--- title: "Velvet piping on a linen cushion: yes, and how to order it" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/different-fabric-piping-velvet-linen/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/" published: "2026-04-13" updated: "2026-04-13" keywords: "velvet piping on linen cushion, contrast piping, mixed fabric cushion piping, custom cushion piping, linen bench cushion" --- # Can the piping be a different fabric from the cushion, like velvet piping on linen? *Mixing fabric types is allowed. Mixing indoors with outdoors is the one pairing I'd talk you out of.* Also asked as: Linen for the body but velvet for the piping?; Linen base with velvet trim. > **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. ![White box cushion with fine black pinstripes on a light oak bench against a charcoal painted brick wall](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/black-pinstripe-oak-bench-cushion-charcoal-brick-courtyard-1600.webp "A crisp pinstripe cushion on a slim oak bench stands out against a courtyard wall painted charcoal.") ## 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. ## 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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-piping-matching-contrast-none/) covers matching versus [contrast piping](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#contrast-piping), and the [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) and [linen and cotton-linen](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-and-cotton-linen/) pages hold the swatches. What color is the piping in your head right now? > **Tailor's margin:** Order velvet piping on a linen cushion by writing two labeled codes on separate lines in the note: 'Cushion: linen code' and 'Piping: velvet code'. > 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 ## Buyer questions **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. **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'. **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. **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. ## Related at the atelier - [Can the piping be a different color from the cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/contrast-piping-color-cushion/): Yes: piping can be cut from any color in the fabric charts, matching or contrasting, at no extra cost. - [Bench Pads in Lilac Velvet and Slate With Gold and Wine Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/lilac-gray-slate-bench-pads-gold-wine-piping/): Pipe pale bench cushions in warm gold and dark ones in deep wine: gold lifts lilac and pale gray, while wine red on slate adds richness without glare. - [Custom Bench Cushion Piping Up Close: Red, Sage and Oatmeal](https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-sage-oatmeal-box-cushion-piping-close-up/): To make several custom bench cushions look like one set when you host, keep every fabric in one tone family and reverse a piping pair: cherry red with oatmeal welt, oatmeal with red welt, sage in… - [Linen Bench Cushion Close-Up: Oatmeal Slub and Brown Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/oatmeal-slub-weave-brown-piping-close-up/): A linen-look slub weave feels dry and slightly nubby, looks like linen without real linen's creasing, and wears well on a custom bench cushion when a welt holds the edges square. - [Should my piping match the cushion or be a contrast color?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/matching-vs-contrast-piping/): Either works: about half of custom cushion orders use matching piping and half use contrast. - [Does the piping go around both the top and bottom of the cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/piping-top-and-bottom-edges/): Yes, the piping runs around both the top and bottom edges of the cushion, and both faces are cut from the same fabric, so it can be flipped. - [Linen bench cushions: which 'linen' is on your bench, and how it wears](https://cushionguide.com/guides/linen-bench-cushions/) - [Velvet bench cushions: how the pile behaves and how to care for it](https://cushionguide.com/guides/velvet-bench-cushion-care/) *Stitch straight — Maggie* --- Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) 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/different-fabric-piping-velvet-linen/