SaveA Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions
A sage-striped outdoor bench cushion and chair pads, read by hand
One stripe, three pieces of teak and a gray sky. Here is how that sage cloth feels under your palm, what rain does to it, and what it asks of you in October.
A whole teak seating group dressed in one sage stripe, from the long sofa to the single chairs.
The quick answer
A sage-striped outdoor bench cushion in water-repellent fabric feels like real woven cloth, not plastic, though it is a little firmer to the hand than indoor upholstery. It sheds showers and spills, resists fading, and the zipped cover washes at 86°F (30°C). Store the cushions indoors for the off-season, because the foam inside is not quick-dry.
One stripe for the whole terrace
Three pieces of teak that were never a matched set look like one suite here, and the reason is a single fabric. A sage-and-white stripe covers the deep seat of the armless sofa, its two back cushions and the seat pads on both lounge chairs.
Notice what the chairs don't have. Their slatted backs are part of the design, so they get seat pads only. The sofa gets a box-edge seat cushion that fills it end to end, plus two back cushions for leaning. That is the right split: cushion where a body needs it, bare wood where the carpenter was proud.
The stripes run front to back on every seat. Walk around the coffee table and they line up like planks on a dock. The light is flat and overcast, the honest light for sage: no sun to bleach it, no hard shadow to darken it. The clipped yew behind deepens the green in the stripe, and the white rendered wall picks up the white. For a group like this, list each seat's size separately and order everything in one fabric batch, so the color matches from sofa to chair.
Pinned by Callum
Five places where one fabric pulls a mixed teak set together.
- Sofa seat cushion
A deep seat cushion fills the armless teak sofa edge to edge.
- Sofa back cushions
Two back cushions give the sofa its comfort; the chairs do without.
- Chair seat pad
Slatted chair backs are part of the design, so the chairs only need seat pads.
- Teak coffee table
Stripes run front to back on every seat and line up around the table.
- Clipped hedge
Dark green hedging deepens the sage in the stripe.
- Sofa seat cushionA deep seat cushion fills the armless teak sofa edge to edge.
- Sofa back cushionsTwo back cushions give the sofa its comfort; the chairs do without.
- Chair seat padSlatted chair backs are part of the design, so the chairs only need seat pads.
- Teak coffee tableStripes run front to back on every seat and line up around the table.
- Clipped hedgeDark green hedging deepens the sage in the stripe.
How the cloth feels, wears and cleans
Put your hand on it, friend. This kind of outdoor fabric is a polyester weave with a water-repellent, UV-resistant finish. It feels like proper cloth, not a tarp and not rubber. It is a touch firmer than indoor upholstery, closer to a good sun lounger cushion than to a living-room pillow. Out on a terrace, that firmness is a virtue.
A summer shower beads and runs off, and spilled lemonade wipes up. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. This cloth keeps its promise through a season of weather, but the foam inside is not a quick-dry outdoor foam and there is no mesh drain bottom. After a soaking, give the cushions time to dry through before anyone sits, and bring them in for the long off-season.
When they need a proper clean, unzip the covers and machine wash them at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, then air dry. The foam is flexible, so a long cushion can be rolled or folded for winter storage without harm. The winter storage notes go further.
Which of your patio seats actually sees rain, and which only sees shade? The answer decides the fabric.
A patio couch, ties at the corners, no piping
A buyer in the US sent a tidy order for a patio couch: a water-resistant seat cushion 48 x 24 x 5 in (122 x 61 x 13 cm) and a back cushion 48 x 18 x 3 in (122 x 46 x 8 cm). No piping. Ties at the two corners of the long edges.
I liked that order because it said everything up front. Where the ties go and whether there is piping both change how a cover is cut, and a buyer who writes them down gets the right cushion the first time. In the end this one went with another maker. The checklist was still a good one, and I kept it.
- Sizes
- Seat 48 x 24 x 5 in; back 48 x 18 x 3 in
- Fabric
- An outdoor fabric
The lesson: For outdoor cushions, list where you want the ties and whether you want piping; both affect the build.
What the porch people ask
- A common question
Could I have white linen with black piping on my outdoor cushions?
The workshop's answerNot in genuine linen, which isn't suitable outdoors. For indoor cushions, white linen with black piping comes from the linen chart. For outdoor use, choose from the outdoor charts, where any color and piping combination is possible too.
- A common question
My porch bench measurements don't fit your listed width and length ranges. What should I pick?
The workshop's answerSelect the ranges the other way round, for example 16.5 in as the width range and 50 in as the length range. What matters is that the order goes through at the right price. Then write your real measurements in the personalization box, and the cushion is made to them.
- A common question
Is there a price difference between the linen and the cotton-feel fabric?
The workshop's answerNo. Linen and the other standard fabric cost the same, so you can choose on feel and looks alone.
A water-repellent outdoor cushion sheds a summer shower, but the foam inside is not quick-dry, so store patio cushions indoors off-season.
Callum
On the cutting table
| Pieces | Sofa seat cushion, two back cushions, two chair seat pads |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Outdoor polyester weave, water-repellent and UV-resistant finish |
| Pattern | Sage and white stripe, running front to back on every seat |
| Edge | Box edge, piped in the same stripe |
| Hand | Real woven cloth; a little firmer than indoor upholstery |
| Fastening | Concealed zipper; ties on request |
| Foam | Flexible; can be rolled for storage; not quick-dry |
| Care | 86°F (30°C) gentle cycle, air dry; store indoors off-season |
| Best for | Patios, terraces and covered porches |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop
Sun, rain, salt. Say which of them your cushion will meet, and the workshop will plan around it. — Callum
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
Does outdoor cushion fabric feel like plastic?
No. It is a woven fabric that feels like real cloth, not a coated tarp or vinyl. It is a little less soft than indoor upholstery, closer to a good sun lounger cushion, which matters if you plan to use it indoors every day.
Can a cotton ticking stripe go on a patio bench?
No. The cotton ticking and cotton stripes are indoor-only. For a striped look outdoors, the outdoor charts include striped fabrics with a water-repellent, UV-resistant finish.
Can the piping be an indoor fabric on an outdoor cushion?
Only on a covered terrace that rain and direct sun don't reach. Order through the outdoor listing and write the piping code in the personalization box. Indoor fabrics are not recommended anywhere wetter than that.
How many outdoor fabrics are there to choose from?
Close to 200, spread over several outdoor charts. They are made to the same quality; the charts differ in texture, color tone and pattern, not in grade, so the extra charts simply give you more choice.
Fair winds — Callum
More outdoor seats in weather
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