Lelievre | Sylve

Sylve is an embroidered cloth from Lelièvre's Empreintes collection, built on a linen and viscose ground with an allover embroidery worked in a small, close repeat. At 10 centimetres vertical by 11 centimetres horizontal the motif reads as texture rather than a bold pattern from across a room, so the interest comes from the way the stitching catches the light and the slight relief you feel under the hand. It is the kind of cloth we reach for when a room needs quiet richness rather than a loud pattern.

The composition is linen 58 per cent, viscose 35 per cent and polyester 6 per cent, giving a cloth with linen's texture and viscose's soft fall, at a width of 135 centimetres. There are four colourways: Naturel, a pale undyed neutral; Mordore and Bronze, both warm burnished metallics; and Sienne, a deeper burnt orange-red. Naturel keeps a scheme calm, while Mordore and Bronze bring a warmth that reads well against stone, timber and aged brass.

We tend to use Sylve on a pair of full-length curtains where the embroidery can be read up close, or as wall upholstery behind a bed or in a study, where the texture becomes the backdrop rather than the focal point. It also works well as a run of cushions on a plain linen or velvet sofa, picking up one of the metallic tones without covering the whole piece in pattern. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light, since embroidered cloths shift considerably between daylight and lamplight.

Because the repeat is small, pattern matching across curtain widths is straightforward and does not add materially to the quantity required. We would still brief the maker to keep embroidered panels away from pins and heavy interlining that could snag the stitching, and to line curtains in this cloth both to protect the reverse of the embroidery and to give the fabric proper weight and fall at the hem.

• Composition: Linen 58%, Viscose 35%, Polyester 6%
• Width: 135 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 10 cm vertical, 11 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, Sienne)