Save- Piped end disc
A single corded ring holds the round end flat.
- Velvet pile
The pile runs one way along the body for an even color.
- Oatmeal seat
A neutral seat lets the violet stand alone.
- Beadboard back
The bolster fills the corner between back and arm.
Plate Violet velvet bolster close-up on a white daybed
The piped end of a violet velvet bolster, shown close so you can see the soft pile and how the seam sits on a white daybed.
A Reading by HarlanBolster Pillows
A violet velvet bolster pillow up close, and the quiet question of how it stays put
A bolster has no corners to tie and no flat bottom to grip. It stays where it belongs because of where you set it, and the zipper hides because of how you turn it.
The quick answer
A bolster pillow on a daybed stays put by position, not by ties: set in the corner between the backrest and the arm, it is held on two sides. I like the zipper along the length, turned toward the backrest, and the velvet end discs cut with the pile running the same way as the body, so the color reads evenly.
Pinned by Harlan, close enough to see the pile
Four pins at close range: the piped end disc, the run of the pile, the oatmeal seat and the beadboard corner.
The numbers match the pins on the plate.
- Piped end discA single corded ring holds the round end flat.
- Velvet pileThe pile runs one way along the body for an even color.
- Oatmeal seatA neutral seat lets the violet stand alone.
- Beadboard backThe bolster fills the corner between back and arm.
Three ways a cushion holds its place
Every cushion in a house has to answer one question: what keeps you here? A seat pad answers with ties. A bench cushion answers with its weight and a non-slip base; the whole list is in stopping a bench cushion from sliding. A bolster pillow has no corners for ties and no flat bottom to grip, so it answers the old way. It goes where it is held.
Look where this one sits. It fills the corner between the beadboard back and the arm of the daybed, held on two sides. That is where a bolster earns its keep, and it is why a bolster pillow is the easiest cushion in the house to keep in place.
Then the zipper. On a bolster I like it to run along the length and to be turned toward the backrest when the pillow is set down, so it never faces the room. The end discs stay clean, only velvet and a single corded ring of self piping that holds each round end flat. More in zipper placement.
Velvet remembers. Brush it one way and it shines; brush it the other and it darkens. So the end discs should be cut with the pile running the same way as the body, or the violet looks like two colors in one pillow. Care for the pile is in velvet.
The oatmeal seat and the white daybed are the quiet part of the picture. Pale surroundings keep a strong violet from turning heavy. Tell me, my friend, what color would you let sit alone on your daybed?
The rose pink cushion in the prayer closet
A buyer ordered a small tufted floor cushion for a prayer closet, then wrote to change the color to rose pink, velvet #27. The shop checked with its tailor before making the switch. Nothing was cut on a guess.
The cushion arrived, and the buyer described it as beautiful. Their only wish was that they had chosen a bigger size. For a prayer or meditation corner, size up if you want room to kneel or sit cross-legged. Sizes are in meditation floor cushion sizes, and more quiet corners in meditation corner floor cushions.
Cover questions
- A common question
Will your replacement covers fit a modular teddy sofa I bought from another brand?
The workshop's answerYes, if it has the same dimensions. Several owners of another well-known modular teddy sofa have used the workshop's covers and were happy with the fit, and the covers can be made in a different color or fabric.
- A common question
Could you make a thin tufted topper, only 1 in thick, that goes in the washing machine?
The workshop's answerNo, a tufted cushion can't be made 1 in (2.5 cm) thick. The workshop can sell matching fabric by the yard so you can have a protective throw made, and it makes covers for large pillows such as 26 in (66 cm).
- A common question
Can I add a matching square pillow or an extra seat cushion to my set?
The workshop's answerYes. Every color is available for every piece; just write the color in the order note. Plain, non-tufted pillows can be made too, as with one buyer's smooth 18 x 18 in pillow and 20 x 20 in meditation cushion.
On the cutting table
| Cushion | Bolster pillow, rolled, round piped ends |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Violet velvet |
| Piping | Self piping, one corded ring at each end |
| Pile | End discs cut with the pile running the same way as the body |
| Placement | Corner between the daybed back and arm |
| Zipper tip | Along the length, turned toward the backrest |
| Seat below | Oatmeal textured daybed cushion |
| Best for | Daybeds, bedroom benches, the arm of a sofa |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
Fabric has a temper and foam has a memory. Better to settle both in a conversation than to guess at them alone. — 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.
A bolster pillow needs no ties: set in the corner between a daybed's back and arm, it is held on two sides, and its zipper turns to the wall.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
Where should the zipper go on a bolster pillow?
Along the length is the tidy choice, turned toward the backrest once the bolster is in place. The round ends then stay clean, showing only the fabric and the piped ring.
Do bolster pillows need ties to stay on a daybed?
Usually not. Set in the corner between the daybed back and its arm, a bolster is held on two sides. Ties and non-slip bases matter more for flat seat pads and bench cushions that tend to slide forward.
Why can velvet look like two colors on one pillow?
Velvet pile reflects light differently depending on its direction. If the end discs are cut with the pile running another way than the body, they read lighter or darker. Cutting every piece in one direction keeps the color even.
Sit well. — Harlan
