GP & J Baker | Vortex

Vortex is a fine-textured weave from the Essential Colours group, its very small 1.5 by 3.5 centimetre repeat giving the surface a barely-there grain that reads as a plain from any normal viewing distance. It is cross-listed alongside the House's Signature Prints, which tells you it was developed as a companion plain to that print range specifically, chosen to pick out a single tone from a busier design rather than to stand alone as a feature cloth.

The composition is 52 per cent viscose, 24 per cent cotton, 18 per cent linen and 6 per cent polyester. It is 137 centimetres wide, with a 1.5 centimetre vertical and 3.5 centimetre horizontal repeat, and GP & J Baker tested it to 40,000 Martindale rubs, which is rated for upholstery. Five colourways: Spice, Azure, Indigo, Sea Foam and Shingle, moving from warm terracotta through blue and green to a pale, quiet neutral.

We use it for a sofa or curtains alongside one of the Signature Prints designs, choosing the colourway that picks out one tone from the print. Pair Spice with a warm archive floral, or Azure and Indigo with a cooler, more formal print elsewhere in the room, leaving Sea Foam and Shingle for a paler, quieter scheme overall. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

The fine repeat wastes very little fabric. Line curtains for a good fall; for upholstery, standard construction applies, and at 40,000 rubs it is rated for genuinely heavy daily use. Check the dye lot across a large order, and keep a swatch of the print you are pairing it with when choosing between the five colourways available.

• Composition: 52% viscose, 24% cotton, 18% linen, 6% polyester
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 1.5 cm vertical, 3.5 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 40,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Upholstery, Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Essential Colours, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 5 (Spice, Azure, Indigo, Sea Foam, Shingle)