Threads | Strand

Strand is a textured plain from the Threads Quintessential Naturals collection, a range of easy, unfussy linen weaves made for curtains and blinds. The yarn is fine and slightly irregular, giving the surface a thread-like, hand-spun quality that is closer to raw linen than to a smooth furnishing weight, and the name suits it: there is a coastal, sun-bleached quality to the way it takes light. There is no motif, just the natural character of the fibre.

The cloth is 100 per cent linen, 137 centimetres wide, with no pattern repeat to plan around, which keeps cutting simple. The page lists it for curtains, and the collection is designed for curtains and blinds; there is no rub count published, so we would not use it for seating. It comes in a single colourway, Ivory, a warm, slightly uneven white that looks well against washed timber, limestone and linen upholstery, and works equally well as a backdrop to pattern elsewhere in the room.

We tend to use Strand for full-length curtains in a bedroom or a coastal living room, where the fine, slubby texture suits a relaxed scheme, and for Roman blinds in a bathroom or kitchen where a flat panel shows the yarn at its best. It pairs well with a printed cushion or a heavier plain on the sofa. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

There is no repeat to match, but fine linen yarns can shade along the roll, so cut every drop for one window from the same bolt and keep the direction of the weave consistent. Line and interline the curtains to give the cloth weight and to protect it from strong sun, allow a generous hem for movement, and have it dry cleaned rather than washed to avoid shrinkage.

• Composition: 100% linen
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Suitable for: Curtains, blinds
• Care: Do not wash; dry clean professionally, do not bleach and do not iron
• Collection: Quintessential Naturals, Threads
• Colourways: 1 (Ivory)