In some places they call a cold night “a three dog night” kind of night, meaning you need three dogs sleeping with you to keep warm! In a Portuguese home it would be a Manta kind of night.
I am so lucky that I still have the mantas that my parents brought with them when we came to America.
I love everything about them, from the heavy weight that feels like you’re being hugged to knowing that they were made by hand. I actually see them as works of art.
I was told that the ones I have would have taken a very long time to make. These were not handmade on a loom…instead these were strictly put together and stitched by hand.
The process was taking scraps of fabric remnants and creating long strips. These long strips would have been rolled and sewn together, continually adding to it until you had a bed-sized blanket.
There are still a few places that make mantas by hand the island of Sao Miguel, using the loom. I visit them when I can, but Tecelagem O Linho located in Lombinha da Maia is my must stop… I can honestly say I never leave empty handed. She has a small shop there, but she does takes orders. Make sure you don’t forget to stop by on your next visit!
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