Chelsea Fern is a botanical print of unfurling fern fronds, drawn with the same loose, painterly hand that runs through the Ashmore collection and printed in soft, broken colour rather than a flat outline. The fronds curl and overlap at a 32 by 43 centimetre repeat, giving the design a natural, slightly irregular rhythm that reads as greenery rather than a formal botanical plate.
The cloth is 80 per cent linen, 14 per cent viscose and 6 per cent polyester, a blend that keeps the linen's dry hand while adding a little body. It is 129 centimetres wide with a 32 centimetre vertical and 43 centimetre horizontal repeat, and GP & J Baker specify it for curtains and bedspreads. Six colourways: Red, Blue, Aqua/Bronze, Aqua, Green and Spring Green. The two aquas are the softest in a bedroom; Red is the one to use when a room wants warmth.
We use it for curtains in a garden room or a bedroom that looks onto planting, where the fern reads as an extension of what is outside the window. It also makes a good bedspread, and a pair of cushions in one of the greens carries the print onto a plain sofa. Pair with a plain linen in Aqua or Green, or a small geometric for contrast. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
Allow one repeat per drop and match the fronds across widths so they continue rather than break at the seam. Line and interline curtains; the broken print benefits from a firm backing that stops it reading thin against strong light. It is not specified for upholstery, so keep it to windows, beds and cushions, and press from the reverse to protect the print.
Composition: 80% linen, 14% viscose, 6% polyester
Width: 129 cm (51 in)
Pattern repeat: 32 cm vertical, 43 cm horizontal
Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
Collection: Ashmore, GP & J Baker
Colourways: 6 (Red, Blue, Aqua/Bronze, Aqua, Green, Spring Green)
