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A Reading by RosaWindow Seat Cushions

A navy corduroy window seat cushion up close, and how to measure the seat under it

Nothing in this photograph but a corner of navy corduroy and a strip of pine. That is plenty. A corner this sharp starts with a tape measure, and I have opinions about tape measures.

Read by

The Porch Keeper of SavannahPublished Updated 4 min read

Macro close-up of navy wide-wale corduroy with beaded self piping and a sharp box corner on a pine seatSave
Up close, the wide wale looks almost like chenille rope, and the self piping becomes a line of soft beads along the top edge.

The quick answer

Measure a window seat's ledge, then round down so the cushion sits inside the edge: a ledge of 38 3/4 x 25 3/4 in took a 38 x 25 in cushion. Confirm the thickness separately, since 4 in (10 cm) is standard, and plan two pieces for any seat longer than about 79 to 90 in (200 to 230 cm).

Savannah ·

Hello again, neighbor,

What a close-up tells you that a room photo can't

You sent me a room once, and I could tell you about the lamp. Send me a corner like this and I can tell you about the cushion.

These are wide corduroy wales, much plusher than a pinwale, closer to a jumbo cord than to the corduroy on your uncle's jacket. The pile moves from ink to steel blue as the light shifts, so the color you see depends on where you stand.

Now the piping. The cord is covered in the same corduroy, so every rib becomes a soft bead along the top edge. On wide-wale corduroy, self piping looks like it grew there.

The corner seam drops straight, no twist, no pull. And the cushion sits flush with the edge of the pine seat. That last part is not luck. That is a well-measured window seat cushion, and the measuring Pattern for older homes shows the method. So, what does your ledge measure?

What I'd point at over coffee

Five details worth a second look before you order.

Pinned: Macro close-up of navy wide-wale corduroy with beaded self piping and a sharp box corner on a pine seat
  1. Beaded self piping

    Corduroy wrapped round the cord turns the wale into a row of soft beads.

  2. Corner seam

    The seam runs straight down the corner with no twist or pull.

  3. Wide plush wale

    Jumbo-scale ribs, much wider than a classic pinwale cord.

  4. Top surface sheen

    The pile shifts from ink to steel blue as the light moves.

  5. Pine base

    The cushion sits flush to the edge of the seat.

  1. Beaded self pipingCorduroy wrapped round the cord turns the wale into a row of soft beads.
  2. Corner seamThe seam runs straight down the corner with no twist or pull.
  3. Wide plush waleJumbo-scale ribs, much wider than a classic pinwale cord.
  4. Top surface sheenThe pile shifts from ink to steel blue as the light moves.
  5. Pine baseThe cushion sits flush to the edge of the seat.

Measuring the seat under the corduroy

  1. Measure the ledge, not the old cushion

    Length along the front edge, depth from the glass to the front. Tired cushions spread and lie.

  2. Round down, never up

    Take off a fraction so the box edge sits inside the wood instead of hanging over it.

  3. Ask about thickness on its own

    Standard is 4 in (10 cm). Anything else, from 1 1/2 to 6 in, goes in the personalization box.

  4. Check the length

    Past about 79 to 90 in (200 to 230 cm), plan two pieces. They fit better, last longer and carry easier.

A real project

The ledge measured to the quarter inch

A buyer messaged the workshop with her window ledge measured to the quarter inch: 38 3/4 x 25 3/4 in. Which size should she order? The workshop added a 38 x 25 in option for her, so the cushion would sit just inside the ledge, and she noted in her order comments the green from the first photo.

Then came the part folks miss. She was picturing about 5 in of height. The cushion would be 4 in, and the workshop said so plainly. Better to learn that in a message than on the porch with the box open.

Sizes
Ledge 38 3/4 x 25 3/4 in; cushion 38 x 25 x 4 in

The lesson: Round window seat sizes down so the cushion sits inside the ledge, and confirm the thickness separately.

What folks ask before they measure

  1. A common question

    How long can one cushion be? Should a very long window seat be split?

    The workshop's answer

    Pieces of about 79 to 90 in (200 to 230 cm) are the recommended maximum. Longer seats are split so they fit, last and handle better: a bay seat over 14 ft went in two pieces, a sofa seat of about 16 ft (5 m) in three. One piece can still be made on request.

  2. A common question

    Can a made-to-measure bench cushion be thinner or thicker than 4 in?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Standard is 4 in (10 cm), and real orders have run from 1 1/2 in up to 6 in, with 3 and 5 in along the way. Write the thickness you want in the personalization box.

  3. A common question

    How much does a custom window seat cushion cost?

    The workshop's answer

    It is quoted on your exact size and fabric, so send length, depth, thickness and fabric first. Recent quotes ran from about 16 x 63 in (41 x 160 cm) to 15 x 117 in (38 x 297 cm) seats, a 26 x 83 in (66 x 211 cm) velvet seat among them, and each quote stated its own shipping.

Corduroy wrapped around the piping cord turns each rib into a soft bead, so self piping suits a wide-wale corduroy cushion better than contrast.

Rosa
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On my cutting table

CushionWindow seat box cushion
FabricWide-wale corduroy, navy (code V08)
PipingSelf piping, beaded by the wale
CornerStraight seam, no twist
Size ruleRound the ledge size down
Thickness4 in (10 cm) standard
Longest pieceAbout 79 to 90 in, then split
Best forWindow seats in pine or paint

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Rosa’s workshop

Swings sway, rockers rock, dogs circle three times. Tell the workshop what your seat goes through, and they will plan for it. — Rosa

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
Wide-wale corduroy, navy (code V08)
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping, beaded by the wale
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

Questions buyers ask next

Should a window seat cushion be the exact size of the ledge?

A little smaller. Rounding down, as with a 38 3/4 in ledge that took a 38 in cushion, keeps the box edge inside the wood instead of hanging over it.

Is wide-wale corduroy different from regular corduroy?

The ribs are much wider and plusher than a fine pinwale. Up close the wale reads almost like rope, and the pile shifts from ink to steel blue as the light moves.

Why ask for a close-up photo before ordering corduroy?

A room photo shows the mood; a close-up shows the true color and pile. With any pile fabric, the macro view is the better guide to what will arrive.

Porch light's on — Rosa

P.S. Ask for a close-up photo of any pile fabric before you order. It is the truest color you will see before the box arrives.

Corduroy in other rooms

Navy corduroy box cushion on a cream plinth under a large picture window, with oak cube shelves and terracotta floorSave
A dark, low seat that frames a picture window; the view above is left completely clear.
Front view of a navy corduroy box cushion on a pine paneled window seat below a rattan dome pendant and garden windowSave
Photographed square-on, the seat shows a long straight front edge and an even thickness from end to end.
Elevated view of a navy corduroy cushion on a pine window seat with rattan pendant, ficus and a mustard rug in sunlightSave
From above you can see how the cushion covers the whole seat top, with the pine paneling showing only on the front face.
Elevated view of a mustard corduroy window seat cushion with navy pillow, lit paper lamp, book cubes and navy armchairSave
Seen from above, the mustard ledge cushion and the navy armchair form one reading corner lit by a single paper lamp. The sill stays free for books and a mug.
Cream corduroy box cushion on a white paneled storage bench under a window in a sage green living room with French doorsSave
Pale corduroy on a white storage bench keeps a sage room airy, and the cobalt vase gives the corner one confident accent.
Close-up of a cream jumbo-wale corduroy cushion corner showing self piping and ribs turning down the boxing bandSave
Up close, the wide wales and corduroy-covered piping show why this fabric feels plush without any tufting.