The Cutting Table · compared on the table
Can you delay shipping so my order arrives on or after a certain date?
Also asked as:Can you schedule the delivery on the 1st or after?Deliver by the 15th, or else after the 21st?
Some of the best porch stories start with a package that beat its owner home. Here's how to make sure yours waits for you.
SaveThe quick answer
Often, yes: past buyers wrote the date in the order note or messaged the shop, and the finished order was held and handed to the courier to arrive on or after that day, not before. If you'll be away, aim for after your return, since a delay in transit could otherwise land it while nobody is home. Ask the shop to confirm the plan in writing.
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What to write, and what happens next
| Your situation | Write in the order note | What the shop has done |
|---|---|---|
| You need it on a set day or later | "Please deliver on the 1st or after" | Timed the shipment to arrive on or after that date, not before |
| You'll be traveling | "Away until the 21st, please ship to arrive after" | Held the finished order and aimed delivery for after the buyer's return |
| You have a window | "By the 15th, or else after the 21st" | Planned the ship date around the window given |
| You only find out later | Message the shop as soon as you know | Held the finished order and handed it over on the buyer's date |
Key facts
- Shipments have been timed to arrive on or after a date the buyer gave.
- Finished orders have been held and handed to the courier on a chosen date.
- Put the date in the order note, or message the shop.
- If you'll be away, the shop prefers to aim delivery for after you return.
- A custom bench or window seat cushion needs making time and delivery time; ask the shop for both.
- Listing colors are the quickest; full-chart or patterned fabrics take longer, so ask for the date.
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Swings sway, rockers rock, dogs circle three times. Tell the workshop what your seat goes through, and they will plan for it. — Rosa
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.
The parcel that waited
A buyer messaged the workshop before a trip. Could the parcel wait, so it didn't show up while nobody was home? It could. The shop held the finished order and handed it to the courier after the date given.
What stuck with me was the shop's preference: aim for after the return, not just before leaving. A package cutting it close can get held up in transit, and then it lands on the step the day after you've gone.
Making time comes before any held delivery date
A held date only works if the order is finished by then. A custom bench cushion or window seat needs its making time plus delivery, so ask the shop for both. On a modular floor sofa, listing colors are the quickest, full-chart or patterned fabrics take longer, and a custom size adds production days.
Send everything with the order: your fabric code and, for odd shapes, a sketch. The cover isn't sewn until the code is confirmed. The personalization note Pattern shows how to put it all in one message.
So what's the date on your calendar, neighbor?
Your order note, ready to fill in
- The date, written as "arrive on or after" plus the day.
- If you're away, the day you're back home, not the day you leave.
- Your fabric code, confirmed.
- A sketch, if the shape isn't a plain rectangle.
- A line asking the shop to confirm the plan.
A held order should arrive after you're home, not just before you leave; one delay in transit can land it on an empty porch.
Rosa
Buyer questions
- A common question
Can my delivery be scheduled for a particular date, or later?
The workshop's answerUsually, yes: put the request on the order, and past shipments were timed to arrive on or after the date given, not before.
- A common question
I'm traveling. Can you hold the shipment so it doesn't arrive while I'm gone?
The workshop's answerYes. The shop can hold a finished order and hand it to the courier after a date you choose. It prefers to aim delivery for after your return, because any delay in transit could otherwise make it arrive while you're away.
- A common question
Why hasn't my order gone into production yet?
The workshop's answerIt's usually waiting on you: the cover isn't sewn until your fabric code is confirmed, and custom shapes aren't cut until you send a sketch. Sending both with the order avoids the wait.
- A common question
Will a custom fabric or a custom size push my date back?
The workshop's answerIt can. Listing colors are the quickest, full-chart or patterned fabrics take longer, a sold-out fabric has to be woven again, and a custom size adds production days. Ask the shop for the new date.
Questions buyers ask next
Can the shop promise delivery on one exact day?
No, neighbor. Ask for on or after, not on the dot. Past orders were held and shipped to arrive after the date given, so choose a day you're sure to be home from and allow a little slack after it; the carrier sets the final day, not the shop.
Where do I put a delivery date request?
In the order note at checkout, or in a message to the shop right after ordering. Write the date plainly, such as "arrive on or after the 1st", so the finished order is held until then.
How long does a custom bench cushion take from order to door?
It depends on the piece. Simple bench cushions are quicker to make than custom velvet or window seat cushions, and express delivery to the US adds its own days. Ask the shop for current production and delivery times with your order, neighbor.
