Bray is the plain we would specify first out of this whole collection. Three fibres, no repeat, a close even face, and a Martindale figure that puts it well beyond what most domestic furniture will ever ask of it. The handle is dry and firm without being stiff, it takes a tailored edge cleanly, and the colour is held deep in the yarn so it does not rub pale on an arm or a seat front.
It is 45 per cent cotton, 40 per cent viscose and 15 per cent polyester, woven 137 centimetres wide and tested to 50,000 rubs, which is heavy domestic use, and the supplier rates it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Eleven colourways: Linen, Oatmeal, Mole, Nutmeg, Chestnut, Indigo, Olive, Emerald, Ochre, Dove and Charcoal, which is a complete palette of neutrals, browns, greens and a blue in one cloth.
We use Bray for the pieces that get used every day: a family sofa, kitchen and dining chairs, a hall bench, loose covers that go back and forth to the cleaners. Take Linen, Oatmeal or Dove for the large upholstery and use Emerald, Indigo or Ochre on a single chair or a set of cushions, all in the same weave. It sits with everything. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
For a three-seat sofa allow 16 to 18 metres, for a pair of loose-covered dining chairs about 3. Order the whole job at once so the batch matches, and keep every panel running the same way up. On a piece that will take real wear, ask for the seat and inside back to be cut from the same part of the piece, and have arm caps made from the offcuts.
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Composition: 45% cotton, 40% viscose, 15% polyester
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Width: 137 cm (54 in)
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Abrasion resistance: 50,000 rubs (Martindale)
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Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
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Collection: Essential Colour III, GP & J Baker
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Colourways: 11 (Linen, Oatmeal, Mole, Nutmeg, Chestnut, Indigo, Olive, Emerald, Ochre, Dove, Charcoal)
