---
title: "Custom Cushion Fabric Options: Linen, Velvet, Soft Fabric"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-cushion-fabric-options/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-05-16"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "custom cushion fabric options, cushion fabric types, velvet or linen cushion, soft fabric cushion, teddy fabric cushion"
---

# What fabrics can I choose from for a custom cushion?

*Three families dress most of the cushions that leave the table, each with its own numbered chart. Around them sit the textures that change how a room feels.*

Also asked as: What fabrics do you have available?; Are all your fabrics velvet?

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions are made mainly in three indoor fabric families: linen (including linen-look), velvet and an easy-clean soft fabric, each with its own numbered chart of about 40 colors. Teddy, corduroy, 100% cotton, 100% linen, chenille, faux leather and a water-repellent outdoor range are also available, and thousands more fabrics can be sourced on request.

![Rust bouclé cushion following a five-sided bay window bench with cream cupboards, sheer curtains and an olive tree](https://cushionguide.com/media/bay-window-cushions/rust-boucle-five-sided-bay-window-cushion-928.webp "A rust bouclé cushion wraps every facet of a five-sided bay, with cream and sage pillows set on the central panels.")

## Key facts

- The three main indoor fabric families are linen, velvet and soft fabric.
- Each family has its own numbered color chart of about 40 colors.
- Teddy, corduroy, 100% cotton, 100% linen, chenille and faux leather are also available.
- A separate water-repellent range covers outdoor cushions.
- The workshop can source from more than 10,000 fabrics, including stripes and prints, on request.
- Teddy costs more than soft fabric or velvet.
- Models shown in linen can also be made in velvet.

## Linen, velvet and soft fabric: the three charts side by side

| Family | The hand and the look | Chart | Workshop note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linen, including linen-look | Matte and textured; 100% linen and cotton-linen are offered too | Numbered, about 40 colors | Models shown in linen can be made in velvet |
| Velvet | Short pile with a sheen that moves with the light | Numbered, about 40 colors | One of the easiest to clean on a banquette |
| Soft fabric | Smooth, durable upholstery weave with a linen look; polyester, poly-cotton or microfiber depending on the line | Numbered, about 40 colors | Easiest to clean; preferred around messy kids |
| Teddy, bouclé-style | Nubby, curly pile, warm to the hand | Its own chart | Costs more than soft fabric or velvet |
| Outdoor water-repellent | A separate outdoor range | Its own chart | Also used for quilted sofa toppers |

## Why forty colors, not four hundred

A chart of about 40 is a palette someone has already edited, my friends, not a shortage. Forty well-chosen shades of linen, from oat to ink navy, will dress more rooms than four hundred near-twins. Let one color speak and the others listen.

Behind the charts, the workshop can source from more than 10,000 fabrics, hundreds of linens alone, including stripes and prints. That is sourcing access, not a stocked chart, and each listing shows only its own charts. So a velvet you saw elsewhere may simply live on another page. Ask, describe the shade, and a match is sought. The [fabric types Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-fabric-types-compared/) sets the families against each other, and [striped cotton and ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/) shows what a stripe does to a seat.

## Teddy, corduroy, chenille and other fabrics beyond the charts

- ✓ [Teddy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/boucle-and-teddy/), bouclé-style and warm to the hand, priced above soft fabric and velvet.
- ✓ [Corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/): floor, corner and bay-window cushions can be made in the sofa corduroy at the same price.
- ✓ 100% cotton and [100% linen](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-and-cotton-linen/) for natural fibers.
- ✓ [Chenille](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#chenille), a soft, velvety yarn weave.
- ✓ [Faux leather](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/faux-leather/) for wipe-clean seats.
- ✓ A [water-repellent](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/water-repellent-membrane/) outdoor range for porches and patios.

## Choose by the life the cushion will lead

A kitchen banquette with small children wants soft fabric first and velvet second; both are the easiest to clean, and all covers wash at 86°F (30°C). A sunny reading corner can take [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) or linen. A porch needs the outdoor range. The fabrics come from OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified mills. Which room will your cushion live in?

> **Tailor's margin:** Teddy fabric costs more than soft fabric or velvet, and any cushion model shown in linen can also be made in velvet.

> Custom cushion fabric comes in three chart families, linen, velvet and soft fabric, each with about 40 colors; 10,000+ more can be sourced on request.
>
> — Élodie

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Which fabrics can I pick from?

**The workshop's answer:** The main families are linen, velvet and a soft-touch poly-cotton soft fabric, each with its own color chart. A 100% cotton, teddy, outdoor fabric and a water-repellent collection are also available.

**A common question:** What exactly is the soft fabric, and what else do you offer?

**The workshop's answer:** Soft fabric is a durable, easy-clean polyester with a linen look. Alongside it are linen and velvet, linen-like lines, water-repellent outdoor fabrics, and a very large catalog including stripes and prints.

**A common question:** I expected hundreds of colors. How many are on each chart?

**The workshop's answer:** Each of the three families, linen, velvet and the easy-clean soft fabric, has its own chart of around 40 colors, not hundreds. Teddy and a separate water-repellent outdoor range are also available.

**A common question:** Which fabrics can a custom floor cushion be made in?

**The workshop's answer:** Four main indoor fabrics, each with a numbered color chart: soft fabric (a microfiber), linen, velvet and teddy, plus a separate outdoor range. Teddy costs more than soft fabric or velvet.

**A common question:** What fabric holds up best on a kitchen banquette?

**The workshop's answer:** Soft fabric and velvet are the easiest to clean, with soft fabric preferred around messy kids. Linen also suits, outdoor fabric is the toughest, and all covers wash at 86°F (30°C).

## Questions buyers ask next

### Can I get a stripe or print that isn't on the charts?

Often, yes. Beyond the charts the workshop can source from more than 10,000 fabrics, including stripes, prints and hundreds of linens. Describe or send the look you want and a match is sought; the charts themselves stay at about 40 colors each.

### Where do the cushion fabrics come from?

The fabrics come from OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified mills. No organic certification is claimed, so if organic fiber matters to you, ask about the specific fabric before you order.

### Can I buy a second set of covers in a different fabric?

For the floor sofas, yes. Spare cover sets are sold separately: stock corduroy is the quickest to send, while velvet, linen, teddy or soft-fabric covers are made to order, cost more and take longer. Ask for current timing in writing before you order.

## Related at the atelier

- [Do you have patterned cushion fabrics, not just plain colors?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/patterned-cushion-fabric-options/): Yes, patterned fabric for custom cushions is available, though the core range is mostly plain solid colors.
- [Which of your cushion fabrics is the most durable?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/most-durable-cushion-fabric/): For the heaviest daily use, soft fabric is the most durable cushion fabric on the charts: tough, soft to the touch and easy to clean.
- [What are the striped cushion fabrics made of, and is there a linen stripe?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/striped-cushion-fabric-cotton/): The striped cushion fabrics are 100% cotton, a fully natural fabric; the black-and-white stripe is 98% cotton and 2% polyester.
- [Choosing cushion fabric: seven families compared for real homes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-fabric-types-compared/): For most indoor cushions, the linen-look performance weave is the safest choice: the best seller, soft, durable, wipeable and machine washable at 86°F (30°C).
- [Bouclé and teddy cushions: living with loops, snags and pets](https://cushionguide.com/guides/boucle-teddy-cushions-snags-care/): A bouclé cushion suits accent pillows and low-traffic floor seating better than a busy family bench, because its loops catch claws, rings and hook-and-loop tape and hold pet hair.
- [Pet Friendly Cushion Corner in Silver Gray: Why the Props Blur](https://cushionguide.com/readings/silver-gray-box-cushion-corner-self-piping-detail/): In a close-up of a pet friendly box cushion, the props should stay soft so the stitching leads: here a cream fringed throw and a plant in a woven basket sit out of focus behind a silver-gray corner.

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-cushion-fabric-options/