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A Reading by ÉlodieCustom Throw Pillows

A black and cream jacquard throw pillow up close, and how to measure one right

At this distance a pillow stops being a color and becomes a construction: yarn, cord, seam, corner. Each one tells you whether somebody measured it right.

The quick answer

To size a custom pillow cover, measure the insert flat from seam to seam, not the old cover, and leave the piping out, because the cord sits on the seam and adds nothing. A full corner with no dog-ear shows the insert fills the cover. Tufted cushions need a new cushion, not a new cover.

Read by

The Colorist of New OrleansPublished 5 min read

Macro of a black and cream geometric jacquard pillow edge with cream piping resting on a walnut shelfSave
At close range, the chunky weave and a neat cream piping cord show how the seam is finished.
Two navy and cream palm-leaf jacquard pillows on a white built-in bench by an infinity pool with a sea viewSave
Two large navy leaf pillows are all this lime-washed poolside bench needs.
Black and cream arch-pattern jacquard pillow with cream piping on a burgundy velvet armchair, bookshelf and floor lampSave
Tucked into a burgundy armchair, the arch-print pillow adds structure to a book-lined corner.
Mustard, caramel and cream boucle throw pillows on a cream slipcovered sofa in a bright Scandinavian living roomSave
Three boucle pillows run warm to pale along a cream sofa, while the knit throw, pampas and rug repeat the same honey tones.
Rust loop boucle pillow beside a cream, taupe and charcoal arch-pattern woven pillow on a cream linen sofaSave
A pair built on contrast of pattern rather than color: the woven arch pillow carries the detail, the rust boucle carries the warmth. Both are piped in their own fabric.
Black and cream geometric jacquard pillow lit by a low beam on an oxblood tufted velvet chair, leather books behindSave
A shaft of light picks out the weave of a monochrome pillow resting on oxblood velvet.
Charcoal and caramel loop boucle throw pillows with self piping on an olive green velvet button-tufted chesterfieldSave
Two solid boucles, one dark and one warm, let the tufting stay the star. The caramel echoes the brass lamp just behind.

What the macro shows that a room shot cannot

Warm window light slides across the edge of a pillow resting on a walnut shelf. The fabric is a jacquard in ink black, bone cream and a soft pewter gray, woven in a geometric arch. Woven, not printed: the cream stands up from the ground because the design lives in the yarn itself. Run a thumbnail across it and you feel the pattern.

The piping is a cream cord, and it sits exactly on the seam line all the way along, never riding up onto the face or slipping below. That is the signature of a careful hand at the machine.

The gray matters more than it looks. Those mid-gray streaks soften the jump from black to cream, so from across a room the pattern reads calm instead of loud. Let one color speak and the others listen: here the cream speaks, once in the weave and again in the cord.

Walnut underneath is the only warm note in the frame. Without it, black and cream would feel cool, almost clinical; with it, the whole picture warms by a few degrees.

Now look closely, my friends, at the corner on the far left. It is full. No dog-ear, no limp point. That corner is the measurement report, and it says the insert fills the cover to the seams. The same reading works on every custom throw pillow on your sofa.

Pinned at close range

Five pins across the macro: the cord, the raised weave, the corner, the gray streaks and the walnut.

Pinned: Macro of a black and cream geometric jacquard pillow edge with cream piping resting on a walnut shelf
  1. Cream piping cord

    The cord sits exactly on the seam line all the way along.

  2. Raised cream weave

    The design is woven into the yarn rather than printed on top.

  3. Pillow corner

    A full corner with no dog-ear shows a well-sized insert.

  4. Gray tonal streaks

    Mid-gray yarns soften the jump between black and cream.

  5. Walnut surface

    Warm wood balances a cool monochrome palette.

  1. Cream piping cordThe cord sits exactly on the seam line all the way along.
  2. Raised cream weaveThe design is woven into the yarn rather than printed on top.
  3. Pillow cornerA full corner with no dog-ear shows a well-sized insert.
  4. Gray tonal streaksMid-gray yarns soften the jump between black and cream.
  5. Walnut surfaceWarm wood balances a cool monochrome palette.

Where the tape goes, and where people go wrong

  1. Measure the insert, not the old cover

    Covers stretch or shrink with washing and use. The insert, or the foam, is the true size.

  2. Lay it flat, edge to edge

    Measure the insert flat on a table, from seam to seam, in both directions.

  3. Leave the piping out

    The cord sits on the seam line. Add it to your numbers and the cover comes out too big.

  4. Name the fabric, then see it in daylight

    Corduroy and velvet can look alike in a photo. Ask for a close-up of the real cloth before you order.

  5. Stop if it is tufted

    A new cover will not sit properly over a buttoned cushion. Order a full new cushion in the exact shape instead; the tufted or plain notes explain why.

A real project

Good foam, new clothes

A buyer in the US had window-seat foam of 82 x 32 x 5 in (208 x 81 x 13 cm) that was still good, and wanted only a new corduroy cover. The workshop quoted a cover alone, but the product page showed the price with foam included, so it set up a custom order at the right price and corrected the color code while it was at it.

The buyer loved the result: the color, the build, and a zipper that wraps around both a long and a short side.

A cover-only order lives or dies on the measurements of the foam, and these were right. The covers-only measuring notes walk through the same steps.

Sizes
82 x 32 x 5 in (208 x 81 x 13 cm) existing foam
Fabric
Corduroy

The lesson: Replacing just the cover is far cheaper than a new cushion when the foam is still good.

Three questions about covers and fillings

  1. A common question

    My cushions are tufted with buttons. Can you just make new covers for them?

    The workshop's answer

    A new cover won't fit properly over a tufted cushion, so the workshop recommends a full new cushion with foam in the exact shape. Covering over the existing cushion is possible, but the workshop can't guarantee how it will look. Curved cushions need very detailed measurements.

  2. A common question

    Can you make throw pillows to match my window seat, and what goes inside them?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, as covers only or filled. Two 23½ in (60 cm) square pillows were quoted both ways, and the filling is shredded foam for a soft, plump feel. Give the fabric code from your original order, and write 'no piping' if you want them plain.

  3. A common question

    Are the replacement sofa covers corduroy or velvet? The description says velvet.

    The workshop's answer

    They are corduroy, the same fabric as the sofa, and so are the ottoman and pouf. A covers description that said velvet was corrected after a buyer asked.

The pillow, cord by cord

PieceThrow pillow cover, knife edge
FabricJacquard, woven geometric arch in black, cream and mid-gray
PipingContrast cream cord, set on the seam line
ClosureZipper; the cover is removable
SizeMeasured from the insert, seam to seam, piping excluded
FillingShredded foam insert for a soft, plump feel, or cover only
Fit checkFull corners, no dog-ears
Best forSofas, window seats and beds, matched to the seat fabric

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Élodie’s workshop

Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Jacquard, woven geometric arch in black, cream and mid-gray
Foam
Shredded foam insert for a soft, plump feel, or cover only
Piping
Contrast cream cord, set on the seam line
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Measure a pillow cover from the insert, seam to seam, and leave the piping out; the cord sits on the seam and adds nothing to the size.

Élodie
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Questions buyers ask next

What makes a jacquard different from a printed pattern?

In a jacquard the pattern is woven into the yarn, so the design has relief you can feel with a fingertip. A print sits on the surface of a plain cloth, and it lies flat under the hand.

Can I order a throw pillow without piping?

Yes. Write 'no piping' in your order note. The workshop makes throw pillows with or without a cord, and piped or plain, the pillow is cut to the same size from your measurements.

Is a new cover worth it if my cushion foam is still good?

Usually, yes. When the foam still holds its shape, replacing only the cover costs a fraction of a new cushion. One buyer's 82 x 32 x 5 in (208 x 81 x 13 cm) window seat foam got a new corduroy cover that way.

Why do pillow corners go limp and pointed?

A limp, pointed corner, the dog-ear, usually means the insert is smaller than the cover. A full, rounded corner means the insert fills the cover out to the seams, the way it should.

With color and care — Élodie