Mark Alexander | Tosca

Tosca is a plain woven cloth in a linen and wool blend, and it is one of the more useful things Mark Alexander make. The linen gives it a dry, matt surface and a little slub; the wool gives it body and a slight give, so it pulls around a frame without fighting. There is no pattern at all. The interest is in the yarn, which is dyed before weaving and so carries a depth of colour that a piece-dyed plain never quite has. It sits somewhere between a linen union and a fine wool flannel.

The composition is 63% linen, 29% wool, 5% polyamide and 3% cotton, woven 140 centimetres wide. Martindale is rated at 100,000 rubs, severe contract, which puts it well beyond anything a domestic scheme will ask of it. Twelve colourways are offered. Silverbirch, Beech, Moss, Atlantic and Chestnut give a fair sense of the range, which runs from pale neutrals through greens and blues to Carnelian and Anthracite at either end.

We use Tosca first for upholstery, on a deep sofa, a pair of club chairs or a headboard, because it wears well and its texture reads at close range. It also makes good curtains with a decent weight to them and takes a pleated heading cleanly. We would pair it with a grasscloth wall, a wool rug and a trimming in a related tone rather than a contrast. Order a sample to see it in your own light, as the linen content shifts noticeably between daylight and lamplight.

For making up, there is no pattern to match, which keeps quantities straightforward. At 140 centimetres it will not railroad on a standard sofa back, so plan for vertical cuts and a seam where one is needed. As a curtain it wants interlining to hang properly and to stop the wool creasing along the folds. Tell your upholsterer it is a blend with real linen in it and to expect a little relaxation after fitting.

• Composition: 63% LI 29% WO 5% PA 3% CO (linen, wool, polyamide, cotton)
• Width: 140 cm
• Pattern repeat: None - plain weave
• Martindale: 100,000 rubs - severe contract
• Suitable for: Upholstery, curtains, headboards, cushions
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Collection: Tosca, Mark Alexander
• Colourways: 12 (including Silverbirch, Beech, Moss, Atlantic, Chestnut)