Concept Sketches · 8 scenes
Notches and cut-outs: window seat cushions around posts, casings and units
A casing, a column, an air conditioner: something always sits where the cushion wants to be. Eight real window seats, dimensioned the way the workshop cut them.
SaveThe quick answer
A notched window seat cushion is cut from a drawing that gives each notch its width, depth and distance from both ends, ordered through the custom-shape listing. Notch around a shallow casing rather than shrinking the whole cushion, split complicated outlines into rectangles and trapezoids that butt together, and approve the maker's redrawn diagram before anything is cut.
Notch it or shrink it: the 3/4 in question
A casing that sticks out 3/4 in (1.9 cm) can cost you 3/4 in of seat depth along the whole window, or none at all. The difference is one notch on the drawing.
Old houses put trim and columns in the way; newer rooms add air conditioners and furniture legs. Either way, a notched window seat cushion is a rectangle or trapezoid with a few extra edges, and every extra edge needs three numbers: width, depth and position. Measure twice; the fabric remembers.
The eight seats below are past orders, arithmetic included. Start at the window seat cushions hub, run angled pieces through the trapezoid cushion calculator, and keep the notch and cut-out Pattern open while you measure. What's sitting in the way on your seat, partner?
Eight seats with something in the way
01A past project
A casing 3/4 in deep, notched instead of shrunk
A buyer in the US had a 25 x 109.25 in (63.5 x 277.5 cm) window seat with a casing 0.75 in (1.9 cm) deep sitting 1.5 in (3.8 cm) above the seat, leaving 6 in (15 cm) clear on the left and 7 in (18 cm) on the right. Rather than shrink the depth and leave gaps at both ends, the workshop drew a notch 0.75 in deep and 96.25 in (244.5 cm) wide along the back edge, so the 4 in (10 cm) cushion sits flush to the wall. It cost the same as a rectangle.
The takeaway: Check that the notch closes: 109.25 − 6 − 7 = 96.25 in. If the ends don't add up, the drawing isn't finished.
02A past project
Notches at both ends of an 87 in seat
A returning buyer in the US needed a third cushion, 87 x 18 in (221 x 45.7 cm), with a notch at each end. The workshop turned her paper sketch into its own diagram to confirm: 87 in along the straight window edge, 84.5 in (214.6 cm) on the opposite edge, 1.25 x 2 in (3.2 x 5.1 cm) notches at both ends, and the depth dropping to 16 in (40.6 cm) at the ends. She confirmed, and it went out 3 in (7.6 cm) thick in taupe velvet with cream piping.
The takeaway: Two checks close the shape: 87 − 2 × 1.25 = 84.5 in, and 18 − 2 = 16 in.
03A past project
A pillar in the middle of a deep sill
A buyer wrote to the workshop about turning a deep window sill into a reading nook around a small central pillar, with a slight indent on the right. The workshop asked for a hand sketch with every measurement and wide-angle photos of the whole sill. On softness, the workshop explained that its high-density foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), holds its shape without sagging.
The takeaway: A mid-seat notch is easy when the sketch shows every edge and the photos show the whole sill.
04A past project
Two columns, six pieces, no T-shapes
A buyer in the US planned three T-shaped cushions around two 7.75 in (19.7 cm) columns. Two sections measured 72.25 in (183.5 cm) at the top and 63.75 in (161.9 cm) at the bottom, and the third 77.75 in (197.5 cm) and 70 in (177.8 cm). The workshop doesn't sew T-shapes, so it drew a six-piece layout of rectangles and trapezoids that butt together, in vintage patchwork with contrasting front edges.
The takeaway: Break every T into a rectangle and a trapezoid; two simple pieces butt together cleaner than one sewn T.
05A past project
A window seat built around an air conditioner
A buyer wrote in needing one large rectangular window seat cushion with a rectangular notch in the middle to clear an air-conditioning unit. Before cutting, the workshop asked for a drawing with every size marked: the notch's width, its depth, and its distance from each end of the seat. The buyer then picked a color from the workshop's separate linen chart.
The takeaway: Give the distance from both ends, not one: left + notch width + right must equal the seat length.
06A past project
A thin pad around square bench legs
After a first 11.8 x 74.8 in (30 x 190 cm) velvet bench cushion, a buyer asked for a thin pad, about 1.2 in (3 cm), notched around the square wooden legs of another bench, with ties so it wouldn't slip. The workshop sent them to the custom-shape listing, which asks for a drawing with exact measurements, and asked for each tie's position and length.
The takeaway: Put leg cut-outs and ties on one drawing, and confirm the thinnest foam on offer first.
07A past project
Four corner notches, first ordered as a rectangle
A buyer wrote in needing one big cushion, about 78 x 41.3 in (198 x 105 cm), with a 2.4 in (6 cm) square notch cut from each corner. Paid first on the rectangle listing, it was cancelled with a full refund and reordered on the custom-shape listing, where checkout asks for the drawing. The 41.3 in depth beat that listing's largest range; the workshop said to pick the biggest one anyway, since production follows the drawing.
The takeaway: Check both directions: the middle span plus two notches equals the outside size, 73.2 + 4.7 = 78 in and 36.6 + 4.7 = 41.3 in.
08A past project
An old corner that wasn't square
A buyer wrote to the workshop from a 120-year-old house with a corner window seat, a notch for a window column and smaller notches where trim overhung the seat. Before cutting, the workshop found the drawing didn't close and asked for re-measurements and both diagonals. After three rounds the buyer found the inner corner wasn't a true right angle; seat depths settled at 18.75 in (47.6 cm) and 19 in (48.3 cm), everything closed within 1/4 in (6 mm), and the set shipped together on 2 in (5 cm) foam.
The takeaway: At a true 90 degrees, sides of 50.9 and 50.75 in give a 71.9 in diagonal; this corner read 71.125 in, tighter than square.
How to dimension a notch, in order
- Draw the seat as if the obstacle weren't there, every outside edge measured and labeled.
- Give each notch three numbers: width along the edge, depth into the seat, distance from each end.
- Check the sum: left + notch width + right must equal the edge length, within ± 1/4 in (6 mm).
- Say which edge the notch sits on; the zipper runs along the back edge.
- In an old house, add both diagonals and wide-angle photos of the whole seat.
- Order on the custom-shape listing, upload the drawing, and approve the workshop's redrawn diagram before cutting.
Notch, straight edge, or split into pieces
Odd obstacle? Draw it anyway and the workshop picks the row. The custom-shape drawing Pattern shows how to label edges; the glossary defines a notch and a window casing. Benches with legs start at bench cushions, and for fabric compare linen and cotton-linen with linen-look fabrics.
| What's in the way | What the workshop does | from past orders |
|---|---|---|
| Casing or trim over the back edge | Notch the back edge and keep the full depth | 0.75 x 96.25 in notch on a 109.25 in seat |
| A unit or pillar mid-seat | One notch with width, depth and distance from each end | An air conditioner; a pillar in a deep sill |
| Columns splitting the run | Rectangles and trapezoids butted together; no T-shapes | Two 7.75 in columns, six pieces |
| A recess too narrow to sew | Run the edge straight past it | A thin middle board on a bench |
| A very thin pad wanted | Check the minimum foam first | 1 in requested; the thinnest option was 2 in (5 cm) |
A notched window seat cushion needs three numbers per notch: width, depth and distance from each end. Left plus width plus right equals the edge.
Nate
Notch and cut-out questions
- A common question
Can the cushion be cut to fit around a post, a pillar or the legs of a bench?
The workshop's answerYes, from a marked drawing: give each notch's width, depth and position along the edge, and add a few wide-angle photos of the seat. The workshop redraws it as a clean template, often in centimeters, and asks you to confirm before cutting. Leg notches go through the custom-shape listing. If a notch sits on the back edge, say so, because the zipper runs along the back. Ties are an optional extra; give each one's position and length.
- A common question
There's a notch in my seat, so the rectangle listing won't work. Which listing do I use, and what do I upload?
The workshop's answerUse the custom-shape listing. Pick the size range by the longest length and the deepest depth; that only sets the price bracket. At checkout, upload a drawing with a measurement on every edge and a photo of the seat, and put thickness and fabric code in the personalization box. The cushion is cut to the drawing, not the totals, and a clear paper sketch is fine. Each distinct shape is its own order with its own drawing.
- A common question
Is there any notch or hole you can't cut? We have a thin board in the middle of the bench and floor vents under a mat.
The workshop's answerYes, a couple. A notch too narrow to sew, like a recess around a thin middle board, can't hold its shape, so the workshop recommends running the cushion straight past it. Small round holes for floor vents aren't made either; instead the mat is split into pieces, such as an L-shaped cushion plus a separate piece between the vents, so the vents stay open.
- A common question
How close to my numbers will a handmade notched cushion come out?
The workshop's answerSizes are cut exactly as written, not rounded, but a handmade foam cushion can vary by about 1/2 in (1 cm), and a fully tufted one by 1 to 2 in. Measure the cushion itself rather than the outside of the piping, since piping adds a little. A notch around a window frame that sticks out about 3/4 in can be made from a photo and a drawing.
Have it made
Have an idea like this made — ask Nate’s workshop
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.
Questions buyers ask next
Does a notch make a window seat cushion cost more?
On the custom-shape listing, usually not: the price follows the size range you pick, and the notch is included. That listing is priced above the rectangle listing, though, so a notched cushion ordered as a rectangle leaves a difference to settle. Individually quoted cut-outs around obstacles such as window handles have carried a small surcharge.
Should I notch around a window casing or just make the cushion shallower?
Notch it when the casing is shallow and runs most of the length. On a 109.25 in (277.5 cm) seat, a 0.75 x 96.25 in notch kept the full 25 in (63.5 cm) depth at both ends instead of leaving gaps. See how to measure a window seat.
Can a notched cushion still have ties or a non-slip base?
Yes. Ties can be sewn into the seams at the corners or the back, in any position; write each tie's position and length on the drawing. A cushion cut exactly to a narrow window seat has little to grip, so ties or a non-slip base are worth adding. More in stop a bench cushion sliding.
Will I see photos with the notches measured before the cushion ships?
You can. Every cushion is measured after sewing and every order is photographed before shipping, and you can ask for photos that show a custom shape's measurements. On a notched seat, check each notch's width and depth against your drawing.
