GP & J Baker | Leighton

Leighton is a botanical embroidery on linen with a strongly two-coloured palette: red flowers and green leaves stitched in dense polyester thread over a natural ground. The drawing is fuller than the trails in the collection; foliage and bloom fill the repeat, and the raised stitch gives it a tapestry-like depth. It is a design for a room that wants warmth and a bit of weight.

The composition is 63 per cent linen and 37 per cent polyester, the polyester being the embroidery thread, which is why the cover is so dense. It is 134 centimetres wide with a 64 centimetre vertical and 67 centimetre horizontal repeat, and it is specified for curtains and bedspreads. One colourway, Red/Green, which sounds festive but in practice reads as a deep coral and a mossy green and sits well with cream walls, old timber and brass.

We use it for curtains in a country sitting room or a dining room, for a bedspread in a guest room, and for cushions on a plain linen sofa where the two colours can be picked up elsewhere in the room. Pair with a plain in the green and a small stitched geometric on a chair. In a small room it works best on one surface only, with everything else plain. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Allow a full repeat per drop and match across widths; the dense stitching is heavy, so use a good interlining and a strong heading tape. Ask your maker to press from the reverse over a soft cloth. It is not rated for seating; keep it to windows, beds and cushions. A bedspread wants a light interlining so the stitching does not dimple the surface.

• Composition: 63% linen, 37% polyester
• Width: 134 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 64 cm vertical, 67 cm horizontal
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Winslow, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Red/Green)