GP & J Baker | Albermarle

Albermarle is a fine semi-plain with a shallow horizontal movement, a 3 centimetre step across the cloth and only 1.5 up it, so what you see is a soft banding in the weave rather than a stripe. The hand is light and dry and the drape is good, helped by the viscose, while the linen and cotton give it enough substance to take a seat cushion without going slack.

Composition is 45 per cent viscose, 28 per cent cotton, 21 per cent linen and 6 per cent polyester, woven 139 centimetres wide and tested to 30,000 rubs, which the supplier covers for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Aqua is the colourway, a pale green-blue that lightens a north-facing room and reads almost grey in the evening, so try it against both daylight and lamplight before deciding.

We would use Albermarle for bedroom curtains, for a small upholstered chair, or as loose covers in a garden room where the colour should feel like the light outside. It works alongside cream, sand and pale oak, and it will hold its own against a stronger blue on cushions. In a bathroom it makes a good blind, provided the window is not over a bath. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

The horizontal movement is what to watch: line the banding up across every seam and, on a pair of curtains, at the same height on both leading edges. Because the repeat is small the waste is minimal, so add half a metre to a plain calculation. Interline curtains for weight, and weight the hems well; a light cloth in a draughty room will otherwise lift at the sill.

• Composition: 45% viscose, 28% cotton, 21% linen, 6% polyester
• Width: 139 cm (55 in)
• Pattern repeat: 1.5 cm vertical, 3 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 30,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Essential Colour III, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Aqua)