Petra Stripe is a woven cotton and linen stripe from GP & J Baker's Eldon collection. The bands are wide and the weave is visible, giving a dry, textural face and a matt colour that sits back rather than shining. With no vertical repeat the stripe runs straight down the cloth, which makes it one of the most practical fabrics in the collection. The linen in the blend gives the bands a slightly uneven edge where the yarn thickens, which keeps a wide stripe from looking printed on.
It is 65 per cent cotton and 35 per cent linen, 134 centimetres wide, with a 33.5 centimetre horizontal repeat. Abrasion is tested at 20,000 rubs on the Martindale scale. Five colourways: Red/Green, Soft Blue, Sand/Grey, Jazz and Red/Blue. Sand/Grey is the neutral and will behave almost as a plain; Soft Blue is the calmest of the coloured versions; Red/Green, Red/Blue and Jazz are the ones that set the tone of a room.
Curtains, loose covers, window seats and headboards all suit a stripe this wide. We would also use Sand/Grey as the plain partner to a floral from the same collection, which saves introducing a fourth cloth into a scheme. On a window seat, run the stripe from front to back rather than side to side, because it makes the seat look deeper than it is. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.
Four repeats fall across the 134 centimetre width and there is no vertical repeat, so cutting is efficient and pairs only need to start on the same band. It railroads cleanly for a long bench or a wide headboard. On a loose cover, centre the widest band down the middle of each seat cushion and keep the seams in the narrow lines.
Composition: 65% Cotton 35% Linen
Width: 134 cm (52.8 in)
Pattern repeat: 33.5 cm horizontal
Abrasion resistance: 20,000 rubs (Martindale)
Care: Dry clean professionally only; do not wash, bleach or iron
