GP & J Baker | Roar Stitch

Roar Stitch is an embroidered lion, worked in thread on a cotton and linen ground for Kit Kemp's second GP & J Baker collection. The faces are drawn rather than rendered, which keeps them charming rather than heraldic, and the raised stitching gives the cloth a texture you can feel under a hand. It is a design with personality, so use it where you want people to smile at it.

The base is 50 per cent cotton, 40 per cent linen and 10 per cent spun polyester, 130 centimetres wide, with a repeat of 38 centimetres vertically and 43.5 centimetres horizontally. GP & J Baker list it for curtains and bedspreads, since an embroidered surface is not intended for seating. Two colourways: Jewel, with the thread colours at full strength, and Green, which sits more quietly against a linen wall. Both keep the ground pale so the stitching reads clearly.

We use it for curtains and blinds in a child's room or a small study, for a bed end or a throw, and for cushions in a room that is otherwise plain. It also works as a panel on a headboard, framed rather than upholstered over. Pair it with a plain linen and a small woven check. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Embroidered cloths need their seams planned around the motifs, so give your maker the finished sizes early and let them set the lions out before cutting. Interline curtains so the back of the stitching does not shadow in daylight, and steam from the reverse only. At 130 centimetres, allow for an extra width on a wide window. Cut generously, because there is no second chance with a placed motif.

• Composition: 50% Cotton 40% Linen 10% Spun Polyester
• Width: 130 cm (51.07 in)
• Pattern repeat: 38 cm vertical, 43.5 cm horizontal
• Care: Dry clean only
• Collection: Kit Kemp Prints & Embroideries II, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 2 (Jewel, Green)