Casamance | Toue

Toue is named for the flat-bottomed working boat of the Seine, which carried a small sail, and it is the lightest of the Les Bateliers sheers. Linen leads the blend, with wool for softness and acrylic and polyester yarns that give the cloth its horizontal structure, a fine rib that shows when the light comes through it. At 140 grams per square metre it is a true voile: airy, quick to move in a breeze, and with the dry, slightly crisp hand of a linen.

The composition is 52 per cent linen, 29 per cent acrylic, 14 per cent polyester and 5 per cent wool, woven in Turkey. It is 307 centimetres wide and designed to be railroaded, so the width becomes the drop and a wide window is dressed without seams, and it is a free match. Four natural colourways: Blanc, the cleanest; Ivoire, a shade softer; Naturel, an unbleached linen tone; and Beige Foncé, a deeper sand that warms the light noticeably. The four sit together well, so a house can change shade room by room.

We use Toue where the lightest possible sheer is wanted: across the big glazed openings of an Algarve villa, at bedroom windows behind a lined curtain, and as a single panel at a bathroom window for privacy. The linen makes it look right with stone floors, oak and limewashed walls. Pair it with Beaumarchais or a linen plain in a deeper tone. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Order by track length with 2 to 2.5 times fullness, as a light voile wants generous gathering, and add side hems. The 307 centimetre width gives a usable drop of about 290 centimetres. The rib runs horizontally, so ask your maker to keep it level across a pair. Use a fine chain weight, no lining, and allow the linen to relax for a few days before the final hem.

• Composition: 52% linen, 29% acrylic, 14% polyester, 5% wool
• Width: 307 cm (121 in)
• Weight: 140 g per square metre
• Match: Free match
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Origin: Made in Turkey
• Collection: Les Bateliers, Casamance
• Colourways: 4 (Naturel, Blanc, Beige Foncé, Ivoire)