GP & J Baker | Halki Linen

Halki Linen is a plain from the Vintage Linen collection, part of the House's Artisan books, woven to suggest the soft, slightly irregular hand of an old linen despite being predominantly viscose. With no repeat to match, it behaves as a true plain, and the finishing gives it a gentle, worn softness rather than a crisp, new one, the sort of hand that usually only comes with age and washing.

The composition is 68 per cent viscose, 17 per cent linen, 10 per cent cotton, 4 per cent polyester and 1 per cent other fibres, a blend built to imitate the softness of a genuinely old linen. It is 137 centimetres wide with no stated repeat, and GP & J Baker tested it to 50,000 Martindale rubs, one of the highest figures in this selection, which is rated for upholstery. There is one colourway, Ivory, a soft, warm off-white.

We use it for a sofa in genuinely heavy daily use, where the 50,000 rub count gives real confidence, and for curtains in a room that wants a soft, vintage-toned neutral rather than a crisp white. Pair it with almost any archive print or embroidery in the wider collection, since Ivory is designed to recede rather than lead the scheme, sitting comfortably behind a busier pattern on cushions or a second chair. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

With no repeat, cutting is simple and wastage low. Line curtains for a good fall; for upholstery, standard construction applies, and at 50,000 rubs it is one of the hardest-wearing plains in this selection, suited to a family sofa in constant use without special handling or extra protective treatment.

• Composition: 4% polyester, 68% viscose, 17% linen, 10% cotton, 1% other
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Abrasion resistance: 50,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Upholstery, Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Vintage Linen, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Ivory)