Strawberry Thief Velvet Pencil Pleat Curtains - Forest Green

These pencil pleat curtains carry the Strawberry Thief design, first drawn by William Morris in 1883 and here rendered in dense embroidery down a leading edge. The birds, flowers and trailing foliage are stitched in amber, gold, cream and green thread, and they run as a vertical panel against a plain forest green ground. The fabric is a matt velvet, so the pile catches light softly rather than shining, and the embroidered strip sits proud of the surface where the two curtains meet. They are sold as a pair and made in eight sizes, from 117 x 137cm up to 228 x 228cm, so you can match the drop and the width to your window rather than settling for the nearest standard.

A deep, saturated green like this suits a room where you want warmth and enclosure: a sitting room panelled below the dado, a bedroom, a study with darker walls. The embroidered leading edges frame the window when the curtains are drawn back and become a continuous run of pattern when they meet in the middle, so they work whether the window is dressed open or closed. They sit comfortably alongside painted wood, warm timber furniture and pink or terracotta accents, picking up the ochre birds in the stitching.

Each curtain is fully lined, which gives the velvet body and helps it hang in even folds, and the top is finished with a five inch pencil pleat header that gathers the fabric into neat vertical pleats and takes standard curtain hooks for a track or a pole. Being polyester, the velvet is hard-wearing and holds its colour well. The care is straightforward: dry clean and cool iron only. The Strawberry Thief embroidery also appears on cushions and throws in this range, so the design can be echoed elsewhere in the room.

Do these curtains come as a pair?

Yes, each order is a pair of curtains, so you receive two panels ready to dress both sides of your window.

How do I choose the right size?

Sizes run from 117 x 137cm up to 228 x 228cm, given as width by drop per pair, so measure your track width and the length you want the curtains to fall.

Will a pencil pleat header fit my pole or track?

The five inch pencil pleat header gathers the fabric into vertical pleats and takes standard curtain hooks, so it works on either a pole or a track.

How should I clean them?

These curtains are dry clean only, and any pressing should be done with a cool iron to protect the velvet pile and the embroidery.

Where does the pattern sit on the curtain?

The Strawberry Thief embroidery runs as a panel down the leading edge of each curtain, so the two edges form a continuous strip of pattern where they meet.

Are the curtains lined?

Yes, they are fully lined, which gives the velvet weight to hang in even folds and adds a little more privacy at the window.