New York-based artist Polly Apfelbaum, renowned worldwide for her eye-catching colors and patterns in a variety of media, has for the first time in her career created a limited edition blanket titled Dogwood Leap, launched with Plinth in November 2023. The throw is made in the UK on a traditional Jacquard loom with a blanket stitched edge from sustainable recycled wool.

Dogwoods in bloom are synonymous with springtime in the eastern United States. Yet (with a characteristic disregard for rules) her latest dogwood pattern heralds the beginning of winter instead. Dogwood Leap is a heavy, recycled wool blanket that brings Apfelbaum’s light sensibility to the year’s darkest days – before the cold lifts again for real.

Known for experimenting with so-called ‘craft’ processes, the artist began using dogwoods in her practice during a residency at Durham Press, Pennsylvania, in 2009. One day a branch fell down off a dogwood tree, Apfelbaum decided to experiment with slicing it and using its organic shapes for a series of vibrantly colored prints. In contrast, Dogwood Leap’s bright pinks and greens strike the viewer like a chord. ‘I really love that the blankets use the tree’s very simple colors,’ Apfelbaum says.

Courtesy of Plinth