Casamance | Savoir Faire

Savoir Faire is a bouclé-look jacquard from Les Tisserands built for hard-working seating. Its depth of colour comes from a solution-dyed yarn spun from fibres of several different colours, so no single shade is flat, and a white slubbed cotton yarn, common to every colourway, is woven through it and gives the surface its characteristic flecks. Both warp and weft are twisted, which is what produces the looped, nubbly bouclé face. It is dense and springy in the hand, and it hides wear well.

The composition is 47 per cent acrylic, 29 per cent cotton and 24 per cent polyester, woven in Turkey, 140 centimetres wide and 725 grams per square metre. There is no repeat to match, so it is a free match and cuts economically. Six colourways, each named for its two dominant tones: Sable and Pierre Bleue Sable at the paler end, Orange Taupe and Lie De Vin Cognac for warmth, and Anthracite Cognac and Kaki Anthracite where a darker, greyer cloth is wanted. The white fleck softens all of them.

We use Savoir Faire on the pieces that take the most punishment: a family sofa, a dining banquette, a pair of armchairs in a rental villa, or a bench in a hall. The bouclé surface disguises marks and the solution-dyed yarn holds its colour well in a bright room. Against it we use smooth plains and a little velvet so the bouclé is the only texture doing the talking. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Bouclé cloths need a firm hand in the workshop: ask your upholsterer to use a stitch length that will not cut the loops, to back the cloth with a lightweight cotton on tight-fitting seats, and to check the direction of the surface so panels match in light. Because it is a free match, plain-cut widths are all you need, with no repeat allowance.

• Composition: 47% acrylic, 29% cotton, 24% polyester
• Width: 140 cm (55 in)
• Weight: 725 g per square metre
• Match: Free match
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Origin: Made in Turkey
• Collection: Les Tisserands, Casamance
• Colourways: 6 (Pierre Bleue Sable, Sable, Orange Taupe, Lie De Vin Cognac, Anthracite Cognac, Kaki Anthracite)