---
title: "T-Shaped Cushion for a Window Seat: One Piece or Several?"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/t-shaped-window-seat-cushion/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-08-10"
updated: "2026-08-10"
keywords: "t shaped cushion, t shaped window seat cushion, inverted t cushion, window seat cushion around columns, custom shaped window seat cushion"
---

# Can you make a T-shaped cushion for my window seat?

*Yes for small ones. For big ones, the better answer is a T built from simpler pieces.*

Also asked as: Can you do an inverted T shape cushion?; Can both cushions be the same thickness?

> **The quick answer:** A small inverted-T cushion can be made in one piece from a simple sketch showing every dimension and where the cut-outs go, in 2, 3 or 4 in (5, 7.5 or 10 cm) thickness. Large T-shaped window seats that wrap around columns are made as several simpler pieces instead; three T seats became six. A contrasting front-edge fabric costs nothing extra.

![Long black tropical floral window seat cushion with pink flowers in an arched sunroom, blush pillow, throw and anthurium](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/dark-tropical-floral-window-seat-cushion-palm-sunroom-1600.webp "A black-ground tropical print brings the palms indoors; blush pink pillows and linen repeat its softest flowers.")

## Key facts

- Small inverted-T cushions are made from a sketch showing every dimension and the cut-out positions.
- Custom shapes come in the same 2, 3 and 4 in (5, 7.5 and 10 cm) thicknesses as rectangular cushions.
- Large T-shaped seats around columns are made as several simpler pieces.
- In one plan, three T-shaped seats were split into six simpler pieces.
- A contrasting fabric on the front edge does not change the price.

## Size decides the answer

A [T-shaped cushion](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#t-shaped-cushion) is a rectangle with two corners taken out. Small, that's one clean cut from a good sketch. The workshop has made inverted-T cushions that way, at the same thickness as the rectangular cushion beside them.

Large is a different job. For three T-shaped window seats wrapped around columns, the workshop wouldn't sew T shapes at all. It drew a plan that split the three seats into six simpler pieces. Every piece became a shape you can measure with two honest numbers, and the column gaps became joints instead of cut-outs.

## Sketching a small inverted T

1. **Draw the outline as it sits**: Bar where the bar really is, stem where the stem really is. Label every edge, not just the long ones.
2. **Locate each cut-out**: Mark where each cut-out starts and ends, measured from one fixed edge. Angles are just lengths in disguise, so give both legs of every notch.
3. **Match the thickness**: If a rectangular cushion sits next to the T, order both at 2, 3 or 4 in (5, 7.5 or 10 cm) so the seat reads as one surface.
4. **Send the drawing**: Attach the labeled sketch to the order. The [custom shape drawing Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-shape-cushion-drawing/) shows the format that gets quoted fastest.

## One piece or split

|   | Small inverted T | Large T around columns |
|---|---|---|
| How it's made | One piece, cut from your sketch | Split into simpler pieces |
| What to send | Sketch with every edge and cut-out | Plan of the whole seat with the columns marked |
| Thickness | 2, 3 or 4 in (5, 7.5 or 10 cm) | Chosen per seat |
| Real example | An inverted T matched to a rectangular cushion | Three T seats made as six pieces |

## The second fabric on the front edge

On the column seats the workshop offered a contrasting fabric along the front edges at no extra cost. Six pieces butting together can read as busy; one continuous band of a second color along the front pulls them back into a single line.

For other cut-around jobs, see [notched window seat cushions](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/notched-window-seat-cushions/) and the [window seat cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/window-seat-cushions/) hub. How many columns does your seat have to clear, partner?

> **Tailor's margin:** A T-shaped cushion sketch needs every edge labeled, plus the start and end of each cut-out measured from one fixed edge.

> Large T-shaped window seats around columns are made as several simpler pieces: three T seats became six.
>
> — Nate

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Can an inverted T cushion and a rectangular one be the same thickness?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, both can be 2, 3 or 4 in (5, 7.5 or 10 cm) thick. For the T, send a simple sketch with every dimension and where the cut-outs go.

**A common question:** Can you make T-shaped window seat cushions that fit around columns?

**The workshop's answer:** Not as sewn T shapes. The workshop drew a plan splitting the three T-shaped seats into six simpler pieces, and offered a contrasting fabric on the front edges at no extra cost.

**A common question:** Can a dining chair pad be notched around the back posts?

**The workshop's answer:** Notches around chair back posts aren't offered for remote orders; an arched back edge is the recommended alternative. Send a drawing with front and back widths, the curved side length and tie positions before quoting.

**A common question:** Are some curved shapes too hard to make?

**The workshop's answer:** Mild curves are fine. Strongly curved or exact-fit shapes, like round bays or shaped rocking-chair seats, may be declined after a craftsman reviews them; a full-size template can make a borderline shape possible.

## Questions buyers ask next

### How do I measure rounded corners on a shaped seat?

Measure the full rectangle, then how far from each corner point the curve starts along both edges, for example 2.5 in (6 cm). Add top-down photos with a tape measure in view, or trace the curve on paper.

### Can a U-shaped dinette seat be made the same way?

Yes. Send a drawing of each run of the U with its depth and thickness, plus a photo of the space. Each piece is sized separately, and seats can be 8 in (20 cm) thick or more.

### When is a paper template better than a sketch?

For a T or a notched rectangle, a labeled sketch is enough. For borderline curves, a full-size paper template can be the difference between a shape the workshop declines and one it can cut.

## Related at the atelier

- [Window Seat Cushion in Black Velvet: Thickness vs Seat Height](https://cushionguide.com/readings/black-velvet-l-shaped-window-seat-cushion-column-step/): For a window seat cushion, finished seat height equals the bench top plus the cushion thickness, so choose the thickness last.
- [Window Seat Cushion Notched Around a Pier, Built for Long Sitting](https://cushionguide.com/readings/antique-gold-office-window-bench-cushion-pier-cutout/): A window seat cushion for long sitting should run the full bench, be notched around any pier or post, and stay near desk-chair height rather than sofa-soft.
- [Window Seat Cushion in Dusty Rose: The Props, Piece by Piece](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-rose-window-seat-cushion-linen-blind/): A dusty rose window seat cushion looks earthy rather than sugary when its color is borrowed from something already in the window, here the terracotta pots on the sill.
- [Should a very long bench or window seat cushion be one piece or split?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/long-bench-cushion-one-piece-or-two/): Split a very long bench or window seat cushion into equal pieces once the seat passes about 98-118 in (2.5-3 m): a 111 in (282 cm) bench became two 55 in (140 cm) cushions.
- [Bow windows and curved window seats: how an arc becomes a cushion](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/curved-and-bow-window-seat-cushions/): To order a curved window seat cushion, send a drawing that marks the straight length before each curve, where every curve starts and ends, and how deep the arc runs, or a paper template photographed…
- [Can you make U-shaped dinette or campervan seat cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/u-shaped-dinette-campervan-cushions/): Yes, U-shaped dinette and campervan seat cushions are made regularly, each piece cut to its own measured size.
- [One long cushion or two? Splitting a long bench or window seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/long-bench-cushion-one-piece-or-two/)
- [Measuring a 3-sided bay window seat cushion, panel by panel](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bay-window-seat-cushion-3-sided/)

*± 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/t-shaped-window-seat-cushion/