Casamance | Pelangi

Pelangi takes its name from a Balinese resist-dyeing technique in which parts of the cloth are tied off so they keep their natural colour. Casamance translates that idea into embroidery: a coloured chenille thread is stitched onto a linen and viscose ground, and the chenille stands up from the surface with a soft, almost furry relief. The pattern sits on a 46 by 34 centimetre repeat and the ground has the natural look of a linen with an unusually fluid drape, so it hangs rather than stands.

The base is 50 per cent cotton, 35 per cent viscose and 15 per cent linen, with the embroidery in viscose and cotton, worked in India. It is 136 centimetres wide, 440 grams per square metre and a straight match. Five colourways: Blanc and Lin for a pale, tone-on-tone effect; Bleu Glacier, a cool pale blue; Acajou, a deep red-brown; and Noir, which gives the chenille its strongest contrast. The lighter three are the easiest to live with; the darker two make a better single-panel statement.

We use Pelangi on curtains where the drape can be enjoyed: a tall window in a bedroom, a pair of panels flanking a garden door, or a single dress curtain that never closes. On a bed it makes a good throw-style cover or a run of long cushions. Keep it away from seats, where chenille embroidery will wear. Pair it with a plain sheer behind and a wool or linen plain elsewhere in the room. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Allow one extra 46 centimetre repeat per cut length so the motif can be matched across the leading edges, and line and interline the curtains so the embroidery is not seen in silhouette. Chenille catches on rough surfaces, so ask your maker to handle the face with care and to avoid pins through the embroidered areas.

• Composition: 50% cotton, 35% viscose, 15% linen (base); viscose and cotton embroidery
• Width: 136 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 46 cm vertical, 34 cm horizontal
• Weight: 440 g per square metre
• Match: Straight match
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Origin: Made in India
• Collection: Benang, Casamance
• Colourways: 5 (Blanc, Bleu Glacier, Noir, Acajou, Lin)