Hofmann Vintage Chenille Bedspreads: Prized for Their Geometric Daisy Patterns

Hofmann. Or is it Hoffman, Hoffmann, Hofman, or some variation? Of all manufacturers of vintage chenille bedspreads, perhaps none is misspelled more often than this old-time favorite.

Hofmann Daisy Chenille Bedspreads, A Favorite

Best known for their darling daisies – often plush white chenille covering a blue, pink, yellow or white cotton groundcloth and accented with quality fringe along the sides, Hofmann chenille bedspreads are another favorite amongst collectors and crafters alike.

Some labels will bear text that looks something like this: “W. Hofmann Textiles Inc. Englewood NJ;” others are on a smaller cloth tag (about the size of an adult thumb) with just the words “100% Cotton” and bearing the RN#. If you want to cross-reference your RN#, it’s easy. Just visit the FTC’s website and punch in the number you want to know more about: https://rn.ftc.gov/Account/BasicSearch.

For Such a Prominent Manufacturer of Vintage Chenille Bedspreads,

Little information on Hofmann as a manufacturer of vintage chenille bedspreads is available online – a quick Google search yields few results worth mentioning. To be sure, Hofmann was a quality manufacturer – however, in my own experience I urge caution if you’re planning to use an old Hofmann in one of your creative projects.

Though they are beautiful, of all vintage chenille bedspreads, I’ve never had more with compromised groundcloth than old Hofmann’s. I once bought gorgeous all white Hofmann chenille fabric in a rare fabric pattern, in pristine condition from a trusted seller I’d purchased from many times before. Within months of routine use, small holes began to peek through and before I knew it the fabric turned into what I call a “Jack the Ripper” – meaning – one push with your finger and r-i-p goes the fabric.

Buying a Vintage Hofmann Chenille Bedspread? Here’s a Tip.

Of all the chenille we buy and sell, I can also confirm that this is the manufacturer I see the most old repairs on, and just in general, compromised fabric – for instance, age wear that seems accelerated when compared to non-Hofmann vintage chenille bedspreads, or just general weakness and thinning.

I try to be really careful whenever I sell anything I know is a Hofmann for this reason – I’ve been disappointed more times than I can count and I almost never buy Hofmann’s anymore because of this. Many of you out there in the chenille world may disagree or chalk it up to just getting one too many that weren’t in the best condition – I say everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. I just want you to be aware, to know what to look for, so you can avoid disappoint if possible, especially given the high prices some Hofmann’s sell for. 

Here’s a tip on buying any vintage chenille bedspread, Hofmann or not: take a close look at the groundcloth. Usually it will be cotton or in the case of manufacturers like Morgan Jones, a cotton blend. If you aren’t able to look at the spread in person, most major ecommerce platforms today like eBay have “Zoom” tools you can use to mouse over the image and examine it up close.

Look for thinning, fabric that resembles gift tissue paper, clusters of holes, patched repairs, and so on. If the photos are of the spread hanging in a bright location like a clothesline, this can give an excellent visual aid to help you determine how thin the fabric is.

To read more tips on examining and caring for vintage chenille bedspreads, click here.

Oh and by the way…to put your mind at ease…it’s spelled Hofmann. Just remember: 1 “f” and 2 “n’s”. And there you go. Plain and simple.

And it goes without saying, if you have any details on Hofmann as a chenille bedspread manufacturer, we’d LOVE to hear from you. Contact us anytime here. Thanks!

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