Custom Bed Hangings

Thistle Hill Weavers makes luxurious bed hangings for period and reproduction beds from our historically accurate fabrics and trims. Every set of hangings is individually made for one special bed.

This circa 1790 bed is dressed with hangings made from our figured worsted fabric trimmed with custom woven worsted fringe. The coverlet is our reproduction of an original that descended in Daniel Boone's family. We also wove the carpet and the pillow shams.

Attention to detail distinguishes our work. Here you see a close-up of figured worsed fabric in a period pattern trimmed with custom woven worsted cut fringe. Each valance is individually made to fit your bed.

We make hangings for curved tester campaign beds, also known as field beds, too. This is a "throw-over" set in cotton and linen Edinburgh check. The bed sits on one of our Venetian carpets.

The view from inside the bed is wonderful.

We wove custom checked tape to trim these bed hangings. Throwover sets are easy to install because the hangings are all sewn together. You simply "throw" the hangings over the tester. Of course, as with all of our bed hangings, the curtains are fully functional; you can raise or lower them to achieve different looks or accommodate different moods.

Here is a throw-over set for a campaign bed made from our all white gossamer dimity. Gossamer is light and airy--perfect for a Southern bed or a summer set of hangings. These hangings are trimmed with custom woven mustard and white checked tape. The bed sits on one of our figured ingrain carpets. We also wove the coverlet.

Here is a close-up that shows an interior view of the gossamer hangings. You can see more of the coverlet, plus one of our all wool historic reproduction checked blankets.

Dimity was a very important interior furnishing fabric in the 18th and 19th centuries. Here is a set of hangings and a window festoon made with one of our authentic dimities. The hangings are trimmed with custom woven fringe.

By the 1830s, bed hangings became voluminous and fancy, with festoons and rosettes. Here's a set we made for Bump Tavern at the Farmers' Museum.

Trims are a very important part of period style bed hangings. We make all of our trims by hand, completely custom for each set of bed hangings.

If fringe is not for you, or you have a low post bed but have always wanted bed hangings, we can help you! A common treatment in the 18th and 19th centuries for low post beds was to suspend curtains from cord strung between forged hooks that were fixed to beams or lathe in the ceiling. This simple style of treatment can be quite beautiful and offers a simpler alternative to the sometimes elaborate full hangings appropriate for high style beds.