GP & J Baker | Floralcheck

Floralcheck does what its name says: a floral embroidery laid over a stitched check, so the flowers sit inside a soft grid. It is a device borrowed from old quilts and folk textiles, and it gives the design a settled, domestic order that a free-flowing trail does not have. The rayon thread has a slight sheen against the matte linen, so the check and the flowers read differently as the light changes. It is the most domestic design in the collection.

The composition is 75 per cent linen and 25 per cent rayon, the rayon being the embroidery thread. It is 134 centimetres wide with a 58 centimetre vertical and 67 centimetre horizontal repeat, and it is specified for curtains and bedspreads. One colourway, Red/Green, which reads as a warm brick red and a leaf green on natural and sits well with cream, timber and terracotta.

We use it as a bedspread more than as a curtain, because the check likes to lie flat; it also makes a good pair of curtains in a farmhouse kitchen or a country bedroom, and cushions on a plain sofa. Pair with a plain linen in either colour or a simple stripe. In a boot room or a kitchen it is robust enough as a blind, and the check hides marks better than a plain. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Keep the check square: ask your maker to cut on the grain and match the grid across widths and at the hems. Allow a full repeat per drop. Line and interline curtains; a bedspread wants a light interlining for weight. It is not rated for upholstery. For cushions, centre a flower in each square and cut with the grid, not on the diagonal.

• Composition: 75% linen, 25% rayon
• Width: 134 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 58 cm vertical, 67 cm horizontal
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Winslow, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Red/Green)