---
title: "Custom Bench Cushion in Brushstroke Stripes: Measuring the Seat"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/brushstroke-tiger-stripe-bench-cushion-velvet-pillows/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/"
published: "2026-07-29"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "custom bench cushion, bench cushion, dining bench cushion, bench cushion indoor, bench seat cushion, custom size cushion"
---

# Measuring for a brushstroke-stripe bench cushion on a long white bench

*Painterly stripes forgive a lot, but not a cushion that stops an inch short. Here is how I would measure this exact bench, including the mistakes I made first so you needn't.*

> **The quick answer:** To measure a long bench for a custom bench cushion, take the length and depth of the bare seat top, settle the thickness first, and choose one piece so a bold stripe is not cut by a center seam. This brushstroke-stripe cushion runs the whole white bench as one boxed piece with self piping, and three velvet pillows sit along the back.

![Long bench cushion in black and white brushstroke tiger stripes with blue, black and gray velvet pillows on a white bench](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/brushstroke-tiger-stripe-bench-cushion-velvet-pillows-1600.webp "Painterly stripes and three velvet pillows in cool grays and blue bring texture to a white-walled room.")

## Buyer questions: zippers, fabric codes and quoting by size

**A common question:** Does the bench cushion cover have a zipper, so I can wash it?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The zipper runs around two corners, so the foam insert slides out easily and the cover can go in the washing machine.

**A common question:** Where do I tell you which fabric color I picked?

**The workshop's answer:** Write the fabric code in the personalization or order note box, for example COR-207 for the dark green corduroy. If you can't find the box, or forget, send a message right after ordering; the workshop contacts anyone whose order is missing a code before production starts.

**A common question:** How do you price a custom bench or window seat cushion?

**The workshop's answer:** By its size, so send the exact measurements and the workshop quotes that seat. Quotes have run from a 14 x 44 in (36 x 112 cm) window seat to an 84 x 16 in (213 x 41 cm) sill cushion, and three 16 x 32 in (41 x 81 cm) cushions to fill a 96 in (244 cm) bench. Ask for shipping cost and timing in the same quote.

## Pinned by Maggie: a long seat and what leans on it

Five pins cover the unbroken stripe, the three velvet pillows, the painting that echoes the print and the carved round rug underfoot.

1. **Brushstroke stripe print**: On a long bench, a single-piece cushion keeps the stripes from being cut by a center seam.
2. **Dusty blue velvet**: The blue picks up the cool cast in the print's gray shading.
3. **Black and gray velvet**: Soft sheen contrasts with the matte printed cotton.
4. **Abstract painting**: Its loose brushwork echoes the painterly stripes on the seat.
5. **Carved round rug**: Tonal texture on the floor adds pattern without clashing.

## Why this cushion is one long piece

The first thing I check on a photograph like this is the thing nobody notices: there is no seam in the middle. The bench is long, the stripes are loud, and a join at the center would slice a tiger stripe in half exactly where everyone looks.

So the cushion is one boxed piece, end to end, with self piping. Self piping is the quiet choice on a busy print; a contrast cord would draw a second frame around stripes that already have plenty to say. On a run this long, any wobble in the welt shows, so it had better be straight.

The styling does measuring work too. Three velvet pillows in dusty blue, black and gray lean along the back, and every one of them sits on seat depth. The abstract painting in its gold frame repeats the loose brushwork, and two tonal rugs below add pattern without a fight. The case for and against a single run is in [one piece or two on a long bench](https://cushionguide.com/guides/long-bench-cushion-one-piece-or-two/), and prints like this one sit in [striped cotton and ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/).

## Measuring this exact bench, in the order that saves you grief

1. **Tape the bare seat**: Measure the bench, not the cushion you used to have. Old foam slumps, and copying it copies its faults.
2. **Take the length twice**: Measure along the front edge and again along the back. If they differ, write down both and say which is which.
3. **Measure depth straight**: Take the depth at 90 degrees to the front edge, never on a slant. Pillows leaning at the back sit on that same depth.
4. **Settle thickness before lengths**: The standard is 4 in (10 cm). Decide it first; thickness changes how pieces butt together at a corner.
5. **Choose one piece or two**: One piece keeps a bold stripe whole; two pieces are easier to lift and wash. Say which before anything is cut.

## The corner set that kept its 4 inches

A buyer messaged the workshop wanting a cafe-style corner: one cushion along a bench and three on a low ground cushion tucked into the corner. They asked for linen or cotton, not velvet, so the workshop explained that its soft fabric is a durable poly-cotton blend and sent charts for both the linens and the soft fabrics.

Then came thickness. The standard is 4 in (10 cm); going to 5 in (13 cm) would have raised the price noticeably. The buyer kept 4 in and adjusted the measurements to suit, and that is the part I admire: the lengths changed after the thickness was settled, not before.

The final set was 57 7/8 x 24 3/4 in (147 x 63 cm) in burgundy, 57 7/8 x 15 3/4 in (147 x 40 cm) in emerald and two 15 3/4 x 20 7/8 in (40 x 53 cm) pieces in khaki, all 4 in thick. Production took 7 to 10 days, delivery 3 to 5 more. I once did it the other way round, dear, and learned what recutting corner foam does to a Saturday. What does your bench measure along the front edge, and along the back? The [bench measuring pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-bench-for-cushion/) and the [bench cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/bench-cushion-builder/) will hold your numbers.

## On the cutting table: the brushstroke bench cushion

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Cushion | One-piece rectangular box cushion for a long bench |
| Print | Brushstroke tiger stripes in black, white and gray on cotton canvas (P-06) |
| Piping | Self piping in the same print |
| Edge | Boxed, square corners |
| Standard thickness | 4 in (10 cm) |
| Cover | Zipper around two corners; the foam slides out and the cover machine washes |
| Pillows | Velvet in dusty blue, black and gray |
| Measure | Bare seat length at front and back, depth at 90 degrees, thickness first |
| Best for | A white dining corner or kitchen nook that wants pattern without color |

> A long bench cushion in a bold stripe should be one piece: a center seam cuts the pattern exactly where everyone looks.
>
> — Maggie

> **Tailor's margin:** Decide thickness before you finalize lengths. At a corner, 4 in versus 5 in of foam changes how the pieces butt together.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Is one piece or two better for a bold striped cushion on a long dining bench?

One piece keeps the pattern whole, as on this brushstroke-stripe cushion: no center seam slices a stripe where the eye lands. Two pieces are easier to lift and wash, so choose them when the print is quiet or handling matters more than the pattern.

### Where do people go wrong when measuring a dining bench for a cushion?

Three slips to avoid: copying the old cushion instead of the bench, measuring depth on a slant instead of straight front to back, and fixing lengths before thickness. Tape the bare seat, write down front and back lengths, then settle thickness.

### Why use self piping on a patterned bench cushion?

Self piping is cut from the same fabric, so the edge stays crisp without adding a new color. On a loud print like these brushstroke stripes, a contrast cord would draw a second outline and compete with the pattern.

## Related at the atelier

- [Dining Bench Cushion in Red Ticking, Built for Long Sits](https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-ticking-kitchen-bench-cushion-pine-table/): For long sitting at a kitchen table, a dining bench cushion should be slim and firm enough to keep your elbows at table height, with ties or a non-slip base so it stays put.
- [Custom Bench Cushion in Cow Print for a Sage Kitchen Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cow-print-bench-cushion-sage-kitchen-nook-oak-shelves/): To order a custom bench cushion right the first time, pick the nearest size in the drop-down, then write your exact length, depth, thickness and fabric codes in the personalization box.
- [Dining Bench Cushion in Coral Hibiscus, Read Through the Year](https://cushionguide.com/readings/coral-hibiscus-cushion-white-dining-storage-bench/): A bold print dining bench cushion is the simplest way to warm an all-white dining corner, and it works all year because the light changes, not the fabric.
- [Do you do bulk pricing for 10 or more of the same cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/bulk-pricing-identical-cushions/): Bulk orders of 10 or more identical cushions get their own quote, and the more alike the pieces, the bigger the saving.
- [Do ties cost extra on a custom cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/do-cushion-ties-cost-extra/): Cushion ties are often sewn on free, and on some orders they carry a small per-cushion charge.
- [Can you add velcro instead of ties to keep my cushion in place?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/velcro-vs-ties-for-cushions/): Velcro is possible only by agreement: the workshop's standard answer to a sliding cushion is ties or a non-slip bottom, and it usually suggests one of those first.
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/)
- [One long cushion or two? Splitting a long bench or window seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/long-bench-cushion-one-piece-or-two/)

*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/readings/brushstroke-tiger-stripe-bench-cushion-velvet-pillows/