Hebden Melange Cotton Pillowcase Pair - Forest

This is the Hebden pillowcase pair, made from 100% cotton and printed with a melange stripe. A melange stripe is one where the coloured yarn tone is slightly broken up rather than flat, so the green reads as a soft, lived-in line against the cream ground rather than a hard printed edge. Each pair gives you two pillowcases sized 50 x 75cm, the standard UK housewife measurement, so they will fit an ordinary bed pillow without bunching or hanging loose. The supplier gives a 144 thread count, which sits in the everyday-use range: a fabric that feels soft and a little crisp at the same time, with the matt finish you can see in the photographs rather than any sheen.

These suit a bedroom you want to feel calm and unfussy. The green-and-cream stripe is quiet enough to sit under a patterned throw or a plain-coloured duvet without competing, and it works as happily in a light, natural-toned room as against darker painted walls. Because the pair coordinates with the wider Hebden range shown here, you can build up a matching bed with the fitted sheet and duvet cover, or use the pillowcases on their own to lift plainer bedding you already own. The stripe runs the length of the case, which reads neatly when the pillows are stood or laid flat.

The closure is an envelope back, so the pillow tucks in behind an overlapping flap and stays put with no buttons or zips to press against your head. Each case carries an Oxford border, the flat stitched frame you can see around the edge, which gives the pillow a tidy defined outline once filled. Being pure cotton, these are straightforward to live with: cotton is breathable, absorbs moisture through the night and washes and irons well, holding up to repeated laundering. Pair them with the rest of the Hebden range or let them do the quiet work under a bolder bedspread.

What size pillow will these fit?

They measure 50 x 75cm, the standard UK housewife size, so they suit an ordinary bed pillow rather than a square Continental or a bolster.

How does the pillow stay inside the case?

Each case has an envelope closure, meaning the pillow tucks in behind an overlapping fabric flap at the back with no buttons or zips to feel through the case.

What is a melange stripe?

It is a stripe where the coloured yarn tone is gently broken rather than solid, giving the green a soft mottled look instead of a flat, hard-edged printed line.

How should I wash cotton pillowcases?

Cotton is a hardwearing natural fibre that launders well and takes an iron easily, so these can go through a normal wash and be pressed for a crisp finish.

What is the Oxford border?

It is the flat stitched frame around the edge of each case, which gives the pillow a tidy defined outline once it is filled.