Or bombasine; a cloth made in the textile mills of Kidderminster in the 18thC, woven in a twill or corded pattern with a silk warp and wool worsted weft. It’s now more commonly made of cotton and wool and when wool alone is referred to as wool bombazine.
Bombazine has a good drape and the silk content brings a lovely extra dimension to it–a lighter hand, soft to the touch and with a little extra sheen.
Its lightness, malleability and drape lend it to long elegant curtaining and formal pelmets, such as swags and tails, and is often used in restoration projects.
Richard Humphries was commissioned to weave the cloth for sections of the 1770 and 1877 Althorp House–even the simple description below is inspirational:
” Silk and wool bombazine in sea grey for the restoration of the window drapes in the south drawing room.”
Richard Humphries commission