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THE LAST DROP FROM HIS STETSON: A special edition blanket by Pendleton

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Celebrating 100 Years

In 1923, artist Lon Megargee depicted a cowboy kneeling to give his horse a drink from his upturned hat. This plainspoken masterwork was originally published on the cover of Western Story magazine. The John B. Stetson Company bought the rights to the image in 1923. Since then, it has been featured in Stetson advertising, as well as on hat boxes, posters, and on the liners of some of Stetson’s most iconic hats. 

An icon of the Stetson brand for more than 100 years, “The Last Drop from His Stetson,” endures as a symbol of the American cowboy’s values of resourcefulness, compassion and humility. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of “The Last Drop from His Stetson,” Stetson has partnered with Pendleton to reimagine Lon Megargee’s iconic artwork as a special-edition jacquard blanket.

The Stetson x Pendleton blanket on a rail fence against a background of snowy mountains.


The Artist

Artist Lon Megargee (1883-1960) was born in Philadelphia, PA and moved out west as a boy, where he began wrangling at age 13 and later spent time working as a cowboy in Wickenburg, Arizona. He drew upon his experience in the saddle to create “The Last Drop from His Stetson.”

A person wrapped in the Stetson and Pendleton blanket.

Stetson kicked off the 100th anniversary celebration with a limited edition Western hat. As part of the launch, they commissioned three contemporary artists, Logan Maxwelle Hagege, Thomas Blackshear and Bella McGoldrick, to reimagine Megargee’s original artwork in their own style.

Artworks inspired by "The last drop from his Stetson" painting

About the Blanket

Pendleton’s surface design team met with the team at Stetson to discuss ideas on how to translate this painting into a Pendleton blanket. The biggest challenge was to evoke the colors and detailed textures from the original artwork in a woven blanket design. Pendleton’s mill technical designer simplified the painting’s palette to meet loom requirements.

With drawing techniques and color arrangement in textile design software, our designers achieved a depth in color and texture that honors the original painting. Each CAD iteration was presented to the Stetson team, and revised based on feedback. The blanket is very much a collaborative effort of both teams at Stetson and Pendleton. 

Blanket, "The Last Drop From His Stetson", hanging on the doorway of a weathered barn.

The special-edition blanket translates the original artwork using a three-color jacquard weaving technique. It was woven on our looms in Pendleton, Oregon, and finished at our Washougal, Washington facility.  Each blanket is individually packaged in a Beaver State box and includes a “Last Drop from His Stetson” commemorative story card and custom sewn-on patch.

A close-up shot of the commemorative patch on the Stetson x Pendleton collaborative blanket

See more information here: “The Last Drop From His Stetson” blanket

Blue "Born in Oregon" logo

Since 1923 – The Century Harding Blanket

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Limited Edition Beauty

Century Harding – a limited edition of 1,923

To celebrate this pattern’s century milestone, our weavers created something special: the limited edition Century Harding blanket in an edition of, yes, 1,923. The Harding blanket has always been colored with solid ground. The Century Harding blanket (and the apparel fabrics) have ground woven in an ombre: Navy into royal blue into turquoise into a khaki, finishing with a bright, fresh green. The first photo in this post shows the ombre in detail.

The 2023 Century Harding blanket by Pendleton.

A new commemorative color celebrates 100 years of the Harding pattern with a refreshed layout. In 1923, President Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence Harding visited Oregon’s Blue Mountain Country to dedicate a portion of the Old Oregon Trail. At the ceremony, leaders of the Cayuse and Umatilla Nations presented Mrs. Harding with a newly designed blanket to reflect their admiration of her sincere and forthright nature. For a century, the Harding pattern has been one of Pendleton’s most sought after signature patterns. This bright, exciting ombre celebrates its evergreen popularity. 

See it here: Century Harding blanket  

Pendleton Moments for 2020

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Together and Apart

It’s been an interesting year, hasn’t it? We’ve practiced self-reliance like never before, while quarantining, working from home, expanding our hobbies and creative pursuits, and dreaming of better days to come.

Despite all this solitude, our bonds with family and friends have become more important than ever. We’ve formed tight pods, when we can. We’ve gotten creative with drive-past birthday parades, livestreamed weddings, and ZOOM happy hours. We’re spending time with our pets like never before. Our new four-legged home-office mates are being spoiled by all this human companionship.

Outdoor Adventures

We’re spending as much time as we can outdoors, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. We’re sharing picnics at parks and sitting at outside dining tables in all kinds of weather (hint: bring your Pendleton blanket). We’re taking distanced walks and hikes, sharing long conversations through our masks, and reaffirming our bonds.

Thank You

We want to thank you all for how you’re showing up, and how you’re staying in, how you’re taking care. And thanks to the brand ambassador photographers who share their beautiful Pendleton moments. We hope you enjoy their work in the clip above.

Take care, and thank you, from Pendleton.

Made in USA label with eagle for Pendleton

Celebrate Earth Day with the “Gift of the Earth” Blanket

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Earth Day History

Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day, 2018. It is a day to remember the beauty and fragility of the planet we call home.

The observance of Earth Day came from gathering national support for environmental issues. In 1970, San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson both asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration in support of the planet.  Millions of people participated. Today, Earth Day is widely observed as a time to plant trees, clean up litter, and enjoy nature by getting out in it, through hiking, walking, gardening, or joining the many public observances held on April 22nd.

Gift of the Earth Blanket

This Earth Day, you can celebrate for a cause with theGIft of the Earth blanket:  Gift of the Earth

The Pendleton Gift of the Earth blanket for the College Fund.

Gift of the Earth features a bold design on a neutral backdrop is inspired by the traditional Hopi potters, who draw from generations of knowledge to create their beautiful, unique works of art. Their work, and this design, pay testament to the practice of learning from the past while moving into the future.

“Gift of the Earth” is part of a collection of blankets designed specifically for the American Indian College Fund, many of them designed by Native artists. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of College Fund blankets provides scholarships for Native students to attend tribal colleges and universities. The College Fund has been the nation’s largest philanthropic effort supporting Native American higher education for more than 25 years.

Learn More there: The College Fund

Shondina Lee styles a Gift of the Earth blanket wearing her family jewelry.

Photo courtesy of Shondian Lee:  Shondina Lee Yikasbaa

The weaving video

Watch the blanket take shape, from sheep to loom, in this video.

“Blessing Song” from the album Tribute to the Elders (CR-6318) by the Black Lodge Singers courtesy Canyon Records License 2017-023. All rights reserved.  www.CanyonRecords.com.

The future

The future depends on our careful stewardship of our planet. Those who come after us will live in the world we leave them. Let’s not let them down.

Photo of a wrapped newborn baby on a Gift of the Earth blanket, by @ryanchristopher929, used with permission

Photo by @ryanchristopher929, used with permission

Wishing the National Park Service a happy 100th birthday with a Crater Lake Memory…and a bear!

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A Fun Memory

To help celebrate the centennial year of the National Park Serivce, Pendleton sent out a call for national park memories to our Pendleton employees. We received so many fun responses–memories and photos and close encounters of the wildlife kind. We’ve shared many with you, and have a few more to share as the year rolls along.

This response came in the form of a stack of black and white photos taken with a Kodak Brownie camera. And so, a sweet little movie was born. Thanks to Margaret for sharing this with us, and thanks to you all for sharing the fun.

And happy official 100th birthday to the National Park Service–it’s today!

National-Park-Collection-100_Color-Logo