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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Should a very long bench or window seat cushion be one piece or split?

Also asked as:Will it be one cushion, or do you make it two?It's 117¾ in (299 cm) long. Will that be two cushions?

Past a certain length, one cushion turns into a wrestling match with a staircase. Here is where the workshop puts the seam, with the real numbers.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit ·

Red and white stripe seat and back cushions on a built-in kitchen banquette by a pine table, with copper pans on a shelfSave
A cottage kitchen banquette with a red stripe seat and backrest, copper pans above and a bowl of apples on the table.

The quick answer

Split a very long bench or window seat cushion into equal pieces once the seat passes about 98-118 in (2.5-3 m): a 111 in (282 cm) bench became two 55 in (140 cm) cushions. Equal pieces fit better, last longer and are easier to handle. Each piece is ordered as its own cart item, and one piece is still made on request.

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Key facts

  • Seats past about 98-118 in (2.5-3 m) are recommended in two or more equal pieces.
  • A 111 in (282 cm) bench was made as two 55 in (140 cm) cushions.
  • A 92 in (234 cm) seat is suggested as two 46 in (117 cm) pieces.
  • A 197 in (500 cm) nook cushion was made in three pieces.
  • Long soft back pillows sag: 88 in (224 cm) is better as two 44 in (112 cm) pillows.
  • Each piece is ordered as its own cart item.
  • One-piece construction remains an option on request.

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Have Nate’s workshop cut this for you

Every edge and both diagonals, to the nearest 1/4 in. If the numbers do not close, the workshop will say so on the call. — Nate

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.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Split or not: five checks

  • Measure the full run. Past about 98-118 in (2.5-3 m), the workshop recommends equal pieces for durability, fit and easier handling.
  • Divide evenly. 103 in (262 cm) becomes two 51.5 in (131 cm); 205.5 in (522 cm) becomes two 103 in (261 cm).
  • Go to three for a long nook. A 197 in (500 cm) nook cushion was made in three pieces.
  • Split the backs too. A soft 88 in (224 cm) back pillow sags in the middle; two 44 in (112 cm) pillows cover the same span without the sag.
  • Order each piece as its own cart item, usually by adding two or more cushions at their own size.

Real runs

Seat runHow it was made
92 in (234 cm)Suggested as two 46 in (117 cm) pieces
98.5 in (2.5 m) banquette seatOne piece, at the buyer's request
103 in (262 cm)Offered as two 51.5 in (131 cm); made whole at 103.5 in (263 cm) on request
111 in (282 cm)Two 55 in (140 cm) cushions
197 in (500 cm) nookThree pieces
205.5 in (522 cm)Two 103 in (261 cm) cushions
13 x 13 ft (4 x 4 m) seating groupSeparate modules, each with its own back cushions

Why equal pieces win, and when one piece is fine

The workshop gives three reasons: durability, fit and easier handling. A 92 in cushion is a lot of foam to steer into a window bay; two 46 in pieces go in one at a time, and they ship easier too. Soft back pillows are the plainest case, because at 88 in one pillow sags in the middle.

It is still your call, partner. Send a photo and measurements and the workshop will advise, or ask for one piece. Button tufting can be added to long custom seats either way. Measure twice; the fabric remembers.

The long bench cushion pattern shows where to put the split, how to measure a bench covers the run itself, and the bench cushion builder lets you try two pieces against one. More long seats live in the window seat cushions atlas. How long is your run, end to end?

A soft back pillow 88 in long sags in the middle; two 44 in back pillows cover the same bench without the sag.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My window seat is over 150 inches long. Will the cushion be one piece or split?

    The workshop's answer

    The workshop asks whether you want very long cushions as one piece or split into sections, and they can be split into equal halves. For soft back pillows, one 88 in (224 cm) pillow would sag in the middle, so two 44 in (112 cm) pillows are recommended.

  2. A common question

    My bench is about 118 in (3 m) long. One cushion or two?

    The workshop's answer

    Your choice: a 118 in (299 cm) bench can be made as one single piece or split into two cushions; state your preference with the order. For kitchen benches, send a photo and measurements and the workshop will advise which makes more sense.

  3. A common question

    Should a 103 in (262 cm) cushion be one piece or two?

    The workshop's answer

    Both are possible: one 103 in piece or two 51.5 in (131 cm) pieces. The workshop recommends two, but made a single long piece, later adjusted to 103.5 in (263 cm) long and 15.75 in (40 cm) wide, at the buyer's request.

  4. A common question

    Can you make one very long cushion for our nook?

    The workshop's answer

    Very long cushions are split into pieces. A 32.5 x 197 in nook cushion in beige velvet with black piping was made in three pieces, and a 100 in (254 cm) back cushion could be split in two as well.

Questions buyers ask next

Where does the split go on a long bench cushion?

Usually in the middle, so the pieces come out equal, like 205.5 in (522 cm) made as two 103 in (261 cm) cushions. For a long nook, three pieces may suit better; send a photo and measurements and the workshop advises.

Can a long split cushion still be tufted?

Yes. Button tufting can be added to long custom seats, whether they are made as one piece or split into equal sections. Mention it in the order alongside each piece's size so every section is made to match.

How do I order a bench cushion in two pieces?

Add each piece to the cart as its own item at its own size, usually two or more cushions from the same listing. Note in the personalization box that they sit end to end on one bench, with the fabric and details the same.