Ticking

Ticking stripes may have come from humble origins as mattress coverings, but their elegant simplicity has ensured they are the understated powerhouse of any interior scheme, says Celia Rufey

- Celia Rufey

Through history, every textile knew its status, from commonplace weaves to luxury silks and satins. The ticking stripe was ranked among the lowly. It was used to make butchers’ aprons, army tents and even corsets, but most of all it covered mattresses.

Ticking was first known in Europe during the medieval period. Its appeal as a cover for mattresses came from the density and strength of a weave that helped to stop the straw or feather inner from working through. True ticking has always been, and still is, a herringbone weave. This takes each weft thread over two or three warp threads instead of over just one, so more threads are packed together, giving the weave greater density anda characteristic diagonal line. Many feather pillows still have cases in herringbone, so history has proved the point.