A Reading by NateBay Window Cushions
Navy stripe bay window cushion: the angled end, and five mistakes it avoided
One end square, one end cut on the bay's angle, and a navy stripe that never breaks. Partner, that stripe is straight only because somebody measured the diagonals.
SaveThe quick answer
To order a bay window cushion with an angled end, send a drawing with every edge labeled, short straight returns included, and both diagonals measured, because old bays are rarely square. Angled seats go through the custom trapezoid option. Standard thickness is 4 in (10 cm); write anything thinner or thicker in the personalization box.
What this page of the notebook shows
The photo is a white-paneled bay with brick row houses outside. On the seat, a navy and white ticking stripe, box edge, self piping. The left end is cut on the bay's angle instead of squared off, and that is why the stripe looks built in rather than bought.
The navy is a true dark blue. From across the room it reads almost black, so the white paneling does real work: it keeps a heavy color crisp.
Props, in order of usefulness. Two plain ivory linen pillows sit in the angled corner, exactly where a back rests against the splay. The fern on the sill is the only green, placed at the center so the eye travels the full stripe. The fringed cream throw folds at the square end to balance the pillows. Oak boards keep it warm.
The cloth is one of the striped cotton and ticking family; more seats like it sit under bay window cushions, and the 3-sided bay Pattern measures one panel by panel. How many edges does your bay actually have?
Two seats, measured
Left, an L-shaped bay from a past order. Right, what a canted bay like the photo needs.
| Measure | L-shaped bay (real order) | Angled bay (photo) |
|---|---|---|
| Long run | 74 3/4 in (190 cm), outer edge | Back edge along the wall |
| Short run | 44 1/2 in (113 cm), outer edge | Front edge |
| Depth | 22 7/8 in (58 cm), one figure | At both ends |
| Angled sides | None | Each one, plus short returns |
| Diagonals | Not needed | Both, corner to corner |
| Thickness | Written in the note | 4 in (10 cm) standard |
Three numbers describe the L. The angled bay needs more, because angles are just lengths in disguise.
Margin notes on the photo
Five points where the geometry and the styling agree.
- angled bay end
The end is cut on the bay's angle; send a drawing with every edge labeled and both diagonals measured.
- ivory linen pillows
Two plain pillows sit in the angled corner where a back naturally rests against the splay.
- fern on the sill
The fern is the only green, placed centrally so the eye travels along the whole stripe.
- fringed cream throw
The throw is folded at the square end, balancing the pillows piled at the angled end.
- navy stripe box edge
This navy can read almost black from across the room, so white paneling keeps it crisp.
- angled bay endThe end is cut on the bay's angle; send a drawing with every edge labeled and both diagonals measured.
- ivory linen pillowsTwo plain pillows sit in the angled corner where a back naturally rests against the splay.
- fern on the sillThe fern is the only green, placed centrally so the eye travels along the whole stripe.
- fringed cream throwThe throw is folded at the square end, balancing the pillows piled at the angled end.
- navy stripe box edgeThis navy can read almost black from across the room, so white paneling keeps it crisp.
Five mistakes this cushion avoided
- Squaring off the angled end. A rectangle on a canted bay leaves a triangle of bare wood you see every day.
- Skipping the short straight returns. Many bays have a small flat stretch before the angle starts; label it.
- Trusting the corners. Measure both diagonals; if they differ, the bay is not square.
- Mixing up depth and thickness. Depth runs front to back; thickness is the foam height.
- Leaving piping to chance. For a contrast cord, write both fabric codes in the order note.
An L-shaped bay in three numbers
A buyer wrote in about an L-shaped bay seat: one leg 44 1/2 in (113 cm), the other 74 3/4 in (190 cm), 22 7/8 in (58 cm) deep. Three numbers, and the workshop could quote the whole piece.
That is the method for an L. Give the outer length of each leg along the wall, and one depth. The inside lengths follow from the depth, so measuring them again only adds a chance for two numbers to disagree. Run yours through the bay window calculator before you order.
- Sizes
- Legs 44 1/2 in and 74 3/4 in, 22 7/8 in deep
The lesson: For L-shaped seats, give the outer length of each leg and one depth.
Three questions
- A common question
Our bay window seat has three sides and isn't a rectangle. Can you make a cushion for it?
The workshop's answerYes. Angled bay seats go through the custom trapezoid option: upload a photo and a drawing with measurements, and the cushion is shaped to match. Benches with wood sticking out are handled the same way.
- A common question
What thickness is standard, and can I go thinner or thicker?
The workshop's answerStandard is 4 in (10 cm). Thinner cushions have been made at 3 1/2, 3, 2 and even 1 in, thicker ones at 6 and 8 in. Write the thickness in the personalization box, for example "3 inches" on a trapezoid order.
- A common question
Can the piping be a different color or fabric from the cushion?
The workshop's answerYes. Contrast piping can be any color on the fabric charts. Write both codes in the order note, main fabric and piping, and the workshop confirms them before production.
For an L-shaped window seat, give the outer length of each leg and one depth. Three numbers describe the whole cushion.
Nate
Spec sheet
| Cushion | Angled bay window seat cushion |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Navy and white ticking stripe (code N28) |
| Stripe | Unbroken wall to wall |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Thickness | 4 in (10 cm) standard; 1 to 8 in on request |
| Ordering | Custom trapezoid option, photo plus drawing |
| Best for | Canted bays and L-shaped window seats |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Nate’s workshop
Precision starts on the phone. Give the workshop your measurements and they will read them back to you, edge by edge. — Nate
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
Why measure the diagonals of a bay window seat?
Diagonals show whether the seat is square. When the two corner-to-corner figures differ, the angles are not what they look like, and a cushion cut from lengths alone will gap at one end.
Where do pillows go on an angled bay seat?
In the angled corner, where a back naturally rests against the splay. Keep them plain when the cushion is striped, and fold a throw at the square end for balance.
Will a navy stripe look black in my room?
From across a room, a deep navy can read almost black. Pale walls keep it crisp; in a darker room, ask for a daylight close-up of the fabric before ordering.
± 1/4 in — Nate
Stripes, angles and other honest lines
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