Päikkärit blanket

When I heard from the Patternsfrom Agency that a customer company Barker Textiles was looking for a design with Finnish forest animals for a woven blanket, I knew I had well fitted idea in my notebook. Barker Textiles provided us with a technical specs for the design, and I drew my idea of a sleeping bear with it's friends into a pattern. The name Päikkärit is in Finnish short for the word päiväunet, meaning a nap, as there is a group of furry friends napping together.

I was thrilled to hear that the mood and style of the design matched customer's needs, and they chose to move forward with the goal of getting the blanket in Finnish Kela's maternity package. Kela, an independent social security institution supervised by the Finnish Parliament, updates the content of the package every year with an open tender, and the timetable was tight. As I made the finishing touched to the design, the factory in Lithuania pondered the technical aspects. They made a few tests with different cotton yarns and different finishes for the blanket hems.

The previous year's maternity package did not include a blanket. Therefore, it was not known in advance if there would be one this year. We were delighted to hear that the blanket had a comeback to the package! The high quality of Barker Textile’s production played a significant role in this: Besides being very safe for the baby, the blanket is also durable. It will keep its colors and shape without problems, even when washed in high temperatures.

The Päikkärit woven blanket is produced by Barker Textiles. It is a part of the Finnish Kela's maternity package 2022, and the project for Barker Textiles was through Patternsfrom Agency.