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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

Can I get solid piping to match a color in my striped fabric?

Right, then. You've found the stripe you love, and now you want its navy line picked out in the welt. Sometimes that works. Here's when it doesn't.

Answered by

The Piping Queen of Newport ·

Pinned by Maggie

The quick answer

Sometimes: striped and patterned fabrics have no solid in the same tone, so solid piping for a striped cushion comes from another chart and may differ slightly. The workshop picks the closest shade under natural light, such as linen L-43 for stripe N23. The guaranteed match is self-piping cut from the striped fabric itself.

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Key facts

  • Striped fabric collections have no matching solid fabrics.
  • The patterned P-code fabrics have no solid colors; contrast piping for them comes from the velvet or Soft charts.
  • Piping cut from a different fabric type may differ slightly in tone.
  • The workshop compares shades under natural light; linen L-43 was used as piping for stripe N23.
  • Thin stripes can't be cut into a solid piping strip.
  • Self-piping from the same fabric is the guaranteed color match.
  • If no piping choice is given, the shop asks before production.
  • Striped and ticking fabrics are 100% cotton, apart from one chart at 98% cotton and 2% polyester.
  • Stripe widths run from about ¼ in up to 2-2½ in (0.7 cm up to 5-6 cm); the narrowest can't be cut into a solid piping strip.
  • The fabric roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so stripes on a long cushion run front to back.

Have it made

Have Maggie’s workshop cut this for you

Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — 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
Striped fabric collections have no matching solid fabrics.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The patterned P-code fabrics have no solid colors; contrast piping for them comes from…
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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First: is there a plain version of my stripe?

No. Striped lines come in stripes only; there is no solid sibling in the same tone. The patterned P-code fabrics are the same, so a solid piping for those comes from the velvet or Soft charts.

That puts a different fabric type on the edge, and a different fabric type can land a shade off the stripe. I once promised a customer an exact navy and delivered its cousin, dear. Never again without saying so up front.

Then: can you get close?

Often, yes. The workshop lays candidate solids from hundreds of fabrics against the stripe under natural light and picks the nearest. Linen L-43 went on as piping for striped N23. On one outdoor bench, the piping was matched to the gray stripe.

The piping Pattern covers matching, contrast and no piping in general, and the striped cotton and ticking library shows the stripes themselves.

And when the stripe is too thin?

A thin stripe can't be cut into a solid strip; there isn't enough of one color. One taupe stripe had no solid option anywhere, so the choice was piping cut from the striped fabric or no piping at all. The shop sent a photo of the striped piping first.

For a guaranteed match, choose self-piping, and read the stripe direction Pattern before you order. Which color in your stripe do you want the edge to repeat?

Your piping note, line by line

  • Write the body code, for example N23.
  • Write the piping code, or 'piping same color' plus the code for self-piping.
  • Ask for a photo of piping cut from your stripe if you're unsure.
  • Accept that a solid from another chart may sit one shade off.
  • Leave nothing blank: an empty piping choice means the shop asks before production.

Solid piping on a striped cushion comes from a different chart and can sit a shade off; piping cut from the stripe itself always matches.

Maggie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My striped fabric doesn't come in a plain version. What can I use for the piping?

    The workshop's answer

    Striped lines only come in stripes, with no solid in the same tone. Use the same striped fabric for the piping, or pick a solid color from another chart.

  2. A common question

    Can I have a solid-color piping cord with one of the patterned P fabrics?

    The workshop's answer

    The P fabrics have no solid colors, so piping from the same fabric is usually recommended. For a different piping color, choose from the velvet or Soft collection.

  3. A common question

    Will solid piping exactly match a color in my stripe?

    The workshop's answer

    Not always. Piping from a different fabric type may not be identical in tone, so the workshop picks the closest match from hundreds of fabrics. The guaranteed match is self-piping from the cushion fabric, which is the shop's recommendation; a close code in the same fabric type is another option.

  4. A common question

    Can I have solid piping in the same taupe as my striped fabric?

    The workshop's answer

    For one striped taupe, solid piping without stripes wasn't possible. The shop sent an example photo of piping cut from the striped fabric, and the choice was that or no piping.

  5. A common question

    Should the piping match the cushion or contrast with it?

    The workshop's answer

    Both are popular, about half of orders each. Self-piping gives a clean, low-risk look; contrast piping frames the edges. For a subtle outline, pick a code one shade darker, like L-44 with L-43.

Questions buyers ask next

Does contrast piping on a striped cushion cost extra?

No. Piping can be cut from any color in the fabric charts, matching or contrasting, at no extra cost. Write both codes in the order note, body first and piping second, and the shop confirms before production.

Where do I write my piping choice when I order?

In the personalization box: 'Body: code, Piping: code' for a contrast, or 'piping same color' plus the code for self-piping. If the form has no piping option, send the code in a message instead.

Can a striped cushion be made with no piping at all?

Yes. When a stripe is too thin to cut a solid strip and striped piping isn't wanted, no piping is an option. One taupe stripe was offered exactly that pair of choices: striped piping or none.