Cloudline is a printed stripe of a sort: wavering bands drawn freehand so the lines swell and thin as they run, printed onto a cotton and hemp ground. There is no vertical repeat to place, only the 17 centimetre step across the cloth, which makes it one of the most forgiving patterns in Kit Kemp's second GP & J Baker collection. Close to, the brush-drawn edge is what you notice.
Eighty per cent cotton with 20 per cent hemp, 136 centimetres wide, with a horizontal repeat of 17 centimetres and no vertical repeat to allow for. That means no wastage on the drop, which keeps quantities sensible on tall windows. The mill lists it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Six colourways: Chocolate, Blue/Green, Green, Spice, Indigo and Clementine. Chocolate and Indigo are the quiet ones, while Clementine and Spice are warm enough to lift a north-facing room.
We use it for curtains, where the stripe falls naturally with the pleats, and for loose covers and cushions. It is the cloth we reach for when a scheme already has a floral and needs a second pattern that will not argue with it. It also makes good roman blinds. Pair it with the prints from the same book, or with a plain velvet. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
Because the stripe runs with the length, decide where a band falls on the leading edge and keep it consistent on both curtains of a pair. There is no drop match, so seam allowances are the only wastage. For a wide seat, consider railroading the cloth to run the stripe across and avoid a centre seam.
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Composition: 80% Cotton 20% Hemp
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Width: 136 cm (53.43 in)
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Pattern repeat: 17 cm horizontal
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Care: Dry clean only
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Collection: Kit Kemp Prints & Embroideries II, GP & J Baker
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Colourways: 6 (Chocolate, Blue/Green, Green, Spice, Indigo, Clementine)
