--- title: "Wrong fabric code on a custom cushion order: what happens next" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/wrong-or-missing-fabric-code-what-happens/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/" published: "2026-04-15" updated: "2026-09-24" keywords: "wrong fabric code custom cushion order, fabric code custom cushion, forgot piping color cushion order, cushion order fabric code note, change fabric code after ordering" --- # What happens if I forget the fabric code, or write one that's wrong? *Every code gets read before a single cut. The catch is that a real code, even the wrong real code, gets made exactly as written.* Also asked as: Oops, wrong color code; I meant a different fabric code > **The quick answer:** Every custom cushion order is checked against the fabric charts before cutting, so a missing, non-existent or ambiguous code gets a message and production waits for your reply. A valid code is made exactly as written, even if you meant another: HM-30 is a pale blue, while the dark green is HM-10. Once you confirm, the order goes straight into production. ![Deep emerald velvet box cushion on a solid oak bench with a potted pothos, open book, linen curtains and a vintage red rug](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/emerald-velvet-bench-cushion-oak-linen-curtains-1024.webp "Bottle-green velvet sits between honey oak and a faded red rug, with a trailing pothos softening one corner.") ## Key facts - Codes are checked against the fabric charts before production starts. - A code that doesn't exist, or is ambiguous, triggers a message and production is held. - A missing color or piping choice is asked for before production. - The shop asks whether piping should match the main fabric or be left off. - Production starts as soon as the buyer confirms. - A valid code is made exactly as written. - HM-30 is a pale blue; HM-10 is dark green. - Outdoor HM- codes come from a range of about 150-200 colors, so a one-digit slip lands on a very different shade. - An out-of-stock code means a wait while the mill re-weaves it, so ask the workshop how long before you commit, or switch to an in-stock code. - Changing a fabric or piping code is free until the fabric is cut. ## Four lines to check before you pay - ✓ **The body code, letter for letter.** L-05 and L105 are not the same thing, and only one of them exists. - ✓ **The piping code, labeled as piping.** Write 'Main: L09, Piping: L24' so nobody has to guess which is which. - ✓ **No piping?** Say 'no piping' or 'piping in the main fabric' in plain words. - ✓ **Read each code back against its swatch.** HM-30 is a pale blue; the dark green is HM-10. ## What the chart check won't catch - ✗ A real code you didn't mean: it is made exactly as written. - ✗ A reply you haven't sent: production waits for your answer, so the start slips. ## How an unclear note gets read The workshop reads codes the way I read a seating plan: slowly, twice. 'L105' is not a code, so the question goes out: velvet 105 in cream, or linen L-05? A note reading 'L-22' and 'L-2' was confirmed as body and piping before anything was cut. Forget the color altogether and you'll be asked for it, along with piping in the main fabric or no piping. I've written a piping code where the body code belonged, dear, so I don't judge. The [personalization note Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/) shows the layout, the [piping Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-piping-matching-contrast-none/) helps you decide on the edge, and the glossary explains a [fabric code](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#fabric-code). Which of your two codes is the piping? > **Tailor's margin:** Write fabric codes as 'Main: L09, Piping: L24'. A labeled note can't be read backward, and nobody has to hold your cushion order to ask. > A cushion order with a fabric code that doesn't exist is held for a question; a valid code you didn't mean is made exactly as written. > > — Maggie ## Buyer questions **A common question:** What happens if I write a fabric code that isn't in your charts? **The workshop's answer:** Every order is checked before production. If a code doesn't exist in the charts, the shop messages you, waits for the correct one, then puts the order straight into production. It makes the code you wrote, so double-check it: HM-30 is a pale blue, the dark green is HM-10. **A common question:** What if my fabric code is unclear? **The workshop's answer:** The shop checks codes before cutting and asks. 'L105' isn't a real code (velvet 105 cream or linen L-05?), and a note reading 'L-22' and 'L-2' was confirmed as body and piping. Production waits until you confirm. **A common question:** I forgot to choose a fabric color or piping when I ordered. What happens? **The workshop's answer:** The shop messages you before production to ask for the color code, or whether you want piping in the main fabric or no piping. Reply with the code so manufacturing can start without delay. **A common question:** If the size dropdown and the exact size I typed are different, which one do you make? **The workshop's answer:** Your typed exact size wins; the dropdown only sets the size range and price. Colors agreed in writing override default listing fields, and the shop confirms size and color at production start. ## Questions buyers ask next ### Does waiting on my reply about a fabric code delay the cushion? Yes. Production doesn't start until the code is confirmed, so the sooner you answer the message, the sooner cutting begins. Once you reply, the order goes straight into production. ### Can I change the fabric code after I've placed the order? Yes, before production starts: message the new body and piping codes and the order is updated. Once the fabric has been cut, the cushion is made in the colors originally written. ### Where does the fabric code go if the dropdown only lists sizes? Type it in the personalization box or the note to the seller, for example 'Main: L09, Piping: L24'. The dropdown only sets the size, and different colors per piece are fine. ## Related at the atelier - [The dropdown only has sizes. Where do I put my fabric color and piping code?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-color-piping-code-where-to-enter/): Type your fabric color and piping code in the Add Personalization box or the note to seller before adding to cart, for example Main: L09, Piping: L24. - [I saw a fabric code in a photo that isn't on the color chart. Can I still order it?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-code-not-on-color-chart/): A fabric code seen in a photo but missing from the color chart can often still be ordered, because the chart isn't the full stock list. - [Checkout makes me fill in personalization. What do I write, and will it be printed on the item?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/personalization-box-phone-number-courier/): On listings where you choose size and color from dropdowns, write your phone number in the required personalization box; it goes only to the shipping company so the courier can reach you before… - [Chair Cushion with Ties in Mustard Ticking for an Oak Ladder-Back](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-ticking-stripe-cushion-oak-ladder-back-chair/): To order a chair cushion with ties that arrives right the first time, send the fabric code, a diagram with every dimension labeled, the tie position and the stripe direction in one message. - [Custom Bench Cushion in Rust Weave: How to Order It Right](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rust-woven-cushion-oak-window-bench-afternoon/): To order a custom bench cushion right the first time, send your measurements for a quote before you buy samples, ask for only the two or three swatches you have shortlisted, and put the fabric code… - [Chair Cushion Makeover: Wine Red Box Pad on an Oak Ladder-Back](https://cushionguide.com/readings/wine-red-box-seat-cushion-oak-ladder-back-chair/): A thick box chair cushion cut exactly to the seat is the smallest makeover a kitchen can get: it lifts a low chair, softens it, and adds one strong color against pale floors and cabinets. - [What to write in a custom cushion order note: sizes, codes and extras](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/) - [How to order fabric swatches that actually settle the decision](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) *Stitch straight — Maggie* --- Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) 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/wrong-or-missing-fabric-code-what-happens/