Crossroads is a small geometric print on a cotton and linen cloth, made of crossed lines and blocks drawn freehand so that nothing is quite square, from Kit Kemp's second GP & J Baker collection. The linen content gives the ground a slub that shows through the print and keeps it from looking mechanical. At a distance it works as a texture; close up you can see the hand in it.
Fifty-five per cent cotton with 45 per cent linen, 135 centimetres wide, with a repeat of 26 centimetres vertically and 27 centimetres horizontally, which is small, square and easy to plan. It is listed for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads, so it will take everyday use. Four colourways: Chocolate, Blue, Green and Clementine. Chocolate is the one we use most as a background cloth, Clementine is the warm accent, and Blue and Green both sit well with the prints in the same book.
We use it for loose covers, dining chair seats and cushions, and it makes an unfussy roman blind in a kitchen or boot room. It is also the cloth to use when a room has a large floral in it and needs something to calm the scheme down. Pair it with a plain linen and a velvet. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
The small repeat keeps wastage low: allow one repeat per drop and you will be close. For seat pads, cut each one from the same part of the repeat so the set looks deliberate rather than random. On loose covers, ask your upholsterer to align the crossing lines on the front border with those on the seat.
Composition: 55% Cotton 45% Linen
Width: 135 cm (53.04 in)
Pattern repeat: 26 cm vertical, 27 cm horizontal
Care: Dry clean only
Collection: Kit Kemp Prints & Embroideries II, GP & J Baker
