Mulberry Home | Garden Party

Garden Party is the design the collection is named for, and it sets the tone: a full-blown English border printed on a cotton and linen ground, with blooms drawn loosely enough to feel hand-painted rather than botanical. The cloth is a 90 per cent cotton, 10 per cent linen union, so it has the smooth face that takes a print well and just enough linen to keep it from looking flat. In a room it does what a good chintz has always done, which is bring the garden indoors without any of the primness.

The width is 137 centimetres, with a 46 centimetre vertical repeat and a 45 centimetre horizontal one, a medium-to-large scale that needs a little room to show itself. It is recommended for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There are three colourways: Blue/Green is the cool, fresh one, Antique sits on a tea-stained ground that flatters old furniture, and Soft Red/Green is the warm, faded version we reach for in a drawing room with a fire.

We would hang it as full-length curtains in a bedroom or a sitting room, interlined so the folds are generous, and let a plain wool or a small check do the talking elsewhere. It also makes a handsome loose cover on an armchair, or a bedspread over a plain linen headboard. It pairs naturally with Mulberry's own stripes and with the Garden Party wallpaper in the same colourway. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: with a 46 centimetre repeat, allow one extra repeat per drop when you calculate curtain quantities, and ask your maker to place a full motif at the leading edge and at the hem. For upholstery, centre a bloom on the inside back and on each seat cushion, and be prepared for a little more waste than a plain. It must be dry cleaned, so we keep it away from kitchens.

• Composition: 90% cotton, 10% linen
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 46 cm vertical, 45 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Garden Party, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 3 (Blue/Green, Antique, Soft Red/Green)