GP & J Baker | Basil Stripe

Basil Stripe is a woven cotton in a medium stripe, a broader band flanked by finer lines and repeating steadily across the width. It is yarn-dyed rather than printed, so the colour goes right through the cloth and the reverse is usable. This is a straightforward, useful cloth of the kind every scheme needs somewhere, and the weight suits both curtains and seating. Stripes of this width are the easiest to place, because nothing has to be centred perfectly for the cloth to look right.

One hundred per cent cotton, 137 centimetres wide, with a horizontal repeat of 19.5 centimetres and no vertical repeat to allow for. It is listed for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Three colourways: Green/Indigo, Blue and Red/Indigo. Blue is the plainest and easiest to place, while Green/Indigo and Red/Indigo each carry two colours, which saves you looking for a second cloth to bridge a scheme together.

We use it for dining chair seats and loose covers, for curtains in a kitchen or a boot room, and for cushions on a plain sofa. It also works on the outside back of an armchair when the front is in a print. Pair it with a plain linen and one floral. It also suits a fitted bench. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Decide the band placement before cutting: centred on a seat, and mirrored on a pair of curtains. There is no drop match, so allow only for seam matching. Cut a set of chair seats from one length so the stripe sits identically on each, and on a bench railroad the cloth to run the stripe across and avoid a join.

• Composition: 100% Cotton
• Width: 137 cm (53.82 in)
• Pattern repeat: 19.5 cm horizontal
• Care: Dry clean only
• Collection: Symington Stripes, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 3 (Green/Indigo, Blue, Red/Indigo)