Brunschwig & Fils | Rollo Stripe

Rollo Stripe is a striped linen and cotton cloth, and the stripe is the whole idea. A repeat of only 1 in (2.54 cm) makes it a fine, regular stripe that works almost as a texture at a distance and resolves into clear lines as you come closer. It is the sort of cloth that organises a room without drawing attention to itself: the vertical lines lend height to a window, and the even rhythm keeps a scheme calm.

The composition is 60% linen and 40% cotton, and the cloth is 52.92 in (134.42 cm) wide. The horizontal repeat is 1 in (2.54 cm), and no vertical repeat is given, which means the stripe runs the length of the cloth without a pattern to match from one drop to the next. No Martindale figure has been supplied. The linen gives it body and a natural hand, while the cotton makes it a little smoother and easier to sew.

We would use Rollo Stripe for curtains in almost any room, where the vertical stripe suits both tall and modest windows. It makes a clean Roman blind in a kitchen or bathroom, and a good upholstered seat or a slipcover for a dining chair, where the stripe can run front to back. As a pairing, we would put it with a larger-scale print or a plain textured weave, so the stripe acts as a quiet counterpoint rather than the main event.

With no vertical repeat, the cloth is economical to cut, but the stripe still needs care: ask your workroom to keep the lines straight and square at every seam, and to align the stripes across the joins on a pair of curtains. On upholstery, decide the direction of the stripe before cutting and keep it consistent across the piece. We would line the curtains for hang and protection, and check the stripe is running true to the grain before anything is cut.