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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Can the piping be a different fabric from the cushion, like velvet piping on linen?

Also asked as:Linen for the body but velvet for the piping?Linen base with velvet trim.

Mixing fabric types is allowed. Mixing indoors with outdoors is the one pairing I'd talk you out of.

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The Piping Queen of Newport ·

White box cushion with fine black pinstripes on a light oak bench against a charcoal painted brick wallSave
A crisp pinstripe cushion on a slim oak bench stands out against a courtyard wall painted charcoal.

The quick answer

Yes, the piping can be a different fabric type from the cushion body, and velvet piping on a linen cushion is a common mix. Write both codes separately in the personalization note, for example 'Cushion: soft fabric #126 / Piping: L-20'. The workshop advises against one pairing: an outdoor fabric body with indoor piping such as velvet.

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Key facts

  • The body and the piping can be different fabric types.
  • A linen body with velvet piping is a common mix.
  • Ice-blue soft fabric #126 has been paired with tan linen L-20 piping.
  • Write the body and piping codes separately in the note.
  • An outdoor body with indoor piping can be sewn but is advised against.
  • For heavy-use dining cushions, durable indoor fabrics throughout are recommended.
  • Piping can be cut from more than 150 colors across the charts, at no extra charge.
  • Velvet, linen and soft fabric share the same care, so a mixed cover washes at 86°F (30°C) max on a gentle cycle.
  • The indoor fabrics are heavy-duty upholstery grade, at least 7.4 oz per square yard (250 g/m²).
  • Cushions only 1 in (2 cm) thick are made without piping.

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Have Maggie’s workshop cut this for you

I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — Maggie

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 body and the piping can be different fabric types.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
A linen body with velvet piping is a common mix.
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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Your order note, line by line

  • Cushion body: fabric family and code, e.g. soft fabric #126.
  • Piping: fabric family and code, e.g. linen L-20.
  • Two separate, labeled lines, so nobody guesses which code goes where.
  • For a busy dining table, hard-wearing indoor fabrics for both.

Pairings to think twice about

  • An outdoor fabric body with velvet piping: it can be sewn, but the workshop advises against it.
  • Two codes in one unlabeled line, such as 'L-20, #126'.

Why the trim can change but the setting shouldn't

Piping is a narrow strip of fabric wrapped around a cord, and it doesn't care what the body is made of. Linen with a velvet welt, soft fabric with a linen welt: both have been made, and a straight welt is a kind of honesty in any cloth.

The one mix the workshop steers you away from is outdoor with indoor. If you picked an outdoor fabric because the dining table takes a beating, choose durable indoor fabrics for body and piping instead, so the whole cushion wears as one. The piping Pattern covers matching versus contrast piping, and the velvet and linen and cotton-linen pages hold the swatches. What color is the piping in your head right now?

A cushion can have a linen body and velvet piping; the one mix worth skipping is an outdoor fabric body with indoor velvet piping on a dining seat.

Maggie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Can the cushion be one fabric and the piping another, like velvet?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, a linen body with velvet piping, or any mix, is no problem. Write both codes in the personalization or note field, for example 'Body: linen L-xx, Piping: velvet xxx', and it's made that way.

  2. A common question

    Could I have a soft-fabric body with linen piping?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Types and colors can be mixed, such as an ice-blue soft-fabric #126 body with tan linen L-20 piping. Write both in the note to seller: 'Cushion: soft fabric #126 / Piping: L-20'.

  3. A common question

    For durability, can my dining cushions be outdoor fabric with velvet piping?

    The workshop's answer

    It can be made, but the workshop advises against mixing an outdoor and an indoor fabric on one cushion. If durability is the goal, it recommends indoor fabrics that stand up to heavy use.

  4. A common question

    Does the piping run around the top and the bottom of the cushion?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Piping runs around both edges and both faces use the same fabric, so the cushion is reversible. You can even pick a different piping color for each side, like L70 on top and L63 underneath.

Questions buyers ask next

Is a cushion without piping any cheaper?

No. Piping is included in the price, so leaving it off doesn't change the quote. Write 'no piping' next to your fabric code and the edges are sewn plain and flat.

Should outdoor cushions have matching or contrast piping?

Same-fabric piping is recommended outdoors, because it reinforces the edges. Indoors, piping is purely a style choice at the same price: about half of orders choose it and half go without.

Do modular floor sofas come with piping?

Not by default. Modular floor sofas have a flat seam, and every piece is sewn to match. Write your preference in personalization if you want something else; contrast trim on pillows can be left off.