A Reading by HarlanStar Poufs & Giant Star Floor Cushions
Anatomy of a yellow and blue striped star floor cushion
Seen from above, a yellow and powder-blue star wedged between a dresser and a crib. Harlan takes it apart edge by edge, wall first.
SaveThe quick answer
A star floor cushion needs a box edge, not a knife edge: the upright wall between top and bottom keeps each of the five points firm enough to lean on. Stars are made about 35 in (90 cm) or 50 in (127 cm) across the points, so measure the free corner first and check that drawers and crib sides still open around it.
The cushion, cut open
Cover fabric. A removable, zippered cover. Machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and air dry.
Piping. A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seams. It sits on the seam line, so it does not change the size.
Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber (Dacron) batting around the foam: it fills the cover out and softens the edges.
Foam core. About 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) high-resilience foam, firm to medium-firm, cut to the ordered size.
Zipper. Along the back band, as hidden as possible. The zipper side faces down or toward the wall.
Base panel. The underside of the cover. A non-slip fabric backing can cover the whole of it instead.
Ten edges, five points, one wall
A star has ten edges and five inner corners, and every one of them is a place where a lazy seam shows.
This one is striped in sunny yellow and powder blue, seen from above in a nursery, wedged between a white dresser and a crib. From up here you read it like a drawing. The top panel is a star. The bottom panel is the same star. Between them runs the box wall, one strip that turns at every point and every inner corner.
That wall is the whole reason a star floor cushion works as a seat. Take it away and sew the top straight to the bottom, the way a knife edge is made, and each point tapers to a thin lip. A child leans on it and it folds. With a box edge, the point stands up and holds a back.
Rounded corners soften a rectangle. On a star they would blunt the points and turn it into a flower. Keep the tips crisp and the inner angles clean. The two edges are compared side by side in box edge versus knife edge.
On the cutting table, layer by layer
| Top panel | Striped cotton star, stripes running front to back |
|---|---|
| Box wall | One strip turned at five points and five inner corners |
| Bottom panel | Matching star, same outline |
| Piping | Self piping along the edges |
| Edge | Box, never knife, on a seat |
| Size | About 35 in (90 cm) or 50 in (127 cm) across the points |
| Colors | Sunny yellow, powder blue, navy and white |
| Clearance | Drawers and crib sides must open past every point |
| Arrives | Vacuum-packed; open it the day it lands |
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.
Pinned by Harlan
Five pins, from the one free corner the star was made for to the crib edge where a parent sits to read.
- Star in free corner
Placed in the one free corner so drawers and crib sides can still open.
- Navy star pillow
One dark pillow and one white keeps a bright stripe from turning busy.
- White dresser
Leave a hand's width between drawer fronts and the nearest point.
- Bookcase
Picture books stored right beside the reading seat.
- Crib edge
The pouf sits close enough to the crib for a parent to sit and read.
- Star in free cornerPlaced in the one free corner so drawers and crib sides can still open.
- Navy star pillowOne dark pillow and one white keeps a bright stripe from turning busy.
- White dresserLeave a hand's width between drawer fronts and the nearest point.
- BookcasePicture books stored right beside the reading seat.
- Crib edgeThe pouf sits close enough to the crib for a parent to sit and read.
Why this corner, and why only two pillows
Look at where it sits. The one free corner in the room, between the dresser and the crib. The two rear points are tucked back, so the front point stays clear of the drawers. An old rule from the shop floor: measure a room with its doors and drawers open, not closed.
The stripes run front to back across the top. That pulls the eye down the point facing the room and makes it look longer than it is. On the wall, the bands run level all the way round.
Now the props. One navy star pillow and one white cloud, and that is all. A bright stripe with more pillows on it turns busy. The navy anchors it and the white rests it. The orange tiger is there because a nursery without a plush animal is a catalog page. The white bookcase keeps picture books within arm's reach of the seat, and the crib sits close enough that a parent can sit on the star and read aloud at bedtime. The light oak floor and the fairy-light canopy keep everything warm and quiet around one loud cushion.
Have you opened every drawer in that corner with the tape measure still on the floor? More small-room ideas live in kids' room cushions and striped cotton and ticking.
Over six feet of sofa, in boxes one person can carry
A buyer in the US was moving into her first city apartment. No lobby, nobody to sign for parcels, nowhere for a big box to sit for days. She wanted a floor sofa over 6 ft (72 in, 183 cm) long, so friends could sleep over.
The shop told her how it travels: vacuum-compressed, shipped express, arriving in about 3 to 4 days, and back to its full shape within 24 hours of opening. It came quickly. She wrote back that she was obsessed with it.
Stars travel the same way, and a box wall springs back if you let it breathe. Open the box the day it lands, and read the first 72 hours before you do.
Buyer questions: an offer, the metal bars, a late delivery
- A common question
Will you take a lower offer, or hold the sale price until payday?
The workshop's answerUsually only a small extra discount is possible, made as an offer on the listing that the shop then accepts. Bigger deals have been agreed now and then, such as a special option for a student, and the shop has held a sale price for buyers who could only pay a few days later.
- A common question
How many metal bars should come with my floor sofa, and what if one is missing?
The workshop's answerA single teddy-style sofa comes with 2 armrests, 2 seat cushions and 4 metal bars, four U-shaped frames in all. A full corner set uses 8 large and 8 small pieces, and any extras can be kept as spares. The ottoman needs no metal. Missing pieces are shipped free.
- A common question
I'll be traveling. Can you hold the shipment so it doesn't arrive before I'm home?
The workshop's answerYes. Give the shop your return date and it times the shipment to arrive after it, or before a date you're leaving.
On a star floor cushion, a box edge is the difference between a seat and a flat pillow: the upright wall keeps all five points firm enough to lean on.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
What is the difference between a box edge and a knife edge on a floor cushion?
A box edge has a separate wall strip between the top and bottom panels, so the cushion keeps an upright side. A knife edge sews the two panels together at the rim and tapers to a thin line. Seats that get leaned on need the box.
Which way should stripes run on a star floor cushion?
On this star the stripes run front to back across the top, which draws the eye along the point facing the room and makes it look longer. On the box wall, the bands run level all the way around.
How much room does a star pouf need in a nursery?
Measure the free floor, then check that drawers and crib sides still open past the points. Stars run about 35 in (90 cm) or 50 in (127 cm) across the points, and the smaller size suits a corner between furniture.
Does a star floor cushion arrive compressed?
Yes, floor cushions travel vacuum-packed. Open the box the day it lands. Foam recovers well if opened within a few weeks, but it should not stay sealed longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
Sit well. — Harlan
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