GP & J Baker | Oriental Bird Embroidery Silk

Oriental Bird is one of GP & J Baker's best-known archive designs, exotic birds drawn among flowering branches in the chinoiserie manner the House has worked with since its earliest print books; this Embroidery Silk version reworks the design in stitch rather than print, on a lustrous rayon and silk ground. At 133 centimetres the horizontal repeat spans the full width, so the birds and branches trail continuously across a curtain rather than repeating in obvious blocks.

The ground is 64 per cent rayon and 36 per cent silk, which gives the embroidery thread real sheen and lets the stitching catch the light differently to a matte linen embroidery. It is 133 centimetres wide, with a 38 centimetre vertical repeat and a 133 centimetre horizontal repeat, and GP & J Baker specify it for curtains. There is one colourway, Aqua/Multi, a blue-green ground carrying the birds in a mix of accent colours; it is the more layered, decorative option for a room that wants colour.

We would use it for a pair of curtains in a drawing room or a formal bedroom, somewhere the light can catch the stitch morning and evening, and a single width makes a striking headboard panel. Pair it with a plain silk or a fine linen weave in one of the accent colours, and keep the rest of the room simple so the embroidery carries the scheme. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Because the horizontal repeat is the full cloth width, lay the widths out with your maker before cutting so the trail of birds continues unbroken from one drop to the next. Allow a full vertical repeat per drop. Line and interline, and ask your maker to press from the reverse over a soft cloth so the stitching keeps its relief; it is specified for curtains rather than upholstery, so keep it to windows and panels.

• Composition: 64% rayon, 36% silk
• Width: 133 cm (52 in)
• Pattern repeat: 38 cm vertical, 133 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, tumble dry, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Holcott Fabric, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Aqua/Multi)