the quill collection

PORCUPINE QUILLS ARE A SYMBOL OF HUMILITY AND MODESTY. OUR QUILL BLANKET INSPIRES US TO ALWAYS DISPLAY THESE FINE QUALITIES THROUGHOUT OUR HORSEMANSHIP JOURNEY.


Our QUILL blankets feature the original design of 3rd generation Scottish textile artist Johanna Hall. Collaborating with Johanna has been educational. Her professional knowledge has guided us through the specifics of weaving a horse blanket with proper structure, while her love for the environment adds an element of nature to our collection. Join us on this brief Q&A with Johanna.

  • Equestrian blanket design is new territory for me which I have found exciting. With the research I have done, the tendency in traditional blanket design on some collections is usually geometric patterns in quite strong sometimes unearthly colours.

  • With the ThunderCloud QUILL the brief is the connection with nature, the weather, the earth, the flora and fauna which I can relate to very well living in the mountainous Western Cape on the edge of the South Africa Great Karoo, a landscape not dissimilar to the American Southwest. Big Skies, magnificent clouds and red earth. And yes, we have porcupines too!

  • Technically to weave blankets on a dobby loom with shafts instead of a tapestry loom by hand has been quite a challenge. We explored many combinations of weave structures to allow for stability without compromising the design. These blankets have a unique look and handle which sets them apart from the traditional diamond/rigid structures.