Velvet Retro Shape Cushions: U, Wave and Knot Strip

A knot cushion arrives as a flat strip and you tie it yourself. That is not a shipping shortcut, it is the only way 62 in (160 cm) of stuffed velvet fits in a box, and it hands you the decision about how tight the knot sits.

All three shapes are velvet over a polyester and cotton fill that is sewn in rather than stuffed in. No cover to remove, which cuts one way and then the other: nothing to lose, nothing to replace.

• Velvet cover over a polyester and cotton fill, sewn shut
• Three shapes: U, wave, and knot strip
• Three colors: olive drab, goldenrod, and sienna
• Machine washable
• The knot strip ships untied

Size

The knot strip is 6 in (15 cm) wide and 62 in (160 cm) long before it is tied, and the knot eats most of that length. Tied loose it fills the corner of a sofa. Tied tight it comes out about the size of a loaf of bread and reads as an ornament rather than a cushion, so decide which one you wanted before you pull it through.

Care

Machine washable matters more here than on a cushion with a zip, because the filling goes around the drum with the cover. Wash cold, spin low, and dry it flat. A soaked polyester and cotton core takes days to dry all the way through, and a tumble dryer sets it lumpy while the outside still feels fine.

Good to know

These are shapes to look at, not shapes to lean on. A sculpted cushion has no flat plane to support a back, and the sewn in fill means it holds its form instead of giving. Olive drab and sienna hide a lot on a sofa where people eat. Goldenrod hides nothing at all.