A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
A letter on measuring a custom bench cushion, written from one knotted-stripe corner
A corner this close shows every seam. It also shows exactly where the tape measure belongs, and where people point it instead.
SaveThe quick answer
To measure for a custom bench cushion, measure the bench itself: length end to end, depth from the front edge to the wall, and the thickness you want to sit on. Make the size you select match the numbers in your order note. A vacuum-packed cushion can measure short at first, so let it recover before you check it.
Newport ·
Dear tape-measure holder,
What the corner gives away
I have your photograph of the corner propped against my sewing machine, and it is a handsome thing: a custom bench cushion in a black, gray and cream woven stripe with rows of raised knots, shot low on a pale gray floor with the light coming from the side.
Those knots sit proud of the flat weave and throw tiny shadows, which is where a monochrome cloth gets its depth. The piping is self piping, cut from the same cloth, so the outline follows the stripe instead of drawing a hard line around it. Now look at the side band. The knot rows run the length of the top and turn vertical on the side, which is how the cloth falls on a long bench cushion. A second piped seam at the base keeps that boxing strip straight under weight.
No color to speak of, and it needs none. An entry with a concrete floor, or a black-and-white loft, would take this weave happily.
Before you order anything like it, walk through the bench measuring pattern or put your numbers into the bench cushion builder; the stripe itself lives under striped cotton and ticking. What does your bench measure, end to end?
Four pins, knots to base seam
Four pins, from the raised knots on top down to the piped seam at the base.
- Raised knot rows
The knots sit proud of the flat weave and throw tiny shadows, which is where this cloth gets its depth.
- Self-piped corner
Piping cut from the same cloth lets the outline follow the stripe instead of drawing a separate line.
- Vertical knot column
On the side panel the knot rows turn vertical, the way a long bench cushion is normally cut.
- Bottom seam
A second piped seam at the base keeps the boxing strip straight when the cushion is sat on.
- Raised knot rowsThe knots sit proud of the flat weave and throw tiny shadows, which is where this cloth gets its depth.
- Self-piped cornerPiping cut from the same cloth lets the outline follow the stripe instead of drawing a separate line.
- Vertical knot columnOn the side panel the knot rows turn vertical, the way a long bench cushion is normally cut.
- Bottom seamA second piped seam at the base keeps the boxing strip straight when the cushion is sat on.
Where the tape goes, and where it wanders
Measure the bench, not the cushion you used to have
Old cushions sag and mislead. Tape the seat itself, end to end.
Length, then depth, then thickness
Length along the seat, depth from the front edge to the wall, thickness as the height you want to sit at. Piping sits on the seam line and adds nothing to the size.
Match the note to the menu
The size you select at checkout and the size in your note must agree. The workshop reads both.
Decide one piece or two before cutting
Around 90 in (229 cm) and longer, a bench cushion can be one continuous piece or two equal halves. Choose now, not after the cloth is cut.
Measure again once it has recovered
A vacuum-packed cushion can come out short on day one. Open it promptly, give the foam time, then check it against the order.
The entry bench that came up short, then didn't
A buyer in the US ordered a velvet cushion, 14 x 56.25 in (35.5 x 143 cm), in light tan, for the entry bench of a newly built house, and asked the workshop to hold it until after the move.
When it was finally opened, it measured about 54.5 x 14.75 in (138.5 x 37.5 cm) and left a gap at the wall. The workshop asked for photos with a tape measure in them and explained that vacuum compression can shrink a cushion for a while. Then it offered a remake at a discount, in a mushroom taupe velvet at 2 in (5 cm) thick, with one piece of advice: open the package quickly, because velvet left folded picks up creases.
A held order is a kindness. A vacuum pack left sealed for weeks is a gamble.
- Sizes
- 14 x 56.25 in (35.5 x 143 cm) ordered; about 54.5 x 14.75 in (138.5 x 37.5 cm) on opening
- Fabric
- Light tan velvet; remake in mushroom taupe velvet, 2 in (5 cm) thick
The lesson: Open vacuum-packed velvet promptly and measure against the order before installing.
Buyer questions
- A common question
I picked the wrong size at checkout. What happens now?
The workshop's answerThe workshop compares your note with the size you paid for. When a note asked for 16 x 75.5 in (41 x 192 cm) but the 16 x 32 in (41 x 81 cm) option was chosen, it offered a payment link for the difference, or to make the standard size instead.
- A common question
What's the longest bench cushion you can make in one piece? We really don't want two.
The workshop's answerA long cushion such as 102 x 18 in (259 x 46 cm) can be split into two equal 51 x 18 in (130 x 46 cm) pieces, but it can also be made as one continuous piece if you prefer. A 90 x 18 in (229 x 46 cm) linen cushion was quoted as a single piece.
- A common question
Could two teddy sofas be joined into an L-shaped sectional?
The workshop's answerYes. Order two teddy sofas and the workshop swaps two of the corner backrests for straight ones, which turns them into a corner layout. It has built this arrangement before.
Check the size you select at checkout against the size in your order note: a 16 x 32 in option will not cover a 16 x 75.5 in bench.
Maggie
The corner, measured and specified
| Cushion | Box bench cushion, self piping at top and bottom seams |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Woven stripe in black, gray and cream with raised knot rows |
| Stripe layout | Knot rows run the length on top and turn vertical on the side band |
| What to measure | Length and depth of the bench itself, plus the thickness you want |
| Long benches | One continuous piece or two equal halves |
| Order check | Selected size must match the personalization note |
| On arrival | Open promptly; measure after the foam recovers |
| Best for | Entry benches, lofts and black-and-white rooms |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — Maggie
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 piping make a bench cushion bigger than ordered?
No. Piping is sewn into the seam line, so the length, depth and thickness stay as ordered. Self piping at the top and bottom seams also helps keep the side band straight when someone sits.
Why would a new bench cushion measure shorter than the order?
Vacuum compression can shrink a cushion temporarily. Open the package soon after it arrives, let the foam recover, then measure with a tape and send photos if it is still short. Velvet left folded for weeks can also crease.
Should the knot rows on a striped bench cushion run lengthwise?
Usually along the length of the top, turning vertical on the side band, which is how a long bench cushion is normally cut. It keeps the pattern continuous. If you want another direction, say so in the order note.
Stitch straight — Maggie
P.S. Read the size you selected and the size in your note aloud, side by side, before you pay. Mismatches hide in plain sight.
The knotted weave on a window seat, and other piped benches
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