CushionGuide
Get a quote
Pastel multi-stripe seat and back cushions with white branch lines on a black wrought-iron armchair with trailing ivySave
  1. Plump back cushion

    A full pillow fills the tall scrolled back.

  2. Box seat cushion

    A firmer box sits inside the arms for support.

  3. Iron scroll arm

    Black iron outlines the pale fabric so it never looks washed out.

  4. Trailing ivy

    Ivy adds a natural line that mirrors the scrolls.

  5. Scrolled chair back

    The curved top shows why the back cushion is soft, not boxed.

Plate Seat and back chair cushions · pastel striped outdoor acrylic · self piping

Pastel stripes crossed with white branch lines cushion a scrolled black iron armchair on a sunny balcony.

A Reading by MaggieDining Chair Cushions & Pads

Pastel stripe seat and back cushions on a black wrought-iron armchair

Two cushions, two different jobs, and a handful of finishing details you only notice when somebody skips them.

Read by

The Piping Queen of NewportPublished Updated 5 min read

The quick answer

A wrought-iron armchair needs two different cushions: a firm box seat that sits inside the arms and a soft, plump back pillow that fills the curved scroll. Hand-finishing shows in three places: self piping sewn straight along the seat edge, stripes centered on both pieces, and box corners packed full. Order a shaped seat from a template, never as a rectangle.

Pinned by Maggie: five spots on the iron chair

Five pins, from the scrolled top of the chair to the box seat inside the arms.

The numbers match the pins on the plate.

  1. Plump back cushionA full pillow fills the tall scrolled back.
  2. Box seat cushionA firmer box sits inside the arms for support.
  3. Iron scroll armBlack iron outlines the pale fabric so it never looks washed out.
  4. Trailing ivyIvy adds a natural line that mirrors the scrolls.
  5. Scrolled chair backThe curved top shows why the back cushion is soft, not boxed.

A box below, a pillow above, and why

I once made a back cushion for a scrolled iron chair as a neat, square box. It sat in the curve like a brick in a birdcage. I have not made that mistake twice.

Look at this chair instead. The back is a full, plump pillow, soft at the edges, because the top of the frame curves and a boxed cushion would leave a gap at each shoulder. The seat is the opposite: a firmer box that sits inside the arms, square at the front, so you are held up rather than swallowed.

The fabric is a pale multi-stripe of powder blue, coral, yellow and white, crossed with thin white branch lines, in outdoor acrylic. On a white chair it could look washed out. Against black iron it looks crisp, because the frame draws the outline for it. Late sun on warm plaster does the rest.

The trailing ivy in its terracotta pot on the ledge is no accident either. It is the one natural curve that answers the scrolls.

The cushion finishing nobody notices until it's missing

Hand-finishing is not a flourish. It is the short list of small things that decide whether a cushion looks tailored or bought. Here is mine, in order.

  • Self piping, sewn straight. The welt is cut from the same stripe. A straight welt is a kind of honesty: if it wanders, everyone sees it, and on a stripe they see it twice.
  • Stripes centered. The widest band runs down the middle of both seat and back, so the two pieces read as a pair.
  • Full corners. On a box seat the corners are packed out, not slack. A hollow corner is the first thing to look tired.
  • A zipper where nobody looks. The side can be named on the order, and the back edge is the usual answer.
  • Something to hold it down. Painted iron is slick. Ties at the back corners or a non-slip base; see ties, non-slip base or Velcro.

The same list applies to dining chair cushions indoors and to every patio cushion outside.

A real project

A curved front, and a cushion made twice

A buyer wrote to the workshop about two armchairs with shaped seats. The measurements: 18 7/8 in (48 cm) across the back, 17 in (43 cm) down each side, a curved front of 22 in (56 cm), and 20 in (51 cm) deep at the center. Thickness, 4 3/4 in (12 cm).

The order came through the rectangle option, which cannot hold a shape like that. So the workshop canceled it with a full refund and asked for a reorder through the custom-shape option, with photos of the seats uploaded.

The buyer also asked about the non-slip base. It covers the whole underside, not a strip with a 4 in (10 cm) fabric border around it.

Then a production error. The workshop remade both cushions from scratch before they shipped. I would have done the same, dear. A seat that is nearly right is still wrong.

The lesson: Shaped seats belong on a custom-shape order; the old cushion is the best template.

Buyer questions: a seat pad by the numbers, a zipper on one side, velvet depth

  1. A common question

    What would a medium-firm seat pad of about 24 x 22 3/4 in (61 x 58 cm), 2 3/4 in (7 cm) thick, come to?

    The workshop's answer

    A pad like that is quoted straight from those three numbers and the firmness. Send the length, depth and thickness, say medium-firm, and the price comes back for that exact size.

  2. A common question

    If my cushion has a zipper, can it go on one particular side only?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Two custom cushions, 21 x 23 in (53 x 58 cm) and 21 x 27 in (53 x 69 cm), were made with the zipper on the 21 in side only. Name the side in your order note.

  3. A common question

    How thick are your velvet seat cushions, and can I get four small ones?

    The workshop's answer

    The standard velvet seat cushion is 4 in (10 cm) thick, and the size can be changed. Four cushions of about 14 1/2 x 16 1/2 in (37 x 42 cm) were quoted in any fabric from the charts.

A scrolled iron armchair takes two cushions: a firm box seat inside the arms and a soft back pillow that follows the curve. A boxed back leaves a gap at each shoulder.

Maggie
Share on X (opens a new window)

On the cutting table: the balcony armchair

PiecesSeat cushion and back cushion, made as a pair
SeatFirm box cushion that sits inside the arms
BackSoft, plump pillow shaped to the scrolled top
FabricPastel multi-stripe outdoor acrylic with white branch lines
PipingSelf piping cut from the same stripe
FrameBlack scrolled wrought-iron armchair
Hold-down optionsTies at the back corners, or a non-slip base across the whole underside
Best forA balcony, porch or patio chair in full sun

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop

Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — Maggie

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
Pastel multi-stripe outdoor acrylic with white branch lines
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping cut from the same stripe
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 the back cushion on an iron chair be boxed or soft?

Soft, if the chair back is curved or scrolled. A plump pillow fills the curve and the shoulders. A boxed back cushion suits a straight, square frame, where its flat face can sit flush against the back.

How do I measure a chair seat that curves at the front?

Measure the back edge, each side, the front along the curve and the depth at the center, then add the thickness. Order it as a custom shape rather than a rectangle and send photos. The old cushion is the best template.

What is self piping on a cushion?

Piping covered in the same fabric as the cushion. It firms the seam and sharpens the edge without adding a new color, which suits busy stripes where a contrast welt would fight the pattern.

How do I keep a cushion from sliding on a metal chair?

Use ties at the back corners or a non-slip base. The non-slip base covers the whole underside, not just a strip, and it is a grip fabric rather than an adhesive.

Stitch straight — Maggie

More chairs and loungers in outdoor stripes

Green striped box seat pad with white leaf-vein lines on a folding wooden chair beside rosemary on a sunny balconySave
A square box pad softens a folding wooden balcony chair, with the leaf-vein pattern echoing the rosemary beside it.
Shaped pastel striped seat cushion with white line pattern on a rattan peacock chair on a wrought-iron city balconySave
A shaped pastel cushion with white linework fills the round seat of a rattan peacock chair.
Sunflower yellow box seat pad tied with yellow rope to a gray aluminum chair on a high-rise balcony with skylineSave
One sunflower yellow pad with rope ties brightens a gray aluminum chair on a high-rise balcony.
Pastel striped seat pad with white line pattern tied to a lattice-back wrought-iron chair on a sunny flagstone terraceSave
A boxed pastel pad with self-fabric ties softens a lattice-back wrought-iron chair on a sunlit terrace.
Square chair pad with ties in blue, orange and aqua stripes overlaid with a white network pattern, laid flat on green grassSave
Seen from above, this square tie-on pad shows its full footprint and where the ties sit.
Orange and white palm-print seat and back cushions with orange piping and ties on a gray aluminum chair by a teak tableSave
Separate seat and back cushions, each with its own ties, fit a modern outdoor dining chair with an open back.