Snuggle up! There’s nothing like vintage chenille to dress up a country bedroom.

Chenille’s name comes from the French word for “caterpillar,” a nod to the soft, fuzzy lines that often adorn this fabric. But despite their foreign-sounding name, chenille bedspreads were born in the U.S.A. At the turn of the last century, a Georgia woman made a bedspread for a wedding gift. She sewed muslin with cotton candlewick yarns, then clipped the yarns’ ends to make fluffy tufts. It was a sensation, and the technique gained instant popularity. By the 1930s and ’40s, chenilles were machine-made, patterns and colors were expanded (originally white on white), and it seemed every household owned at least one.The tufted designs were often takeoffs of traditional quilt patterns, such as the double wedding ring (the pink-and-white spread lying atop the bed in this photo).

You can find them at yard sales, antiques shows, Grandma’s closet, and eBay. And the good news is vintage double-bed sizes were meant to reach to the floor, so they can be used on modern queen-size beds with dust ruffles.

Although very early 1900s coverlets can cost up to $500, later examples can be had for less than $100. High-quality pieces from Morgan Jones and Cabin Crafts are most popular. Shy away from post-1950s chenille, which was often made with synthetic yarn. “You can feel polyester,” says Maine dealer Marsha Manchester. “It’s shiny and coarser. Vintage chenille is soft and smooth.”

It’s simple to freshen up a musty spread, says Manchester. Put it in a washing machine with detergent, agitate gently for 30 seconds, then let soak overnight. Rinse and toss in the dryer.
“Chenille is a collectible that gets better the more you use it,” notes New York dealer Judith Greason, author of Chenille: A Collector’s Guide (Schiffer Publishing, 2002).