George & Minnie | Oakley

Oakley is a small-scale print from George & Minnie's Minnie Prints collection, a little sprig-like motif drawn in one colour and printed on a linen and cotton union cloth. The 27 by 11 centimetre repeat sets the sprigs in a tight, upright rhythm, so the cloth reads as a soft, textured semi-plain across a room and only shows its drawing close to. It is a print for people who want the comfort of pattern without the commitment of a motif.

The cloth is 55 per cent linen and 45 per cent cotton, 136 centimetres wide, with a 27 centimetre vertical and 11 centimetre horizontal repeat, and the mill rates it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There are 3 colourways, including Aqua and Periwinkle; Aqua is the fresher, greener blue and Periwinkle the softer, lilac-leaning one, and both sit comfortably with the whites and creams of a bedroom.

We tend to use Oakley for bedroom curtains where the bed is in a bigger print, for a loose cover on a small nursing chair, for a bedspread with a wide border, or for a set of roman blinds in a bathroom. It works well under Wild Meadow or Minnie's Garden in the same blue, and with a Checkmate valance in a matching colour. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

The small repeat makes it economical to cut and easy to match, but keep the sprigs running upright on every piece and confirm the direction with the workroom before anything is cut. A cotton sateen lining protects the linen content from sun and gives curtains a better fold, and the 136 centimetre width will make a roman blind for most windows without a join. Allow an extra half metre on a chair so the motif can be centred on the seat.

• Composition: 55% linen, 45% cotton
• Width: 136 cm (53.5 in)
• Pattern repeat: 27 cm vertical, 11 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose and fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Professional dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Minnie Prints, George & Minnie
• Colourways: 3 (including Aqua and Periwinkle)