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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

Where does the zipper go on my cushion, and will it show?

A zipper is supposed to be a cushion's little secret, neighbor. When somebody can see it, it's usually a question of which way is up.

Answered by

The Porch Keeper of Savannah · · Updated

Pinned by Rosa

The quick answer

The zipper goes on the cushion's back edge, the one against the wall, window or chair back, or on the underside, and it comes standard on every cover at no extra charge. On bench cushions it runs in an L around two corners underneath. If you can see the zipper, the cushion is probably upside down or turned around.

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Key facts

  • Zippers come standard on every cover at no extra charge.
  • The zipper sits on the back edge, facing the wall, window or chair back.
  • It can also sit on the underside.
  • Bench cushion zippers run L-shaped around two corners, along one long and one short side underneath.
  • The zipper side faces down or back against the seat.
  • When the order doesn't make the back edge clear, the workshop asks.

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Every good cushion I know started with a long porch chat. This is the short version: leave your number and the workshop will call. — Rosa

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

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“Is the zipper extra, and which edge gets it?”

No charge. Every cover gets a zipper as standard, so every cover comes off. The only question is where it hides: the back edge, the one against the wall, the window or the chair back, or the underside, where nobody looks but the dog.

If your order doesn't make the back edge clear, the workshop asks. On one 23 5/8 x 17 3/4 in (60 x 45 cm) cushion the zipper went on the 23 5/8 in edge, not the short one. The zipper placement pattern shows how to name your edge, and the chair cushion builder helps you see which side faces the chair back. Which side of your seat meets the wall?

“How does the foam come out of a long bench cushion?”

Around the corner. On a bench cushion the zipper runs in an L around two corners, along one long side and one short side on the underside. Open it and the foam slides out without a wrestling match, and the cover can go in the washing machine. That's a wraparound zipper, and it's why a long cover doesn't fight you.

“I can see the zipper. Did they sew it wrong?”

Usually not. Turn the cushion over, or turn it around, before you write in. The zipper side is meant to face down or back against the seat so only the clean face shows. The same goes for a dining chair cushion: zipper edge toward the chair back, and the front stays clean.

A real project

The cut-out cushion that came zipper-up

Once in a while it really is the cover. A buyer's cushion with a cut-out arrived with its zipper facing up. The workshop didn't argue about it; it sewed a new cover with the zipper on the bottom and shipped it by FedEx.

On a bench cushion the zipper wraps two corners on the underside, along one long and one short side, so the foam slides out easily.

Rosa Delgado
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Do zippers cost extra, and which edge do they go on?

    The workshop's answer

    They're standard on every cover at no extra charge. The zipper goes on the back edge, against the wall, window or chair back. If the order isn't clear, the workshop asks; on one 23 5/8 x 17 3/4 in (60 x 45 cm) cushion it went on the longer edge.

  2. A common question

    Will I see the zipper once the cushion is on the seat?

    The workshop's answer

    It shouldn't show. Every cover has a removable zipper on the back side, hidden as far as possible, and the zipper side faces down or back against the seat. If you see it, the cushion may be upside down.

  3. A common question

    Does the bench cushion cover come off for cleaning, and where's the zipper?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. The hidden zipper runs in an L along one long and one short side on the underside, so the cover comes off easily.

  4. A common question

    Is there a zipper so the cover can be washed?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. It runs around two corners, so the foam insert slides out easily and the cover can go in the washing machine.

  5. A common question

    What do you need to make a cover for foam I already have?

    The workshop's answer

    The exact length, width and thickness of each insert. Choose the closest size range, write the sizes and fabric code in the personalization box, and place one order per size; odd thicknesses such as 5.5 in are fine.

Questions buyers ask next

Can I ask for the zipper on one particular edge?

Yes. Name the edge in your order, such as the long back edge. When the order leaves it unclear, the workshop asks which edge faces the wall or chair back before the cover is sewn.

Can a cover be resewn if the zipper really is on the wrong side?

In a past case, yes: when a cushion with a cut-out came with its zipper facing up, the workshop sewed a new cover with the zipper on the bottom and shipped it by FedEx. Check that the cushion isn't simply upside down first.

Do tufted cushions have a zipper too?

No. Tufted cushions are made without a zipper, because the buttons are sewn through the filling. The standard zipper belongs to plain covers, which is why only those come off for washing.

How far does the zipper run on a box cushion cover?

Farther than one side on bench and mattress covers. The zipper usually runs along the back edge and around two corners in an L, so the firm insert can be folded and slid in or out. Foam cutters recommend exactly that: a zipper that wraps a couple of inches around the back corners makes refitting a snug cover much easier.