The Story Behind Juan at Maria Blankets

Inabel  is a textile made by hand from a weaving process called Abel using antique wooden looms.  The craft is handed down from generations from the centuries old tradition in the region of Ilocos, Philippines.

I remember growing up with my personalized bright pink Inabel blanket with my name handwoven in the middle.  We are not Ilocanos but my mom lived and studied for her college degree with her aunt (one of our beloved Lolas) in Baguio.  I loved spending most of our childhood summers there.  We grew up having inabel products as part of our home including placemats, table runners and my most favorite ones are the blankets. They are perfect for our tropical weather and just gives the right warmth on chilly nights.  My fondness for these blankets were revived when I married my husband whose family roots come from the heritage city of Vigan.

When I gave birth to my kids, I purchased different kinds blankets for them to use.  My son loved to be swaddled when he was a newborn and he made the most of the flannel blankets and swaddle blankets that were given to me as gifts.  As for my little girl, she didn’t like it.  She didn’t like the feeling of having her hands restricted by blankets.  I researched for other options and discovered the sleeper blankets.  When I tried it on her, it worked!   She loved sleeping in it.  What’s great about it is that it’s also safer for her as she wears the blanket on her body only.  There’s no risk of it getting to her face.  As the kids grow up, I had trouble looking for suitable blankets that are just the right size for them as toddlers.  It was either too small and made for infants only or too big.

When I decided to venture into handmade children’s blankets, I knew then that it should only be made from the Inabel blankets of Ilocos.  The Juan at Maria INFANT TO TODDLER BLANKETS are already handwoven in its actual size.  Due to this very handmade nature, no two blankets will ever be alike.  It has a 100% Japanese cotton fabric reverse to keep your child cool and the fun prints make it look stylish everywhere you go.  With its generous size, it’s a great all-around blanket to bring with you when you travel with your kids especially in our unpredictable weather.

The Juan at Maria INFANT SLEEPER BLANKETS are great for infants who has already outgrown swaddling.  Once they start to become more mobile, babies run the risk of getting entangled in their swaddling blankets.   At this stage, it’s best for them to be wearing their blankets on their bodies only for comfort during chilly nights.  The sleeper blanket is perfect for babies ages 3 months and up.  It has a generous length that can be worn for many months ahead.

The Juan at Maria handwoven blankets are a stylish must-have baby essential for use at home and for travel.  It is a versatile and well-made blanket  that can be handed down from one sibling to the next.   It is proudly Philippine-made.