History and facts of cushions

Cushions have a very noble history. The earliest records of this ancient piece of furniture can be found in old inventories of great palaces and manor houses of the early Middle Ages. At that time, the covering was usually of leather, they were mostly of immense sizes, firmly padded and used as seats. Their use as such was retained even after chairs became commonplace. Chairs prior to this period were of noble importance, lesser mortals than feudal lords sat on cushions, which also designated rank in the courts. Later, cushions were used to make hard wooden chairs, benches and stools more comfortable. Even as late as the 17th and 18th centuries in France and Spain, we glean from historical memoirs that they were still used as seats. In fact in the Spanish court, you were an honored person indeed, if you were allowed to sit on a cushion, while France, the prerogative to kneel on a cushion behind the king in church was a mark of status, firmly held by the privileged and rigidly controlled by those in authority.

The cushion even today has not lost much of its noble heritage, because no substitute has yet been invented to take its place at Royal weddings, coronations and other regal functions. Today, cushions should be expected to play two roles simultaneously, they should fit into your room scheme as a decorative accessory as well as give comfort in use. A comfortable cushion, which is ugly, may be physically acceptable, but it is of no use whatever if it causes you aesthetic discomfort.Cushions, like all soft furnishings, can be classic and stylish or frivolous and just plain fun. Almost any fabrics can be used for cushions, from rich brocades to humble Hessian. Closely woven and crease-resisting fabrics are best. Consider also their laundering and washing qualities.

Cushion covers must stand up to much handling, therefore sturdy, good quality fabrics will ensure durability. This is a realistic attitude to take and it is wise economy to use the best fabric you can afford because if you are going to spend valuable time making them yourself, you don’t want them to fall apart sooner than expected from normal use. Cushions can be of any size and shape and trimmed in a variety of ways. You could use bought trimmings like braids, fringes and tassels or you could trim and hand made trimmings such as frills and self fringes and piping. English and Italian quilting ( Trapunto), patchwork and appliqué are other interesting ways by which to make attractive and exclusive looking cushions.

If no special edge finish is planned for the cushion, they should nevertheless be finished with a self-piping in a fabric of similar weight and thickness. Piped seams are considered very professional; cushions do certainly look much better with piping than without.

Although cushions are made in a variety of shapes, there are only 2 basic types of cushions: the Plain edged cushion, which is sometimes referred as Knife edges, and has a back and front only; and the Boxed cushion, also known as a Walled cushion, which has a wall or boxing striped between the front ( top ) and back ( bottom ) pieces. A boxed cushion always looks larger than a plain edged one of exactly the same size; so keep this in mind when you are planning specific size.