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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Where does the zipper go on a trapezoid cushion, and will the foam come out?

Also asked as:Keep the zipper in the back?Will the foam be hard to remove to wash?

A trapezoid chair pad shows its long front edge to the whole kitchen. Keep that edge quiet and let the zipper live at the back, where only the chair rails see it.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans ·

Mustard dotted chenille trapezoid cushion with terracotta velvet piping on an oak bay seat under three arched windowsSave
Terracotta velvet piping traces the angled ends of the mustard seat and ties it to the tiled floor.

The quick answer

Ask for the zipper on the shorter back edge and the workshop puts it there, so the long front edge stays clean. The zipper is sized to the shape and the workshop inserts the foam itself, so the foam slides in and out for washing even when the front is wider than the back. Send the back width, front width and depth.

Get a quote for a chair cushion with ties

Key facts

  • The zipper can go on the shorter back edge on request.
  • The workshop sews the cover and inserts the foam itself.
  • Zipper length is matched to the shape, so the foam comes out for washing.
  • A trapezoid pad needs back width, front width and depth.
  • A sample drawing: 15 in (38 cm) across the back, 18 3/4 in (47.6 cm) across the front.

Have it made

Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you

Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie

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 workshop sews the cover and inserts the foam itself.
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.

* 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.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Your trapezoid drawing, checked before you upload

  • Back width, the short edge against the chair back, such as 15 in (38 cm)
  • Front width, the long edge at your knees, such as 18 3/4 in (47.6 cm)
  • Depth, measured straight from the back edge to the front edge
  • Every edge labeled, so a note like 'zipper on edge D' can't be misread
  • One written line: zipper on the shorter back edge
  • Your fabric code, plus piping if you want it

Why the zipper belongs at the back

The eye sits down first, and on a dining chair it lands on the front edge. On this rush-seat chair the terracotta pad reads as one warm line of clay and rust; a zipper there would draw a seam of metal teeth across the most visible inch. At the back, tucked against the ladder rails, it disappears.

The practical worry is the foam. When the front is wider than the back, will the slab squeeze through a short opening? The workshop answers that by sizing the zipper to the shape and inserting the foam itself before the pad ships, so it comes out for washing and goes back in. Label your edges, my friends, and write the request in your note. Which edge of your chair does the room see first?

For the measuring, see trapezoid cushion measurements or let the trapezoid cushion calculator do the arithmetic. Openings on every shape are covered in cushion zipper placement, and more tapered pads live under dining chair cushions.

What to leave out of the note

  • A single width for a pad that tapers
  • A zipper on the long front edge, unless you want it seen
  • Worry about wrestling the foam: the zipper length is matched to the shape

A trapezoid cushion zipper belongs on the shorter back edge: the long front edge stays clean, and the foam still slides out for washing.

Élodie Marchand
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    On a trapezoid chair cushion, where does the zipper go, and is the foam hard to get out for washing?

    The workshop's answer

    No need to worry. The workshop sews the cover and inserts the foam itself, placing and sizing the zipper so the foam slides in and out easily, even when the front is wider than the back. Upload a drawing with back width, front width and depth.

  2. A common question

    Can the zipper sit on the short side of my trapezoid pad?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. On request it goes on the shorter back side, for example the edge marked D on your drawing, so the long front edge stays clean. Add it to the drawing or your note.

  3. A common question

    Could I buy empty zippered covers for tufted cushions and fill them myself?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, as plain non-tufted zippered covers in your sizes. Tufted cushions are sold filled only, because the tufting goes through the filling.

  4. A common question

    Can you make a washable zippered cover for a crib mattress play mat?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Fully zippered, machine-washable box covers are made for play mats and crash pads up to at least 61 x 61 x 10 in (155 x 155 x 25 cm), with a long zipper for easy removal. Give the exact size and fabric code.

Questions buyers ask next

Does a trapezoid chair pad arrive with the foam already inside?

Yes. The workshop sews the cover and inserts the foam before the pad ships, so it arrives ready for the chair. When you wash the cover later, the zipper on the back edge is long enough for the foam to come out.

Which three measurements does a trapezoid pad need?

The back width, the front width and the depth from back to front. A drawing with those numbers, such as 15 in (38 cm) across the back and 18 3/4 in (47.6 cm) across the front, is what the cover is cut from.

Do I have to ask for the back-edge zipper?

Yes, write it on the drawing or in the order note. On request the zipper goes on the shorter back edge, and naming that edge by its label on your drawing removes any doubt about which side is which.