---
title: "Lumbar Pillow Piping: Why This Blue Stripe Goes Without"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/royal-blue-striped-lumbar-powder-blue-bedroom/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-02-05"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "lumbar pillow, custom throw pillows, cushion cover, custom size cushion, made to measure cushion"
---

# A royal blue striped lumbar pillow, and the case for leaving off the piping

*Royal blue and cream stand upright on a white bed under a powder blue wall, and the edge is bare. I wanted to know why.*

> **The quick answer:** A striped lumbar pillow usually looks best with no piping or with self piping cut from the same stripe, because a contrast cord draws a second line around a pattern that is already all lines. Save contrast piping for plain pillows that need an outline, and write the piping code in the order note.

![Royal blue and cream vertical-stripe lumbar pillow with matching square on a white bed against a powder blue wall](https://cushionguide.com/media/lumbar-pillows/royal-blue-striped-lumbar-powder-blue-bedroom-1600.webp "Evenly spaced blue stripes pick up the wall color and turn a white bed into a quiet coastal set.")

## Stripes that stand up like beach-hut boards

Royal blue and cream, in even bands, run across the short side of this lumbar pillow, so they stand upright. Striped the long way, the pillow would stretch wider; standing up, it looks lighter. The matching square behind repeats the stripe at the same scale, so pattern never argues with pattern.

The edge is a knife edge, two panels and one seam, with no piping. Each stripe runs to the seam and turns under, as if the pillow were cut from one cloth.

The powder blue wall is a paler cousin of the royal blue, so the bed feels coordinated with no other blue in sight. Cream velvet euro shams soften the crisp cotton, a brass dome light is the only warm metal, and books and a trailing plant on the pine nightstand add life without adding color. Daylight never lies, my friends: in this cool light the cream reads nearly white.

What color is the wall behind your bed? Choose a stripe that holds it in a deeper shade. See more [lumbar pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/lumbar-pillows/) and [striped cotton and ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/).

## Five pins on a blue and white bed

Five pins, from the upright stripe to the brass light that warms a cool blue room.

1. **Blue stripe lumbar**: Stripes run across the short side, standing upright like beach-hut boards and lightening a long cushion.
2. **Striped square**: The square repeats the stripe at the same scale so pattern never competes with pattern.
3. **Cream velvet shams**: Soft cream velvet behind takes the crispness off the cotton stripe.
4. **Brass wall light**: A single brass accent warms an otherwise cool blue-and-white room.
5. **Books and plant**: A small stack and trailing plant keep the nightstand lived in without adding color.

## None, self or contrast: what each does to the line

| Piping | On a striped lumbar | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| None | Stripes run to the seam and wrap the edge; the outline stays soft | The pattern already draws enough lines, as here |
| Self piping | A cord cut from the stripe makes a small candy-cane line on the seam | You want a crisper edge without a second color |
| Contrast piping | A solid cord frames the pillow like a border around a drawing | The pillow is plain or must stand apart from its background |

Whichever you choose, write it in the order note with the piping code. Sketch yours in the [pillow cover studio](https://cushionguide.com/studio/pillow-cover-studio/).

## A 60-inch crash pad and the piping question

A parent wrote to the workshop about a soft sensory crash pad for a playroom, about 60 x 60 x 9 in (152 x 152 x 23 cm), that needed a removable, washable cover in light oatmeal linen. The workshop sized the cover at 61 x 61 x 10 in (155 x 155 x 25 cm), an inch bigger every way so the soft filling would not strain it, added a long zipper and asked the question every cover order meets: piping or not?

On a pad children throw themselves onto, I would lean toward none or self piping; a contrast cord outlines a shape that lives squashed.

## Three cover questions

**A common question:** If I want to change my sofa's color later, can I buy a second set of covers on their own?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The workshop makes full extra cover sets through a link in your chosen color. The link stays open, so the spare set can be bought later or ship with the sofa.

**A common question:** After I ordered, I was asked to pay a difference. Why, and does it ever work the other way?

**The workshop's answer:** The payment has to match the size on the order. If the option picked doesn't cover it, say a 53 to 55 in option for a 65 in cushion, the difference is paid by a separate link; below the smallest option, anything over the quote is refunded. No hidden fees are added.

**A common question:** The photos show tassels, a handle and a leather label. Can mine come without them?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Write it in the personalization box or send a message, and the cover is made without tassels, handle or label. If you'd rather keep a handle, it can stay and be reinforced.

> A striped lumbar pillow is already made of lines. Contrast piping draws a frame around them; leave the edge bare or cut the piping from the same stripe.
>
> — Élodie

> **Tailor's margin:** For a cover over a soft-filled insert, add about 1 in to each dimension. A cover cut to the exact insert size pulls tight at the corners.

## On the cutting table: the blue stripe lumbar

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Pillow | Lumbar pillow, knife edge |
| Fabric | Royal blue and cream striped cotton, even bands |
| Stripe direction | Across the short side, standing upright |
| Piping | None; the stripe runs to the seam |
| Partners | Matching striped square, two cream velvet euro shams |
| Room | Powder blue wall, white slatted bed |
| Best for | Coastal bedrooms with a wall in the stripe's color family |

## Questions buyers ask next

### Does a knife-edge lumbar pillow need piping to hold its shape?

No. A knife edge is two panels sewn at one seam, fullest in the middle, and it holds that shape with or without a cord. Piping adds an outline and protects the seam; it is a look, not a structure.

### Which way should stripes run on a long lumbar pillow?

Across the short side, as here, stripes stand upright and a long pillow looks lighter; along the length, they stretch it. Direction can be specified, so write it in the order note.

### What does self piping look like on a striped pillow?

Self piping is a cord covered in the body fabric. On a stripe it makes a small candy-cane line along the seam: calmer than a contrast color, crisper than no piping at all.

## Related at the atelier

- [Lumbar Pillow in Green Stripe with Yellow Wide-Stripe Squares](https://cushionguide.com/readings/green-stripe-lumbar-yellow-wide-stripe-squares/): A green stripe lumbar pillow and yellow wide-stripe squares work together because both stripes sit on the same cream ground; put the finer stripe in front and the broader one at the edges.
- [Lumbar Pillow in Blue Pinstripe for a Small, Calm Bedroom](https://cushionguide.com/readings/blue-pinstripe-lumbar-cream-shams-potted-fern/): In a small bedroom, a lumbar pillow in a fine pinstripe on a ground that matches your bedding adds pattern without shrinking the bed.
- [Striped Lumbar Pillow on a Walnut Bed: Four Stripe Widths](https://cushionguide.com/readings/black-cream-wide-stripe-lumbar-walnut-bed/): To mix striped throw pillows on one bed, put the highest-contrast stripe on the lumbar pillow in front and let the squares behind it step up in stripe width.
- [What size insert does my pillow cover need?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/pillow-insert-size-chart/): For a full, plump pillow, choose an insert about 2 in (5 cm) larger than the cover: an 18 x 18 in cover takes a 20 x 20 in insert.
- [Can you send close-up photos of the fabric codes I'm considering before I order?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-close-up-photos-before-ordering/): Yes, the workshop sends free close-up photos of any fabric code you name, side by side if you're comparing and with your piping in the frame.
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/): To make a daybed look like a sofa, dress the mattress in a fitted cover, line the wall with back cushions about 20 in (50 cm) tall, and finish each end with a bolster or rectangular side pillow.
- [Matching throw pillows and lumbars to a seat cushion, color by color](https://cushionguide.com/guides/matching-throw-pillows-lumbar-pillows/)
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/)

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/readings/royal-blue-striped-lumbar-powder-blue-bedroom/