Cecily is a small printed floral on 100 per cent linen, a sprig design set in close rows with the print sitting into the slub of the cloth rather than on top of it. Linen takes a print with a softness that cotton does not, and the result here is a pattern that looks slightly aged from new. At a distance it is texture; close to, it is a proper little flower.
One hundred per cent linen, 133 centimetres wide, repeating 20 centimetres vertically and 19 centimetres horizontally, which is small and near square. GP & J Baker list it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Five colourways: Indigo, Blue/Green, Red/Green, Ochre/Teal and Red/Blue. Indigo is the strongest and works as a near-plain from across a room, while Ochre/Teal is the one to use when a scheme needs warmth and coolness in the same cloth.
We use it for bedroom curtains, for loose covers on a small chair, and for cushions and lampshades. It is a good cloth for a run of dining chair seats, because the repeat is small enough to place without waste. Pair it with a plain linen and one of the Canton stripes. It also lines a curtain well, and takes a contrast trim. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
Linen creases and relaxes, so let the cloth settle before cutting and expect curtains to drop a little after hanging: have the hem set a week or two later. The small repeat means low wastage, and the rows should be matched at the seams. For seat pads, centre a sprig on each and cut the set from the same length.
