Strawberry Thief Velvet Pencil Pleat Curtains - Indigo

These pencil pleat curtains carry the Strawberry Thief design along their leading edge, embroidered onto a matt velvet ground in a deep indigo blue. The pattern first appeared in 1883 and is one of William Morris's best known: thrushes stealing fruit, worked here in warm rust, gold, sage and cream threads that stand out against the dark cloth. Because the embroidery runs as a band down the inner edge of each panel rather than across the whole width, the design draws the eye up the sides of the window while the plain velvet body reads as a rich, solid colour. The fabric is 100% polyester and the curtains are sold as a pair, fully lined, with a 5 inch pencil pleat header sewn into the top.

They suit a formal sitting room, a bedroom or a dining room where you want a warm, enclosing feel and some floor-length weight at the window. The velvet handles light softly and the indigo works with a great many wall colours, from deep blue-greens to warmer neutrals. A pencil pleat header gathers onto standard curtain tape, so they hang from hooks on a track or a pole and pull into even, close folds. The embroidered borders meet in the centre when the curtains are drawn, framing the window; open, they sit at the outer edges as a pair of decorative panels.

The header takes standard curtain hooks, so you can adjust the gather to suit your rail. As these are 100% polyester and finished with embroidery, they are dry clean and cool iron only, which keeps the velvet pile and the stitched detail in good order. The Strawberry Thief design also appears across matching embroidered cushions and throws, so the curtains can be picked up elsewhere in the room if you want to carry the pattern through.

Do these curtains come as a pair?

Yes, each order is a pair of curtains, two panels, so you have one for each side of the window.

What is a pencil pleat header?

It is a gathered tape sewn along the top, here 5 inches deep, that pulls into neat upright folds and hangs from hooks on a track or pole.

Where does the embroidered pattern sit on each panel?

The Strawberry Thief embroidery runs as a band down the leading edge of each curtain, so the two borders meet in the middle when the curtains are drawn.

How do I clean them?

They are dry clean only, and a cool iron may be used, which protects both the velvet pile and the embroidered threads.

Are they lined?

Yes, the curtains are fully lined, which adds weight, helps them hang well and gives a little more privacy at the window.

What sizes are available?

They run from 117 by 137cm up to 228 by 228cm per pair, so measure your window width and drop before choosing.