A Reading by HarlanStar Poufs & Giant Star Floor Cushions
A pink and olive striped star floor cushion in a reading corner, and the hand-finishing you can see at every tip
A star is the hardest shape in the workroom to cut in stripes. This one sits under a fairy-lit canopy among picture books, and every tip tells you how carefully it was made.
SaveThe quick answer
A striped star floor cushion shows its hand-finishing at the tips: the stripes run straight across the whole star, so every point shows exactly where two panels meet, and the self piping is cut from the same stripe. Woven stripes come in fixed colorways, so choose the pairing as it is; this pink and olive cannot be remixed.
Three questions, answered at the workbench
- A common question
Can you make a 120 in floor sofa with one long seat cushion, one short one and solid back bars?
The workshop's answerYes. For a 120 in (305 cm) floor sofa, the support bars are solid rather than sectional, and the seat can be one long cushion plus one short one, with two corner back pillows and a straight one in the middle.
- A common question
Can I change the color after I've placed my order?
The workshop's answerUsually, if production hasn't started. Once the fabric is cut, the color can no longer be changed, so message the workshop as soon as you decide.
- A common question
Do you offer bulk pricing if I order large quantities or order regularly?
The workshop's answerIt has been, case by case. When one buyer asked about 20 sets of metal support bars and regular repeat orders, the workshop offered a bulk discount and worked out the details directly. Send the quantities and how often you'd reorder.
Now, the reading
Where the stripes meet: reading the star tip by tip
A seam is a promise, and a star makes ten of them at once, five tips and five valleys. Stripes let you check every one.
Look at this star floor cushion. The pink and olive stripes run straight across the whole star, so each tip shows exactly where the panels meet. On a solid velvet you could hide a wandering seam in the pile. On a stripe, you cannot hide anything. The piping is cut from the same stripe, so the edge carries the pattern around the box instead of drawing a new line. That is self piping, and on a stripe it asks for more cloth and more patience than a plain cord.
Pink and olive is an unexpected pair. It works here because the olive matches the potted plant and the warm pink sits well on honey-toned floorboards. Woven stripes come in fixed colorways, so this exact pairing cannot be pulled apart and remixed. You take the stripe as the loom made it, my friend, or you choose another from the striped cotton and ticking shelf.
The props belong to a child's reading corner. A gray cloud-shaped pillow is the cool note that stops the pink from turning sugary. A blue star pillow repeats the shape in a contrasting color. A low wooden crate keeps picture books within reach of the seat, a stack and an open book lie on the floor, and a wall shelf holds the rest. A white voile canopy strung with fairy lights makes a room within a room, and a potted plant in a white pot answers the olive. More corners like it are gathered under reading nook cushions.
Who reads in your corner, and how close to the floor do they like to sit?
Pinned by Harlan: stripe, cloud, star, crate and plant
Five pins circle the star, from its stripe to the potted plant that matches the olive.
- Pink and olive stripe
The olive matches the plant and the pink warms the honey floor.
- Gray cloud pillow
A cool gray stops the pink from feeling sugary.
- Blue star pillow
Repeats the star shape in a contrasting cool color.
- Crate of books
A low crate keeps books within reach of the seat.
- Potted plant
The leaf green echoes the olive stripe.
- Pink and olive stripeThe olive matches the plant and the pink warms the honey floor.
- Gray cloud pillowA cool gray stops the pink from feeling sugary.
- Blue star pillowRepeats the star shape in a contrasting cool color.
- Crate of booksA low crate keeps books within reach of the seat.
- Potted plantThe leaf green echoes the olive stripe.
Hand-finishing you can check at home
- Stripes meet at every tip. Run a finger along one stripe across a seam; it should not step.
- The self piping follows the stripe. The edge carries the pattern, not a stray color.
- The tips are full. A well-filled tip keeps its point; a thin one folds over.
- The valleys are clean. Inside corners sit flat, without puckers.
- The box edge stands straight. A square gusset tells you the fill was cut true.
Grandfather's couch frame, and cushions worthy of it
A buyer in the US wrote to the workshop about two pieces her grandfather had built by hand: a large wooden couch frame and a loveseat. The frames were sound. The old homemade cushions were not. They were uncomfortable, they had not lasted, and her daughter had drawn on them.
She had gathered other quotes and found them too dear. She asked for new couch cushions in the tufted style, made to fit.
The workshop's first reply was the right one: send photos and the exact sizes. A frame made by hand is rarely standard, and that is its charm. Measure the seat deck of each piece, photograph them straight on, and the cushions can be cut to the frame instead of the frame being forced to fit the cushions. The Pattern on tufted or plain cushions helps with the next choice.
On the cutting table: the striped star
| Product | Star floor cushion (star pouf) |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Bubblegum pink and olive green woven stripe, code IN09 |
| Stripe | Runs straight across the whole star; panels meet at each tip |
| Piping | Self piping cut from the same stripe |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Colorway | Fixed; a woven stripe cannot be recolored |
| Companions | Gray cloud pillow and blue star pillow |
| Setting | Reading corner under a voile canopy, honey floorboards |
| Best for | Children's reading nooks and floor seating |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
Old upholsterers will tell you the real cutting happens in the conversation, long before the shears come out. Tell the workshop what you sit on, and they will talk it through with you. — Harlan
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 star floor cushion, every tip shows where two panels meet, so a stripe that steps at a seam has nowhere to hide.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
Why do the stripes on a star cushion show every seam?
A star is cut from several panels, and a stripe runs straight across each one. Where two panels meet at a tip, the stripes either line up or they step. On a solid fabric you would never see it; on a stripe, the seam line is plain to read.
Can I order this star cushion in the same stripe but a different color?
Only by choosing a different stripe. Woven stripes are made in fixed colorways, so the pink cannot be kept while the olive is swapped for blue. Look through the striped fabrics for a pairing you like as a whole, then order by its code.
Is a star floor cushion comfortable for reading on?
For a child curled up with a book, yes. The box edge and full tips give it shape, and it sits low enough that books in a crate or on the floor stay within reach. Pair it with a cloud pillow or a back pillow for leaning.
Sit well. — Harlan
