country in that it's completely New Agey and has elegant fairies with draping gowns and silver jewelry. Blech.

Do you have a photo of what you're talking about? I have something at home that sounds very similar and is solid blue. It's never been used and has just been sitting draped over the edge of the sofa for a while. I would happily part with it if it's what you're looking for.

[phouka]

No, but give me a couple of days . . .

[nhnellybell]

Hallelujah!! I'm not crazy!!

I've been looking locally for this same blanket and decided I needed to go to the web and found this LONG trail of posts. I am so disappointed that you've all been looking since 2000 and still haven't found one.

My blanket is in tatters and we're still using it because we don't like anything else we've found. We've had it for almost 30 years and I don't know what we'll do without it. Like you, we've tried others and have gone back to the old stand-by and donated the new blankets. sigh...

If anyone happens to come across this post (guess they're right when they say things remain on the web forever) and has found where we all can get our hands on these blankets, please-oh-please be sure to let us all know.

[jay-c]

You can check this eBay seller - als_closeouts. He seems to have a lot of the old acrylic blankets. He lives in North Carolina where a lot of the original factories were, so I assume he's got some connection. I purchased 2 blankets from him that were nice and still in the original packaging, they just weren't 100% exactly like the blanket I was replacing. I am guessing the blankets would work just fine for a less neurotic person.

[golfwinch]

I finally found a blue blanket for my wife. Those things are tough to find. That one ebay seller "Al's closeout" had one. Thank you Jay-c. Somebody needs to start mass producing those things again. LOL.

[Hedda Rosa]

Hey we can all come out of the closet now, one of our own showed up on Dear Prudence recently!

"Dear Prudence,
I am 27 years old and I live with my great boyfriend. The only odd thing in our household is that I still have a baby security blanket from when I was born. It is grey and tattered and is more of a knotted-up rag than anything else. I have always found comfort in rubbing the silk edges between my fingers when I am relaxing or going to bed. At first my blankey habit was a joke, but I think it is starting to skeeve my boyfriend out. I vowed to put it away for good, and hid it for six months, but have since unearthed it. I work from home and sometimes I hold it while I’m working. My boyfriend groans when he comes home and sees me pretending I wasn't just sitting with it, or when it finds it under our pillows. Part of me wonders why I can't break the habit. Another part thinks it just a piece of cloth and no big deal. Am I nuts?

—Too Old To Be Linus"

Prudy's answer is perfect.

[peterfnj]

I am looking for this exact same blanket. Where did you wind up finding it? What was the ebay search that made you find it?

[judypols]

I am in the EXACT same place!! I'm 42 and have been looking everywhere for my 3rd 100% Acrylic blanket. My blankie has little to no fuzzies left, huge holes, and is shedding fast. I don't know where else to look. Please help me!!!!!

[jay-c]

Originally Posted by peterfnj

I am looking for this exact same blanket. Where did you wind up finding it? What was the ebay search that made you find it?

Originally Posted by judypols

I am in the EXACT same place!! I'm 42 and have been looking everywhere for my 3rd 100% Acrylic blanket. My blankie has little to no fuzzies left, huge holes, and is shedding fast. I don't know where else to look. Please help me!!!!!

I don't recall the exact eBay search terms I used to find my replacement blanket, but it involved the blanket manufacturer's name, which I knew because I'd never removed the tag. So if you know who made your blanket, there's a starting point.

If you want a shortcut, the only eBay seller I'm aware of who consistently has acrylic blankets with nylon satin binding is als_closeouts. I ordered this exact blanket in blue from him last spring, and it was of good quality, although not 100% identical to my old blanket (the nylon binding was a different width). Good luck!

[nofloyd]

This is so sad. I thought these blankets still litter Walmart and such places.

See, my husband has a habit of never using things he gets as gifts, wearing/using the stuff he has until they're in tatters. I can't tell you the number of things I've found in the original packaging that's 10-20-30 years old.

Shirts (found 2 last night in fact), socks, towels .... acrylic blankets from the 70s. Since I've lived here I've found several packs of those cheap acrylic blankets, never opened.

Um, this was a year or two ago, and I went 'Ew, acrylic blankets' prob musty after all these years' ... and I threw them away when he wasn't looking.

So, there is a market for these if more turn up. And they might, most of this stuff is in one room, but I think I've been through all of the linens. I hope. I was poking around last night and found the shirts - is there a market for 20 yo mens dress shirts, don't think they fit him now.

[judydawson]

I, too, have been desperately looking for this type of blanket! Until last month, I had no earthly idea they weren't even made anymore. Figured I'd just go to Walmart or Target and pick one up for $10 or so. Well, surprise!!! No such luck. After reading all the posts on here, I'm assuming my only hope is that my 93 year old mother in law has some squirreled away in a linen closet. I'm going there tonight and will check with her. Wonder why they quit making these wonderful blankets which are so versatile year round? All I can find now are microfleece type things that I HATE the feel of.

[missinformation]

My mother was being sweet and bought me a new blanket for Christmas. I just finally got around to Walmart to return it....I opened it up and looked at it...very pretty, pale blue (does not match my beige, purple and pink comforter but oh well....) When I picked it up, my whole body went into the ewwwwwwwww! mode...my brain was screaming, get it away...it was made of some horrid material that felt like attic insulation....I will go blanket-less for the time being. (I put my bathrobe between the top sheet and comforter for insulation)

[es04154]

Thank you so much! For years I have thought I was the only person that obsessed over the satin bidding on old acrylic blankets. I rub the binding (that I call "Silkie") and do a weird sucking thing with my tongue. My family, my husband and my close friends (that have been told of my little secret), have made fun of me my entire life. But nothing feels nicer, after a long stressful day, than rubbing Silkie. I am instantly calm. Like Bashy3200, I have also cut the binding from my blanket for international flights. I am so happy to learn that I am not the lone connoisseur of blanket bindings.

[Tree-sha]

There is an old fashioned acrylic blanket BRAND NEW on sale on E-Bay UK right now, I found it as I was also looking for blankets, but this is a King Size one - too big for me. It sounds just like what you would want. Look under ' Vintage Whitney Large Pink Blanket' its being sold by Pauline34 - don't waste time if you want it, only 2 days left on the sale. Good luck

[CrimsonRose]

Please please please please pleaseeeeeeee tell me someone has found a supplier of these blankets? I too am a blankey person. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who comes home after a stressful day at work and relaxes by rubbing my blankey.

I have, what probably was a Queen size blankey, loom woven, 100% acrylic, satin bound (on all four edges).

There is no manufacturer's name on the tag. It only says, "Crafted with pride in America" Next to a star logo. On the back it has washing instructions and the numbers "D or 0 1-P248"
It looks very similar to the Sears links that were posted, only with binding on all four edges. My blanket, on one edge, has a kind of weird pattern made of four holes along one edge that looks sort of like a flower, though I'm not worried about the pattern. It's a cream yellow and this is my preferred color though I'd be willing to consider others.

As of right now I'm not sure it can be called a blanket anymore. The edges are basically the only thing left of it, the center has a hole big enough for 2-3 people to step through and the binding is quickly coming to it's last days. I cannot sleep without this blanket and have taken it with me wherever I go.

The e-bay link posted in a few previous posts is not the same as my blanket, the binding is too small. If there's something more akin to 2 or 2.5" maybe even 3 that'd be better. If anyone has any suggestions, please? I really really need this blanket. I can take pictures of my blanket if needed, and I've been searching for years, but I can't find something close enough. I can't stand any other fabric.

[mountainjen]

I have a new cream colored one (my mom bought extras through the years), and a blue one. The cream color is queen/king size per the label 100% acrylic and a bit heavier weight, the blue one is a twin, no tag and pretty lightweight. Both have wide satin edging. If anyone is interested in purchasing, let me know - we are moving and can't take them with us! Like I said, the off white one is new, the blue one has been used and the satin is a bit untucked at 2 corners.
Thanks! Jennifer

[august22]

Originally Posted by mountainjen

I have a new cream colored one (my mom bought extras through the years), and a blue one. The cream color is queen/king size per the label 100% acrylic and a bit heavier weight, the blue one is a twin, no tag and pretty lightweight. Both have wide satin edging. If anyone is interested in purchasing, let me know - we are moving and can't take them with us! Like I said, the off white one is new, the blue one has been used and the satin is a bit untucked at 2 corners.
Thanks! Jennifer

omg i am interested in buying one or maybe both..my grandfather had one and i absolutely loved it and it has since turned up missing probably from moving. if you still have them, please name your price.

[Maastricht]

Is anyone interested in this pink twin blanket?
Or this baby blue one?
Or this lot of four?

[littlemac0783]

It's sooooo good to know that I'm not the only one... And I agree, the new microfiber/fleece blankets, not a fan... I guess it's texture issues? It's almost too soft for me - gives me the hebeegebees.. Same issue with velvet and velour. I've had this kind of blanket since I was a baby, and have been able to upgrade it over the years, and it is something about the binding that makes me relax. Call it a baby blanket, security blanket, I don't care, it works! Not to mention it is the perfect blanket to maintain body temp! But I can not find this either! I'm tempted to buy one of the just plain thermal blankets with the waffle weave and find someone to stitch on the silk edging... Please let me know if you've had any more luck! So frustrating! Thank you!!

[m829]

I do the exact same thing with the silk edges! I recently sold my queen size sheet blanket and it has a nice wide edge, wider than most of those satin trim blankets. Does anyone know where I can find one with a large satin trim in king size? I don't really care what material it is, or color, just need size and the satin edge to be wider than most.

[myedges]

Okay...i found this thread a day before 4th of july and i must say i felt a wide range of feelings...camaraderie, sympathy, blessed (because mine are holding up okay) and a bit of panic (there are never enough edges in the wolrd!

on the 4th i was walking through a second hand store with my mom and and what do you think i found???? 2! Two pristine blue blankets! You know what i mean? The ones that are sooooo new you still have to wash them with plenty of fabric softener to get the edges just right. Ahhhh...

Im a happy camper!

[abcu]

I am so glad I found this thread. I have had one of these blankets all my life but never knew what they were made of because the tags have been removed from both of them. We had several and I took my light blue one with me on every vacation and slept with it every night. It started to get a huge hole in it so my ex fiance made me throw it away. Luckily there was a white one just like it at my moms house. Unfortunately in the last 7 years it has also become thread bare and tattered and also has a large hole in it. If anyone has or finds these I will pay good money for them! I just bought one off of ebay for $57 yesterday lost an auction of another one. My husband asked why I want someone else's stinky old blanket... But I have to have these to sleep every other blanket is too hot for me. So if anyone knows of or has these please let me know! Thankssss

[Jackiethepeapod]

Well my son who is four and autistic figured out my blanket was in better condition than his (because I take care of mine!) Decided to take it all over the apartment and got a big old fat whole in it! The binding is still good, which is the important part. Like you guys I rub it between my fingers while falling asleep. If anyone has any to sell please call me! I could really use a new one or two or three or 10! Please email me Jackiethepeapod@gmail.com or call at six 5 o four 5 8 eight eight o nine! Thank you so much!

[StuffLikeThatThere]

Originally Posted by Marlitharn

But...ACRYLIC WILL MELT THE BABBY!!!


*looks around*

Oh, wait, this isn't the knitting forums. Never mind

Hahahahahahaha!!! I love those threads. They are massively entertaining. I haven't had time to read one in a long time.

More on point, I do not have a blanky but am sympathetic. Anyone who separates me from my special pillow will suffer the consequences.

[Maastricht]

Guys, there are some new ones up for sale on Ebay!

[Anaamika]

Oh, god, I hate those blankets. I gave all of mine to Goodwill - best place to check.

[closrockwell]

Originally Posted by jay-c

Pretty much since my birth, I've had an acrylic blanket on my bed. You know, the kind with the 4-inch satin binding at the top and bottom that everyone seemed to have in the 70s and 80s. Since my earliest memory, I've had one of these blankets on my bed and I sleep clutching the binding in my hand - even now (yes, I know how weird that is). After about three nights of sleeping in a bed sans blanket, I start to sleep poorly. I know this is purely psychological, but there it is. My first blanket took me from ages 2 to 22, following me to college and my first apartment. It went on vacation with me, and on a stay at the hospital. I've even driven halfway across North Carolina to retrieve it after I carelessly left it in a hotel. Threadbare, worn through and fraying, it eventually fell to pieces in the late 90s. Luckily, I was able to just stroll into a store and find an almost identical replacement that has been on my bed ever since. Sadly, the replacement has now reached the end of its life and it's time to find blanket number three.

To my surprise, this type of blanket does not appear to be made anymore! What the heck? I guess I just don't buy bedding often enough to have noticed that all the new blankets are that horrid vellux or microfleece nonsense, which I find uncomfortable. I'm having major surgery in less than a month, and I'm getting a little desperate. I've scoured thrift stores and eBay and have not found anything. I even tried Craigslist, which was an exercise in futility, except for that nice man doing missionary work in Cameroon who was willing to send me an entire case of blankets.

My requirements are pretty simple: queen size, 100% acrylic, nylon satin binding. Don't care about color. If it helps, the manufacturer of the original blanket was Chatham, which was later purchased by WestPoint Stevens. (I have already contacted them, and they have been absolutely no help. They don't make a similar product, have no plans to do so and there are no leftovers hanging out in a dim corner of the warehouse.) So what say you Dopers - have any other ideas on how to find it? Have one of these you'd be willing to part with?

Please help a sister out... in April I'm having a hysterectomy (at 35!) and reconstructive surgery that is expected to put me in the hospital for a week and on bed rest for a few more weeks. It's going to be a long recovery without my blanket.

this makes two of us. Biddeford electric blankets are the closest that I have found so far. The same green color and all. 76% acrylic, 25% poly.

[alcaudle]

www.stores.ebay.com/alscloseouts

[Sid[BOT]]

OMG i can't believe what i am reading here. i too love those blankets! And not only do i rub it between my fingers but my toes also!

I found this thread looking to purchase another blanket as mine is really coming apart...but i still love it... and yes my boyfriend thinks im nuts but thats his problem.

The one thats on my bed i've had for awhile..i think i got it in a WalMart in Florida some years ago. Its from the Martha Stewart everyday collection. Blue with satin trim. I went to her website and i don't see it. I tried WalMarts website but i don't see it there. I had no idea how difficult these are to get. Like the rest of you thought i could just run to a store and pick up another one. Guess thats not the case

I guess im gonna have to get this one: http://www.blair.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=8782

In blue of course!

Right now its on sale and the shipping is free. Its more that i wanted to pay for @ 35 bucks, but its a small price to pay for a good nights sleep.

Thank you to all who posted and i feel so much better knowing im not the only one out there!

[breeb561]

So my mother inlaw proceeds to tell me she really wants an acrylic woven blanket with trim but she can't find them in the stores. So I was like sweet I know what I am getting her for Christmas, I can just go online and bam find one....or so I thought. A month later I am still obsessing and have not found one yet!! Anyone have current leads?

[kayT]

Looks like that Blair one linked above still exists.

[breeb561]

The blair one is not woven, which is what she wants

[Talaysen]

I know this is a fairly old thread, but I found a site that might appeal to the different people posting here.
The blankets are crib/child sized, but it will at least give you a valid name for the material type you're looking for. The materials are pictured, and the pictures show pretty fine details for the blankets.

I've been looking for a 'waffle weave' style blanket (without trim), but all of the new waffle weave blankets that are available for "spa/hotel" environments aren't the same pattern/thickness/material.

Baby blankets seem to be the only ones that haven't changed the way they are woven. Since this company makes custom blankets (with custom colors and custom trims), it's plausible that you could order a blanket of any size from them, as a special order.

http://www.sew-adorable.com/createyourblanket.php

There's also an e-bay shop that sells what they term 'acrylic' blankets with satin binding:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nk...+satin+binding

^The ebay store sells second-hand/used blankets, made by a company called 'Bright Future'.

Jcp still sells 'Bright Future' thermal baby blankets, 30 x 40".
http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/gifts...p?ppId=1a0465e

[jetpuffed]

So glad to see that there are other acrylic blanket addicts out there!

I am 54 yrs old and can describe every acrylic blankie I have ever owned.
My current one is so threadbare, I am afraid to wash it for fear it will dissolve in the washer.
You can see through it, and it leaves little fluffies by the bed on the floor.

Unfortunately, I cannot get a good night's sleep without its softness against my skin.

I also am searching for another (or several) woven acrylic blankets.
I bought two from Blair, but they are NOT the same as the vintage woven blankets.
They feel like 'boiled wool'. They are not woven, and they are scratchy- not soft!.

I appreciate the eBay source. Good luck to us all!

[Jackiethepeapod]

There is one at ebay right now going for 50 dollars, and I got another good one that's yellow. My husband thinks I'm crazy for hording them. If anyone else finds a stash please let us know! I search jcp once a month, I've emailed them but to no reply. You'd think living in a captalistic society, if there was a demand there would be a supply! Please email if you find a good source, I have people emailing me every day asking for help finding them. Jackiethepeapod@gmail.com

[Jackiethepeapod]

The Blair one doesn't work, it's not bump and doesn't give the texture under the woven part. I wonder if I should call Blair, they have clearly have the supplies to make the woven kind!

[Noodles Fellicini]

So I'm in Target last week and I spy a blanket with a satin-type trim. I'm glad no one was with me so that I didn't have to explain why I simply HAD to feel it to see if it would fit the needs of my blanket freak friends at SDMB. Alas, it was not up to standards, but I'm glad to see that I don't have to worry about finding the thread if I do find a blanket. : - )

[Toppy2]

I have been looking for several years for a new acrylic blanket like these ... http://images.overstock.com/f/102/31.../L10000254.jpg ... found some here ... http://www.furniturebrains.com/bedding/x0408.htm ... but can't figure out how to order them.

I ordered a twin size last year from England that was made in England and it's ok but a bit smaller than expected and not as soft as it is scratchy, not really what I wanted at all and very expensive to boot. The ones I look for are so light weight and soft yet just right for perfect warmth year round, I have trouble sleeping using anything else, I guess because I have used the one I still have for some twenty plus years. If anyone finds a supply, please share. I'll order a bunch! If I find them, I will come back and share where.

[Morgyn]

Originally Posted by Toppy2

I have been looking for several years for a new acrylic blanket like these ... http://images.overstock.com/f/102/31.../L10000254.jpg ... found some here ... http://www.furniturebrains.com/bedding/x0408.htm ... but can't figure out how to order them.

Overstock claims to have Wamsutta Acrylic Thermal Blankets in stock. I don't think these are the same type of blanket that jay-c was looking for, though.

[Toppy2]

Originally Posted by Morgyn

Overstock claims to have Wamsutta Acrylic Thermal Blankets in stock. I don't think these are the same type of blanket that jay-c was looking for, though.

Maybe not but they are the ones I was looking for and I thank you for the link! But they are out of stock!

[Phèdre nó Delaunay]

Amazon has electric blankets that are similar to what the OP was looking for, only they are (obviously) electric. I don't know if they'll suffice but here's the link, just in case.

http://www.amazon.com/Biddeford-Auto...crylic+blanket

Also here are ones described as "micro fleece". http://www.amazon.com/Micro-Fleece-B...n+edge+blanket