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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

Can you make a stepped cushion where part of my bench sticks out?

A stepped seat is two rectangles sharing an edge. The drawing only has to add up before anyone picks up the shears.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit · · Updated

Pinned by Nate

The quick answer

Yes, a stepped bench or window seat cushion can be made exactly to a marked-up photo or drawing. Mark every step, check that the edges add up, then select Length as the longest edge and Depth as the depth from that edge. Upload the drawing and state the thickness. One finished example ran 66 x 11 in, widening to 67.5 in with 6.5 in more depth.

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Key facts

  • Stepped bench and window seat cushions can be made exactly to shape.
  • They are made from a marked-up photo or a drawing with every step measured.
  • The edges on the drawing must add up before production.
  • Select Length as the longest edge and Depth as the depth from that edge.
  • One finished stepped cushion was 66 x 11 in (168 x 28 cm), widening to 67.5 in (171.5 cm) with 6.5 in (16.5 cm) more depth.
  • Upload the drawing and state the thickness with the order.

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Precision starts on the phone. Give the workshop your measurements and they will read them back to you, edge by edge. — 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.

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'Not just a rectangle': yes, cut to the drawing

Yes. A stepped cushion is cut exactly to a marked-up photo or drawing, including the part of the bench that sticks out. One buyer's seat ran 66 x 11 in (168 x 28 cm), then widened to 67.5 in (171.5 cm) with 6.5 in (16.5 cm) more depth where the bench came forward.

The rule is short, partner: every step gets its own number, and the numbers have to add up. Angles are just lengths in disguise.

A real project

Follow-up: the sketch that said 35 and 37 at once

A buyer sent the workshop a sketch of a stepped bench. The top edge read 31 in (79 cm), with two 2 in (5 cm) steps. That adds to 35 in (89 cm). The bottom edge said 37 in (94 cm).

Both can't be true. Either each step was 3 in (7.6 cm), or the bottom was really 35 in. The workshop asked before cutting. Once the drawing was corrected, the order went through with Length at 37 in, the longest edge, and Depth at 24.75 in (63 cm), measured from it.

Follow-up: which numbers go in the Length and Depth boxes

  1. Draw it from above

    Sketch the seat from overhead and write every edge, especially the part that sticks out.

  2. Close the outline

    The pieces along one edge must equal the edge opposite it.

  3. Length is the longest edge

    37 in in the corrected sketch.

  4. Depth is measured from that edge

    24.75 in in the corrected sketch.

  5. Upload and add thickness

    Attach the drawing and state the thickness; the outline doesn't carry it.

Follow-up: one piece, or sections?

One piece is often possible, but it costs more and fits less reliably. For long, stepped or wrap-around seats, the workshop recommends sections that sit neater and are easier to wash. The long bench, one piece or two pattern walks through the split, the custom shape drawing pattern shows how to mark a sketch, and more shapes live on the bench cushions page.

Where does your bench step out: along the front, or at one end?

A stepped window seat cushion is ordered by its longest edge and the depth from that edge, with every step marked on the drawing.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My bench isn't a plain rectangle; it steps. Can the cushion follow it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, as long as the drawing adds up. Once the edges close, choose Length as the longest edge and Depth as the depth from that edge, upload the drawing and give the thickness.

  2. A common question

    Part of my bench comes out at the front. Can the cushion match that?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Send a simple drawing with exact measurements, especially of the part that sticks out. One was made exactly to a buyer's marked-up drawing: 66 x 11 in, widening to 67.5 in with 6.5 in more depth.

  3. A common question

    Can you make a cushion for an odd-shaped window nook?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, any size and shape. Draw it on paper with every side measured, photograph the drawing and the space, and the workshop redraws it for your confirmation before quoting.

Questions buyers ask next

Can a marked-up photo stand in for a drawing of a stepped seat?

Yes. Stepped shapes are made from a marked-up photo or a drawing. Either way, every step needs its own measurement written on it, and the numbers along each side must agree with the side opposite.

Why does the workshop question the numbers on my sketch?

Because an outline that doesn't close can't be cut. If the parts of one edge don't equal the opposite edge, the workshop asks which number is right before production rather than guessing for you.

Is thickness part of the Length and Depth options on a stepped cushion?

No. Length and Depth set the outline only. State the thickness separately alongside the uploaded drawing, so the cushion's height is as deliberate as its shape.