Red Stripe Linen Napkins (Set of 2)

A pair of red stripe linen napkins, woven on a soft oatmeal ground with a fine two-tone basketweave you can feel. The classic of the three, and the easiest one to wrap up as a gift.

• Set of two, a matching pair
• Size, 48cm wide x 45cm long as it arrives, settling to about 46.5cm wide x 41cm long after its first wash
• 59% linen, 41% cotton, 325gsm, real weight, fine basketweave
• Woven, never printed, the red stripe runs right through, so it will not fade or crack with washing
• Reversible, a crisp stripe on the front, a softer echo on the back, no wrong side
• Steam-softened, no chemical softeners, just steam and time
• Open, lively weave, highly absorbent and lint-free, good for wiping glasses as well as the table

Designed by Maison Elhoria, woven in Europe exclusively for us, and cut and sewn in Yorkshire, England. Wash at 40°C first, up to 60°C after, line dry. Pairs with the red tea towel and table runner.

A note on the finish

This cloth does not sit still. It is soft, open and lively, and it moves under the needle. Amanda, who sews it for us in Yorkshire, works with soft fabrics every day, and this one still tests her. So the seams are not perfectly straight, and no two pieces are quite the same.

That is the trade. The same looseness that makes it wander under the needle is exactly what makes it so absorbent and lint-free on glassware. A stiffer, better behaved cloth would sew beautifully and dry badly.

This is loom state linen, not pre-shrunk. It shrinks once, on the first wash, drawing in by about 12% along its length. After that it holds its size for good, and softens every time you wash it. Both sizes are on this page, so there are no surprises.

Expect an artisan finish, because it is an artisan product.