Castelo Branco bedspreads are pieces embroidered with natural silk thread, on linen, with a large predominance of the broad stitch, now called Castelo Branco stitch, according to designs whose matrix dates back to 17th and 18th century Portuguese bedspreads.

It should be noted that, nowadays, it is very rare for quilts to be used over a bed. In fact, both the historical quilts and those made in the 20th century have become showpieces that distinguish and qualify their owners, so they are displayed wherever they cause the most decorative effect. Thus, quilts lost their primitive function, abandoning the intimacy of bedrooms and becoming displayed on walls observable by anyone visiting a home.

In the pieces prior to the 20th century it can be seen that the various typologies correspond to different sizes. Open Carnation quilts being the most frequently occurring and those with the smallest sizes, it seems appropriate that only the minimum limits for the size of the new Castelo Branco quilts be indicated. Thus, it is considered appropriate that the minimum dimensions of the quilts are 180cm X 130cm.

All quilts should be finished with bangs, which can be silk or linen. Since the fringe is a finishing touch, it should not have too much presence, so it is advisable not to exceed 3cm (a characteristic observed in historical quilts) in larger pieces. The smaller the piece, the narrower its fringe should be.

The color of the fringe should always match one of the colors in the quilt. It can be contrasting or more neutral, the important thing is that the respective color is present in the embroidery of the piece, even if only in small details. However, gold fringe is always permissible.