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The Cutting Table · compared on the table

Are your cushion fabrics performance fabrics, like Crypton?

Also asked as:Any performance fabric?Performance velvet like Crypton?

Performance is a word with many coats of paint on it. Here is what it means on these swatch cards, my friends, and what it does not.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans ·

Mustard piped bench cushion on a rustic oak farmhouse bench beside a white kitchen island, pillows and wildflowers on topSave
A mustard cushion turns a plain oak bench against the kitchen island into a proper seat.

The quick answer

Yes, the shop describes its cushion fabrics as performance fabrics made for durable daily use: machine washable, pre-shrunk and suited to high-use rooms. The exception is the striped fabrics, which are 100% cotton and may not last as long. There is no branded stain-proof finish like Crypton and no coating, so for families with small kids, velvet and soft fabric are the easiest to wash and wipe.

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Five fabric families, read for daily life

FabricSold asCleaningBest for
VelvetPerformance velvetMachine-washable cover; wipes easilyHomes with small kids
Soft fabric (microfiber)Performance fabricEasiest to wipe cleanThe heaviest daily use
LinenPerformance fabricMachine washable, pre-shrunkEveryday seats; choose velvet over it for hard use
Striped cotton100% cotton, not a performance fabricWashableLighter use; may not last as long
Outdoor rangeSeparate outdoor fabricsMade for wet conditionsAnywhere the cushion may get wet

Key facts

  • The shop describes its fabrics as performance fabrics for durable daily use.
  • The fabrics are machine washable and pre-shrunk.
  • The velvet is sold as a performance velvet.
  • Striped fabrics are 100% cotton and may not last as long.
  • There is no branded stain-proof finish and no coating.
  • Velvet and soft fabric are the easiest to clean for families with small kids.

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Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you

Color is easier to settle in a conversation than on a screen. Tell the workshop about the room and the light it gets, and the fabric choice follows. — Élodie

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 shop describes its fabrics as performance fabrics for durable daily use.
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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What “performance” means here, and what it does not

Here the word means three plain things: the cloth washes in a machine, it is pre-shrunk so the cover still closes afterward, and it is woven for rooms that get used hard. That is the performance fabric promise on these cards.

It does not mean a coating. No stain-proof finish is applied, branded or otherwise. Your protection is the zip-off cover and the wash, so on performance and pet-friendly fabrics and on velvet alike, blot a spill quickly and wash the cover when it needs it. The performance fabric Pattern goes deeper.

The striped exception

Stripes are the charmers of the swatch box, crisp as a seersucker morning. But the striped cottons and ticking are 100% cotton, and they may not last as long as the rest.

For a kitchen bench cushion that meets juice and crayons daily, velvet or soft fabric is the kinder choice. Which room will your cushion live in, and who spills there most?

The 100% cotton stripes are the one fabric here not sold as a performance fabric, so pick velvet or soft fabric for a bench that meets daily spills.

Élodie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Do you work with performance fabric?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. All the fabric charts on the linen bench listing are performance fabrics made for durable daily use. The exception is the striped fabrics, which are 100% cotton and may not last as long.

  2. A common question

    Are these performance fabrics, the way Crypton is?

    The workshop's answer

    The shop describes all its fabrics as performance fabrics, and the velvet is a performance velvet from a named mill. For homes with small kids, velvet and soft fabric are the easiest to wash and clean.

  3. A common question

    Do you have performance fabrics that wash easily?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. All the shop's fabrics are machine-washable performance fabrics and are pre-shrunk, which suits high-use areas.

  4. A common question

    Is your fabric stain-resistant?

    The workshop's answer

    In that reply the shop didn't name a performance fabric. It described its linen as high quality, durable and easy to clean, and pointed families to the soft microfiber fabric as the easiest to wipe clean.

Questions buyers ask next

Does velvet come with a stain-repellent coating?

No. The velvet has no stain-repellent coating, so blot spills quickly with a dry cloth and rely on the zip-off cover: it machine washes at 86°F (30°C) max on a gentle cycle.

Which fabric wears hardest on a busy bench?

All are upholstery-grade and wear well, and velvet, soft fabric and linen are broadly equal. For the heaviest use choose soft fabric, pick velvet over linen, and use the outdoor range anywhere the cushion may get wet.

Is faux leather an option for a wipe-clean seat?

Yes, faux leather is available at a small extra cost, and one textile in the range has a leather-like feel. For wipe-clean seating without leather, velvet works well.

Do performance fabrics contain PFAS?

Some do. Many stain finishes that make spills bead up rely on fluorinated (PFAS) chemistry, and a stain-proof label won't tell you which. Ask any maker for a written statement about the finish and the full fiber content. The workshop says its standard fabrics have no added coatings, but it hasn't supplied PFAS test documents, so this site makes no PFAS-free claim.