I really like ticking -- the kind that has stripes that are woven in (not printed). I have had both canvas and ticking leaders and prefer the ticking. The lines in it do help, plus ticking comes in some nice colors. James Thompson is the brand, I believe, that has the woven stripes in it:
https://www.fabric.com/buy/0267621/4...ng-stripe-pink
I got the pink because pink is cheerful for me.