--- title: "Stepped Window Seat Cushion: When Part of the Bench Sticks Out" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/stepped-bench-cushion-custom-shape/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/" published: "2026-08-21" updated: "2026-09-24" keywords: "stepped window seat cushion, stepped bench cushion, custom shape bench cushion, bench cushion not rectangle, window seat cushion drawing" --- # 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.* Also asked as: A bench cushion, not just a square; Custom fit to the space, not a rectangle > **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. ![Dark forest green box cushion and two back pillows trimmed in mustard gold piping on a cream built-in window seat](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/forest-green-window-seat-cushion-mustard-piping-1024.webp "A deep green seat and matching back pillows, all outlined in mustard gold, on a cream built-in window seat beside a side table with an open book.") ## 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. ## '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. ## 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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/long-bench-cushion-one-piece-or-two/) pattern walks through the split, the [custom shape drawing](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-shape-cushion-drawing/) pattern shows how to mark a sketch, and more shapes live on the [bench cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) page. Where does your bench step out: along the front, or at one end? > **Tailor's margin:** A stepped cushion drawing must close: a 31 in top plus two 2 in steps is 35 in, so the bottom edge can't read 37 in. > 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 ## Buyer questions **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. **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. **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. ## Related at the atelier - [Does a notch or cut-out make a custom cushion more expensive?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-notch-cutout-extra-cost/): Usually not, if you order on the custom-shape listing: the price follows the size range you pick, and a corner notch or cut-out is included in the custom cutting. - [How do I order a custom shaped cushion that isn't a rectangle?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/order-custom-shaped-cushion-not-rectangle/): Order a non-rectangular cushion on the custom-shape (trapezoid) listing, not the rectangle listing. - [Can you make a cushion with one angled end, for a nook or under the stairs?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/angled-end-cushion-trapezoid-nook-under-stairs/): An angled window seat cushion is a trapezoid, and it is made exactly to your drawing through the separate custom-shape listing. - [Custom Bench Cushion in Eggplant Velvet: The Piping Decision](https://cushionguide.com/readings/eggplant-velvet-library-seat-cushion-bookcase-step/): Choose contrast piping when the room around a custom bench cushion is darker than the fabric, because the welt becomes the only line that shows the shape. - [Custom Bench Cushion in Oatmeal Linen-Look: Where to Spend](https://cushionguide.com/readings/oatmeal-cushion-white-bench-book-slippers/): Spend on a custom bench cushion where it lasts: exact measurements, the right thickness and a cloth you will still like years from now. - [Corduroy Bench Cushion for Guests: Chocolate on a Cube Bench](https://cushionguide.com/readings/chocolate-corduroy-cushion-cube-storage-bench-wicker/): A cube storage bench becomes real guest seating when its corduroy cushion is cut flush to the frame, with no overhang to dip when someone perches on the corner. - [One printable cushion measuring worksheet for any shape you order](https://cushionguide.com/guides/printable-cushion-measuring-worksheet/) - [Online maker, local upholsterer or your own sewing machine?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushions-vs-upholsterer-vs-diy/) *± 1/4 in — Nate* --- Written by Nate Kowalski (https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/stepped-bench-cushion-custom-shape/