Drayton is a four-fibre plain with a balanced blend and a quietly substantial feel: enough cotton and linen for a dry matt face, enough viscose for drape, enough polyester for strength. There is no repeat. What distinguishes it from the other plains here is the wear figure, which is high, and the colour range, which runs from three pale neutrals through two browns to a teal, an indigo and a soft green.
The composition is 34 per cent viscose, 32 per cent cotton, 17 per cent linen and 17 per cent polyester, woven 137 centimetres wide and tested to 40,000 rubs on the Martindale scale. The supplier rates it for curtains, loose upholstery and bedspreads. Ten colourways: Ivory, Linen, Sand, Oatmeal, Espresso, Mink, Chocolate, Teal, Indigo and Sage, so one cloth can cover the seating, the windows and the bed in a single scheme.
We would use Drayton for loose covers on a sofa and armchairs, for full-length curtains, and for a bedspread and headboard in the same room. Take Oatmeal or Sand for the big pieces, Espresso or Chocolate for a chair that should recede, Teal or Sage for one that should not. It goes with oak, rush, plaster and brass. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
Loose covers want an extra metre of allowance for shrinkage and should be dry cleaned rather than washed. With no repeat, order on length: a two-seat sofa cover takes roughly 15 metres including piping and a generous skirt. Order in one batch for dye lot consistency, and keep every panel the same way up so that raking light across a long back does not show a change of tone.
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Composition: 34% viscose, 32% cotton, 17% linen, 17% polyester
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Width: 137 cm (54 in)
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Abrasion resistance: 40,000 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: 10 (Ivory, Linen, Sand, Oatmeal, Espresso, Mink, Chocolate, Teal, Indigo, Sage)
