This inexpensive fabric was made to be used for curtains and upholstery. The fabric was made to provide a cheap alternative to silk damask, the type of furnishing textile favoured by the middle and upper class for their homes. Made in the Yorkshire factory of Ackroyds of Halifax, this inexpensive textile was made from a mixture of cottons and worsted yarns woven in their bleached white state by power-activated jacquard loom. The finished patterned fabric was dyed green, with the ground (in worsted) absorbing most colour and the pattern (in cotton) resisting the dye to remain white.

The jacquard loom attachment, which was introduced into the damask trade of Halifax in 1827, provided a versatile, quicker and cheaper form of weaving than had been available previously. The search to cut costs even further saw the introduction of power, thus cutting out the need for staff. Increasing the number of looms power-driven together further reduced costs, and by the mid-19th century large weaving factories were being developed throughout the north of England. Consequently the use of the jacquard loom has been cited as one of the main causes of Victorian poverty and urban decay.