GP & J Baker | Wilton Stripe

Wilton Stripe is a woven stripe with a wool content, which gives it a warmth of surface that a flat cotton stripe never has. The stripe repeats every 8 centimetres up the cloth, so it runs across the width as it comes off the roll, and the bands are tonal rather than contrasting, built from several close colours rather than two. It has a soft, dry handle and a little spring from the wool.

The blend is 29 per cent viscose, 25 per cent cotton, 15 per cent polyester, 13 per cent linen, 9 per cent wool and 9 per cent acrylic, woven 137 centimetres wide with an 8 centimetre repeat, and tested to 25,000 rubs. That is general domestic use rather than heavy, and the supplier rates it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Two colourways: Ivory and Sand, both quiet neutrals.

We would use it on a window seat, on a pair of bedroom chairs, or as cushions that run a stripe across a plain sofa. As curtains it is best left to a room with simple joinery, where a vertical stripe will read as height. It goes with unbleached linen, pale oak and rush, and it is a good partner for a check in the same tones. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Because the stripe runs across the width, it can be railroaded on a long piece, which saves both cloth and seams on a bench or a headboard; tell your upholsterer at the outset so they order the right quantity. For curtains, the stripe runs vertically once the cloth is turned, and you should centre a band on each leading edge so the pair mirror one another and match across every join.

• Composition: 29% viscose, 25% cotton, 15% polyester, 13% linen, 9% wool, 9% acrylic
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 8 cm vertical
• Abrasion resistance: 25,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Essential Colour III, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 2 (Ivory, Sand)