Threads | Nala

Nala is the signature print of the Threads Nala Prints collection, a hand-drawn design on pure linen that takes its structure from the tribal architecture and textiles of West Africa. The motif is built from simple, repeated marks laid out in a loose geometric order, so it has the discipline of a woven pattern and the softness of something painted by hand. At 67 by 32 centimetres the repeat is mid-scale: large enough to read across a room, small enough to work on a chair.

The cloth is 100 per cent linen, 128 centimetres wide, with a 67 centimetre vertical repeat and a 32 centimetre horizontal repeat. The page lists it for curtains and for loose and fixed upholstery, but the abrasion figure is 3,000 double rubs on the Wyzenbeek cotton duck test, which is light duty, so we keep it to curtains, cushions and lightly used chairs. It comes in a single colourway, Indigo, a deep blue drawn on a natural linen ground that pairs with almost any neutral.

We tend to use Nala for curtains in a study or a guest bedroom, where the pattern gives the room a point of view, and for an occasional chair or a bench cushion in a hallway. It sits well with the plainer Nala Linen sheers at the same window and with a textured weave in a warm neutral on the main sofa. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Allow a full 67 centimetre repeat per drop when calculating curtain quantities, and match the pattern across the width; on a 128 centimetre cloth most windows will need at least two widths per curtain, so ask your maker to plan the joins on a quiet part of the drawing. For chairs, centre the motif on the seat and inside back, and line and interline curtains to protect the linen from sun; dry clean only.

• Composition: 100% linen
• Width: 128 cm (50 in)
• Pattern repeat: 67 cm vertical, 32 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 3,000 double rubs (Wyzenbeek cotton duck)
• Suitable for: Curtains, cushions, light occasional upholstery
• Care: Do not wash; dry clean professionally, do not bleach and do not iron
• Collection: Nala Prints, Threads
• Colourways: 1 (Indigo)