Mark Alexander | Spirit

Spirit is a plain cloth woven from linen with viscose, and the blend does two useful things at once. The linen gives it the dry hand and the slight irregularity in the yarn that you want from a natural fibre; the viscose adds weight and lets it fall in a softer, rounder fold than linen manages alone. There is no pattern. The interest is in the slub, which catches light along the length of a curtain and keeps a large expanse from looking flat.

It is woven from 52 per cent linen and 48 per cent viscose at a 140 centimetre width, with no repeat to allow for. The Martindale figure is 25,000 rubs, general domestic. There are five colourways and all of them stay close to the undyed end of the spectrum: Jasper White is the palest, Natural the raw flax tone, Plaster a warm off-white, Silverbirch a cool grey and Sepia the one mid brown. They sit together well enough to use two in one room.

We use it for full-length curtains most often, where the drape is the whole argument for it, and for flat Roman blinds in a bedroom or a study. It is also fine for light upholstery: a slipper chair, a bedroom stool, a loose cover on a piece that is not in daily use. Pair it with a heavier wool on the seating and let this be the soft layer. Order a sample to see it in your own light.

Give it a good interlining if you want the fold to hold its shape, and allow for a small amount of movement, since linen blends relax after hanging. We ask curtain makers to let the panels hang for a few days before the hems go in. Cut everything in the same direction so the slub runs consistently. For upholstery, keep it to pieces that are not sat on hard, and have the cloth backed if it is going over a tight seat.

• Composition: 52% LI 48% VI
• Width: 140 cm
• Pattern repeat: Plain, no repeat
• Martindale: 25,000 rubs - general domestic
• Suitable for: Curtains, blinds, light upholstery, cushions
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Collection: Spirit, Mark Alexander
• Colourways: 5 (Jasper White, Natural, Sepia, Plaster, Silverbirch)