---
title: "Striped Bench Cushions in Cotton and Ticking: Direction, Care"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/"
section: "The Swatch Library"
author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/"
published: "2026-03-11"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "striped cushion, ticking stripe cushion, striped window seat cushion, cotton ticking fabric, striped bench cushion"
---

# Striped bench cushions in cotton and ticking: which way the stripes run

*Right, then. A stripe is the most honest fabric on the wall: it shows every crooked seam and every lazy cut. Here is how the workshop's woven cotton stripes behave on a cushion, and where they don't belong.*

> **The quick answer:** Striped cotton and ticking are woven 100% cotton cushion fabrics (one chart is 98% cotton, 2% polyester) for indoor window seats and benches. Stripes are woven in, about 1/4 in (0.7 cm) to 2-2 3/8 in (5-6 cm) wide. The roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so long-cushion stripes run front to back. Covers wash at 86°F (30°C), gentle.

![Periwinkle striped box cushion on a white plastered window alcove seat below a blue abstract painting](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/periwinkle-stripe-white-alcove-window-seat-1600.webp "A soft periwinkle stripe fills a white alcove, keyed to the blue canvas above and the vase in the niche.")

## A stripe woven in, not printed on

The workshop's stripes and [ticking](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#ticking) are 100% cotton; one chart is 98% cotton and 2% polyester. The stripe is woven into the cloth, not printed on top, so it goes clean through. It also means no custom color combinations. What's on the card is what the loom made.

Widths vary by code, from a pencil line about 1/4 in (0.7 cm) wide to a bold awning stripe of 2-2 3/8 in (5-6 cm). The cards on this page run from herringbone stripes in taupe, navy and ochre, through ticking in reds, pinks, green and five blues, to wide awning stripes from candy pink to black: 37 codes in all. A second card holds 21 plain and knotted-stripe cottons.

Next door sits [cotton canvas](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#cotton-canvas), a plain cotton weave; a washable white canvas is an option on floor sofas.

## Window seats, benches and a good book

Stripes love a [window seat](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/window-seat-cushions/). In the photographs here: a navy awning stripe in a sunny corner of sash windows, butter yellow against white shiplap, a pencil stripe in a walnut library nook, red on a freestanding bench against a blush wall. They're at home on a [bench](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) and in a [reading nook](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/reading-nook-cushions/), and a ten-pattern stripe and leaf chart is made up for [floor cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/floor-cushions/).

If navy is calling, the [navy ticking stripe sketches](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/navy-ticking-stripe-cushions/) show where it lands best.

## Cotton takes a stain, so plan for it

Now the part I tell everyone. These cottons are indoor only, and they take a stain more readily than a performance fabric. Keep them off the open porch, and think twice before a pale stripe goes into a [kitchen nook](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/kitchen-nook-cushions/) where the syrup lands.

For a family bench, choose a mid-tone stripe over cream or butter yellow, keep the zip-off cover, and ask about a water-repellent inner liner where spills, pets or damp are likely. If the table sees daily battle, the [performance weave](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/performance-and-pet-friendly/) is the wiser dress.

## Washing a cotton stripe

- ✓ Unzip the cover from the underside and take it off the foam.
- ✓ Turn it inside out and machine wash at 86°F (30°C) at most on a gentle, delicate or cold cycle. The 30 is Celsius.
- ✓ Mild detergent and no bleach, not even for the white stripe.
- ✓ Air dry; skip the tumble dryer.
- ✓ Iron on low if needed.
- ✓ Button-tufted covers are sewn through and stay on; spot-clean those.

## Which way the stripes run, and what to pipe them with

Here's the arithmetic. The roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so on a long cushion the stripes run front to back, across the seat, by default. A long striped piece needs a seam, and the stripes are matched on one face only. Decide which face shows before you order. The [stripe direction pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/striped-cushion-stripe-direction/) has the drawings.

Piping can be any code from any chart, matching or contrast, and buyers have split roughly half and half. Take it from someone who learned the hard way, dear: a busy stripe piped in its own cloth loses its edge. A solid pulled from the stripe's darker line draws it cleanly.

Screens blur a fine stripe into a tint. Order the swatch and look at it in daylight; sunlight and camera angle shift a tone slightly, but it's the same cloth.

## Stripes beside linen-look, the performance weave and outdoor fabric

|   | Striped cotton & ticking | Linen-look | Performance weave | Outdoor range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 100% cotton (one chart 98% cotton, 2% polyester) | Polyester | Poly-cotton blend | Outdoor-rated |
| Pattern | Woven stripes, 1/4 to 2 3/8 in wide | Mostly plain | Plain colors | Its own chart |
| Spills | [part] Stains more easily | [yes] Easy to clean | [yes] Wipeable | [yes] Water-repellent |
| Hot iron | Low | [no] Melts; low only | Low | Ask first |
| Outdoors | [no] | [no] | [no] | [yes] |

For natural fiber without a stripe, ask for the 100% linen chart or plain 100% cotton.

## The valance the workshop doesn't sew

Buyers have asked the workshop for a valance to match the window seat beneath it. The workshop doesn't make valances. It can cut the same fabric by the yard, though, and that can ride in the box with the cushions.

So the answer has been a cut length: send the fabric code and how much you need, get a quote, and the yardage ships with the order. Others have used spare cloth to re-cover an ottoman or sew a backrest panel. The one limit is the roll, about 55 in (140 cm) wide for most fabrics and 79 in (2 m) for some, which sets the largest single piece. The [yardage calculator](https://cushionguide.com/studio/fabric-yardage-calculator/) does the sums.

> Striped cushion fabric comes off a roll about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so on a long cushion the stripes run front to back and a long piece needs a seam.
>
> — Maggie

> **Tailor's margin:** Ticking stripes are woven, not printed, so there are no custom color combinations. Pick from the card, then choose piping from any chart.

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Do you have stripes and other patterns, or only plain colors?

**The workshop's answer:** The range is mostly plain, but there are woven stripes, beige and white and black and white among them, plus oriental designs, plaid and tartan in brown, green, blue and red, and patterned velvets. Extra pattern charts come on request. Natural-fiber patterns are mostly the stripes, and a print seen elsewhere can sometimes be sourced from a photo, at a higher price.

**A common question:** Is your linen pure linen, or should I pick cotton for natural fiber?

**The workshop's answer:** The standard linen charts are blends or linen-look: the L codes are polyester, the natural linen chart is 50% linen and 50% polyester, and another range is 50% cotton, 50% linen. For pure fiber, ask for the separate 100% linen chart or the 100% cotton fabrics.

**A common question:** Which fabric and piping codes are on the striped cushion in your photo?

**The workshop's answer:** Send a screenshot of that exact photo, since listings show several cushions, and the workshop names both codes; the black-and-white stripe, for instance, is N-07. If an older photo uses codes that were later renumbered, write 'same as the first picture'. Sunlight and camera angle can shift a tone slightly, but it's the same fabric.

**A common question:** Can I buy extra striped fabric by the yard to match my cushions?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Samples and cut lengths come through the fabric listing, and larger pieces through a custom order link. Send the fabric code and length for a quote, and the fabric can ship with your cushions. A zippered covers-only listing also exists if you'd rather have covers made to size.

## Stripe questions, answered straight

### Why do the stripes on my long bench cushion run front to back?

Because of the roll. The cotton is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so on a cushion longer than that the stripes run across the seat, front to back, and a long piece needs a seam. The stripes are matched on one face only.

### Can you weave a stripe in my own two colors?

No. The stripes are woven into the cloth, not printed, and the workshop sources fabric rather than weaving it, so the combinations are fixed by the card. Choose the closest stripe, then pull it toward your room with a piping color from any chart.

### Is ticking stain resistant?

Not especially. These are 100% cotton fabrics, and they stain more easily than performance weaves. For a busy family bench, choose a mid-tone stripe, keep the zip-off cover, and ask about a water-repellent inner liner where spills are likely.

### How wide are the stripes on your cotton cards?

It depends on the code. The narrowest pencil stripes are about 1/4 in (0.7 cm), and the widest awning stripes run 2-2 3/8 in (5-6 cm). Order a sample to see the scale against your own seat before you commit.

## Related at the atelier

- [Corner Floor Cushion in Charcoal Stripe for a Paneled Room](https://cushionguide.com/readings/charcoal-white-stripe-corner-floor-cushion-panelled-wall/): A charcoal and white stripe corner floor cushion suits a white paneled room because the stripe repeats the vertical boards while staying clearly different from them.
- [Striped Floor Cushions: Why a Box Edge Stacks Square](https://cushionguide.com/readings/blue-blush-taupe-stripe-floor-cushions-oak-floor/): A box edge is the right shape for floor cushions you plan to stack, sit on and pull out for guests.
- [What size insert does my pillow cover need?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/pillow-insert-size-chart/): For a full, plump pillow, choose an insert about 2 in (5 cm) larger than the cover: an 18 x 18 in cover takes a 20 x 20 in insert.
- [Colonial window seat cushions for deep sills and old benches](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/colonial-window-seat-cushions/): A colonial window seat cushion is usually a custom size, so order the nearest listed option and restate the true length in the order note.
- [Banquette cushions for Mid-Atlantic rowhouses, porches and kitchens](https://cushionguide.com/places/mid-atlantic-cushions/): Mid-Atlantic banquette cushions should be firm, 2.5 to 4 in (6.5 to 10 cm) thick, and sized so the seat meets the table at a comfortable height.

*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/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/