A Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions
Three outdoor cushions in a stack, and what keeps each one in place
Callum takes a coral stripe, a slate blue and a pale gray off the sandstone and answers the question that comes after color: ties, grip or neither, and where the zipper goes.
SaveThe quick answer
Fasten an outdoor bench cushion according to what it sits against: ties for back cushions that lean on a frame, a non-slip base for seat pads on stone or built-ins with nothing to wrap around, and the zipper on the back edge so the front stripe stays whole. Water-repellent covers still come in before a storm.
Questions first: a missing stripe, curved covers, a bus sofa
- A common question
The stripe in your first listing photo isn't on the fabric chart. Can I still order that one?
The workshop's answerYes. The shop sends you a photo of that exact fabric to confirm it, then uses that stripe for your order.
- A common question
Could you re-cover our outdoor loveseat cushions, with their angled sides and curved back, and keep the old foam?
The workshop's answerThe shop asked for photos, a drawing of each shape with its sizes written on, and the depth from the short edge to the long edge. After reviewing them it said plainly that those curved covers were not something it could make.
- A common question
We're converting a school bus. Can you make cushions for a sofa that pulls out into a double bed?
The workshop's answerYes. Two 75 x 26.5 in (191 x 67 cm) cushions were quoted, with a saving for ordering both, and the price was the same in linen or velvet.
Now, the reading
Reading the stack from the top down
Buyers ask about color first and fastening second. This stack of outdoor cushions answers both.
On top, the coral stripe. It is the pattern piece, and look at the boxing: the bands line up with the top panel, cut and matched by hand. That match is exactly why the zipper never goes on the front. A zipper there breaks the line where everyone looks. The Pattern on cushion zipper placement has the details.
In the middle, slate blue. At the bottom, pale gray. Two solids in a water-repellent outdoor fabric that share the stripe's cool base, meant for the seats that take the most wear. The lavender border behind bridges warm coral and cool slate, which is why the three look planned. Sandstone below, hard summer sun above.
The rule to copy: one pattern, two solids pulled from it, and a decision about which goes where before you order. Then the fastening. Here is how I'd hold each one down, friend.
Ties, grip or zipper: one call per cushion
- Back cushion on a lounge platform or frame: ties, so a gust can't lift it off.
- Seat pad on a stone ledge or a built-in with nothing to wrap around: a non-slip base.
- Seat pad on a slatted bench: ties around a slat, or a non-slip base if you want a clean underside.
- Every cushion: zipper on the back edge, so the stripe match and the front piping stay whole.
- Every cushion: in before a storm. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract.
Pinned by Callum: coral, slate, gray and lavender
Five pins walk down the stack, from the striped top to the lavender that ties warm and cool together.
- Coral stripe top cushion
The top cushion is the pattern piece; the two below are its practical solids.
- Stripes matched on boxing
Bands on the boxing line up with the top panel, which is cut and matched by hand.
- Slate blue middle
A solid slate is the hard-wearing partner for the coral stripe.
- Light gray base
The pale gray is the quietest of the three and suits modern stone or concrete.
- Lavender in bloom
Lavender bridges the blue-gray solids and the warm coral.
- Coral stripe top cushionThe top cushion is the pattern piece; the two below are its practical solids.
- Stripes matched on boxingBands on the boxing line up with the top panel, which is cut and matched by hand.
- Slate blue middleA solid slate is the hard-wearing partner for the coral stripe.
- Light gray baseThe pale gray is the quietest of the three and suits modern stone or concrete.
- Lavender in bloomLavender bridges the blue-gray solids and the warm coral.
A 65 x 54 lounge platform with a tied back
A buyer wrote to the workshop about a big outdoor lounge platform. The seat was 65 x 54 in (165 x 137 cm), and they wanted it 5 to 6 in deep. Five inches (13 cm) is a standard option, so that settled the seat.
Then came the back: 54 x 22 in (137 x 56 cm), 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) thick, with ties. That is the right call on a platform. A back cushion that only leans will walk off in the first gust; ties hold it to the frame.
The covers wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle. Making took 5 to 7 days and delivery another 3 to 5. Deep lounge seats suit 5 in foam, and a tied back finishes any patio or porch set.
On the cutting table: the three-cushion outdoor set
| Product | Box outdoor cushions, a set of three, made to measure |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Water-repellent outdoor fabric: coral stripe, slate blue, pale gray |
| Piping | Self piping on each cushion |
| Stripe | Bands matched from the top panel onto the boxing |
| Seat fastening | Non-slip base on stone; ties on a slatted bench |
| Back fastening | Ties to the frame |
| Zipper | Back edge, away from the stripe match |
| Care | Covers wash at 86°F (30°C), gentle cycle |
| Best for | Patio benches, lounge platforms and porch seating |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop
Sun, rain, salt. Say which of them your cushion will meet, and the workshop will plan around it. — Callum
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.
On a striped outdoor cushion, put the zipper on the back boxing. The front is where the hand-matched stripe has to run unbroken.
Callum
Questions buyers ask next
Do seat cushions on a stone patio ledge need ties?
Not usually. Flat stone offers nothing to tie around, so a non-slip base does the holding. Save ties for back cushions and for seats on slatted benches, where a slat gives them something to grip.
How do I plan colors for a set of outdoor cushions?
Start with one pattern you love, then choose two solids that sit inside it. Here a coral stripe leads, with slate blue and pale gray as the quieter partners for the seats that see more use.
Can water-repellent outdoor cushions stay out in a downpour?
Better not. Water-repellent fabric sheds light rain and spills for a while, but a long soaking gets through to the foam. Bring cushions in or cover them before a storm and they last far longer.
How thick should a deep outdoor lounge cushion be?
On a deep lounge platform, 5 in (13 cm) foam is a standard choice and gives a proper sink-in seat. A back cushion 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) thick, with ties, rounds out the set.
Fair winds — Callum
