Circus Life Jubilee Red

Circus Life Jubilee Red belongs to Jubilee, the collection Tilda put together for its twenty-fifth anniversary, gathering festive prints from different years. Here a bright red ground is filled with blue elephants in gold blankets, balancing ballerinas, swing carousels and little parasols: a lively print that reads well from a distance.

It works best over larger areas, where the figures stay whole: the centre blocks of a quilt, children's bags and drawstring sacks, cushions, curtains and fabric baskets. It pairs happily with the dots, stripes and small florals of the same collection. Pre-wash the fabric before cutting, so the slight shrinkage happens before you sew; for long strips, choose one of the larger cuts.