Rosa Delgado, porch swings, window seats and family cushions
The Porch Keeper of Savannah
She grew up on a wraparound porch where every chair had a story and a slightly faded cushion. She still judges a cushion by who fights over it.
At the bench since 1985 (41 years)
Savannah, Georgia
245 readings on the site
93 answers on the site
20 patterns on the site
Reads and makes
porch swings
rocking chairs & gliders
papasan and hanging chairs
window seats in old houses
family, pets & kid-proofing
reading nooks
Who is Rosa?
Rosa Delgado is CushionGuide's porch and family cushion master, reading cushions from Savannah, Georgia since 1985. She covers porch swings, rocking chairs, papasan and hanging chairs, window seats in old houses, reading nooks and cushions for homes with kids and pets, and answers buyers about covers only, handmade size tolerance and matching fabric. She plans for the people who actually sit there.
Three sides of porch and a swing for arguing
Pull up a chair. My grandmother's porch in Savannah wrapped around three sides of the house, and every seat on it had a story. The swing was where my aunts argued about recipes. The rocker by the door belonged to my grandfather, and nobody else sat in it, even years after he was gone. Every one of those cushions was a little faded on the sunny side.
I started sewing because the cushions kept wearing out and my grandmother kept saying she would get to it. In 1985 I opened a small upholstery shop, and for twenty years I re-covered swings and rockers for three generations of the same families. I re-covered one family's swing cushion four times. Two of their grandbabies learned to walk holding onto it.
What those years taught me is that people don't wear out cushions. Life does. Kids climb, dogs circle, somebody spills sweet tea, and the swing gets pushed a little too high on the Fourth of July. So I plan every cushion for the family that will sit on it, not the one in the catalog photo.
Families also taught me to plan for the dog. The best cushion on the porch is always the one the dog gets to first, so I ask about pets before I ask about color, and I lean toward covers that zip off and go in the wash.
At the atelier I read porch swing cushions, rocking chair pads, papasan and hanging chairs, reading nooks and the window seat cushions in old houses. Old houses are my favorite puzzle. Windows are never square, radiators live right where you want to sit, and the sill you measured in December has shifted a hair by August.
Most questions I answer come down to three things. Can I get just the cover? How close to my measurements will it come out? Can I get extra fabric to match something else in the room? The answers are yes, within about an inch, and yes. The answers below give the long versions, and the size tolerance guide explains that inch.
So here is my question for you, neighbor: which seat in your house do people fight over, and what would it take to make a second one just as good?
Have it made
Have Rosa’s workshop make yours
Swings sway, rockers rock, dogs circle three times. Tell the workshop what your seat goes through, and they will plan for it. — Rosa
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.
Tools on my bench
A denim apron with a pocket for chalk, a pocket for pins and a pocket for peppermints.
Reading glasses pushed up on my head, where I can never find them.
A long cloth tape, because porch swings are wider than people remember.
Upholstery ties cut in pairs and pinned to a card.
Kraft paper for tracing rockers and rounded bench ends.
A photo album of swings I've re-covered, for families who ask what theirs used to look like.
What I always check
01Whether a buyer wants covers only or a full cushion, since the two are easy to mix up.
02Which measurement is a hard maximum, so the cushion stops short of a wall or a frame.
03What sits under the windowa radiator, an air conditioner or a heating vent.
04The foam's exact length, width and thickness when a cover is made for an old insert.
05Who sits therekids, dogs, grandparents, or all three.
A long window seat cushion over a radiator works better as two pieces. A 106 in ledge got two 53 in cushions, so heat escapes and each half lifts out.
A buyer in the US had a front bay window with a ledge 106 inches long and 15 inches deep, and a radiator right underneath it. The first instinct was one long cushion. The workshop advised two instead.
Two cushions of 53 by 15 inches meant the radiator wasn't sealed under one solid piece. Heat had somewhere to go, and either half could be lifted out on its own when the radiator needed attention. The buyer took their time choosing a color from the chart, which I respect. People live with a window seat longer than with a paint color.
I'm proud of that advice because it came from listening to the house, not just the tape measure. Old houses tell you what they need if you let them talk.
Measured
Ledge 106 x 15 in (269 x 38 cm); two cushions 53 x 15 in (135 x 38 cm) each
What it taught
Split long window cushions over radiators so heat can escape and each piece lifts out easily.
A handmade cushion can finish about 1 inch over or under the order. If 24 in is the absolute limit, say so, and the cushion gets made at 23 in.
The foam in my porch swing cushion is still fine. Can I buy just a new cover?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Covers only, with no foam or filling, are ordered through the custom zippered cover listing: pick the nearest size range and write the exact length, width, thickness and fabric code of your foam in the personalization box, and the cover is sewn to those numbers so it fits snugly. The workshop double-checks that you really want covers only, asks for a drawing and a photo for shaped pieces, and can add extra-strong zippers. Covers wash at 86°F (30°C) on a delicate cycle.
A common question
How close to my measurements will a handmade cushion actually come out?
The workshop's answer
Within about 1 in (2.5 cm) either way, as the listings state, so a 5 in height can measure 4 to 6 in, and long cushions vary the most. Inch orders are converted to the nearest centimeter for production, which can add a little. If a size is a hard maximum, say so: when a buyer said 24 in was the absolute limit, the cushion was made at 23 in. Measure height only after the foam has fully expanded; shaking and patting a tufted cushion helps it settle.
A common question
Can I buy extra fabric to match my cushions, say for an ottoman or valances?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Small samples and cut lengths are sold through the fabric-samples listing, and larger pieces through a custom order link; send the fabric code and how many meters of each you need. Extra fabric can ship with your cushion order. The workshop doesn't make valances but sells the matching fabric, and roll width is about 55 in (140 cm) for most fabrics and 79 in (2 m) for some, which sets how large one piece can be.
Asking Rosa
Should I round odd measurements up to the nearest listed size?
Sometimes. Two window bench cushions of 17.75 x 59 x 3 in and 17.75 x 35 x 3 in were matched to the 18 x 59 in and 18 x 36 in options, which can save a custom surcharge. Check that the extra quarter inch still fits before you round.
How thick should a cushion be on a sill with an air conditioner below it?
Keep it low. One buyer fitting two different-sized sills chose 2 in (5 cm) for both, because an AC unit capped the height on one and matching thickness kept the pair looking like a set. Look for units, vents and window hardware before choosing thickness.
Can I order fabric samples before a window seat cushion?
Yes. Samples can be ordered through the fabric sample option on the same listing, and many buyers ask for a formal quote first, then order samples, then the cushions. Seeing the fabric in your own light is the surest way to choose.
Heard at Rosa’s bench
Pull up a chair.
Kids and dogs are the real quality control.
A swing cushion should never slide when you laugh.
Every porch has one seat that's never empty. Build that one best.
If the dog sleeps there, order the washable cover.
An old window is never square, so ask it nicely.
A swing cushion should fit the swing, not the catalog.
Save a scrap of the fabric. Someday somebody will want a pillow to match.
Porch light's on — Rosa
The rest of the bench
Six more masters read the cushions they know best. Pick the one who works on your kind of seat.
Harlan PruittThe Elder of High PointHigh Point, North Carolina · since 1968“A cushion should outlive the chair it sits on.”
Margaret HollowayThe Piping Queen of NewportNewport, Rhode Island · since 1981“Straight lines, honest seams, and a cushion that looks tailored rather than bought.”
Élodie MarchandThe Colorist of New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana · since 1991“Color is the first comfort; the eye sits down before the body does.”
Callum ReidThe Weather Man of Casco BayPortland, Maine · since 1984“Build it for the worst day of the season, and every other day is a gift.”
Hana LindqvistThe Quiet Geometer of SeattleSeattle, Washington · since 1996“Less furniture, better sitting.”
Nate KowalskiThe Pattern Engineer of DetroitDetroit, Michigan · since 1994“Every odd shape is just a list of honest measurements.”