Lelievre | Neo

Neo is another of the embroidered cloths in Lelièvre's Empreintes collection, worked on a fine viscose, polyester, cotton and linen ground in a tight four-centimetre repeat. The scale is smaller again than its sister fabrics in the collection, so up close you see individual stitches, and the pattern almost disappears into an allover texture, which is what makes it easy to use across a large expanse of curtain or wall without feeling busy.

Composition is viscose 49 per cent, polyester 27 per cent, cotton 16 per cent and linen 8 per cent, at a width of 127 centimetres, with a four centimetre repeat in both directions. There are four colourways: Naturel, a warm off-white; Mordore and Bronze, both burnished metallic tones; and Acajou, a deep mahogany brown. We find Naturel useful where a scheme needs texture without adding colour, while Acajou reads almost like a solid from a distance and suits a darker, more masculine room.

We would use Neo for curtains in a study or bedroom where a subtle, tactile fabric is wanted rather than a pattern, for wall upholstery behind a headboard, or worked into cushions alongside a plain velvet. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light and to feel the hand of the cloth, which is finer than the width might suggest. It also pairs comfortably with plainer weaves from elsewhere in the range, so it can sit in a scheme without dominating it.

The small repeat means pattern matching is not a practical concern and quantities can be calculated much as for a plain fabric. We would still ask the curtain maker to handle cut edges carefully, as with any embroidered cloth, and to line and interline as normal for a fabric of this weight, which helps the curtain hang well and protects the stitching on the reverse.

• Composition: Viscose 49%, Polyester 27%, Cotton 16%, Linen 8%
• Width: 127 cm (50 in)
• Pattern repeat: 4 cm vertical, 4 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, wall upholstery, cushions
• Care: Do not wash or bleach; if ironing is needed, use a low heat and keep the iron away from any water, as slight shrinkage can occur. Dry clean using perchlorethylene.
• Collection: Empreintes, Lelièvre Paris
• Colourways: 4 (Naturel, Mordore, Bronze, Acajou)