• Basic Pillow Styles/Fabrications
  • Knife Edge - Front Piece, Back Piece, One Seam Around
  • Pleated Corner/Sewn Across Corner - Knife Edge with Pleat / Seam at Each Corner
  • Boxed - Front Piece, Back Piece, Band Sewn Between
  • Flanged - Usually Knife Edge, but Sometimes Boxed.  Pillow is Detailed with Flat Border of Fabric. Can be extension of pillow with Exposed Seam, or Contrast Fabric with Internal seam.  Can be Flat and Ruffled, or Ruffled Flange.
  • Bolsters - Usually Cylindrical in Shape with Flat Round Ends or Gathered Ends (Note that in Europe, England, and Elsewhere Around the Globe, Long Narrow Knife Edge Pillows are also Referred to as Bolsters)
• Size and Measuring
  • Pillows are Always Ordered with the Seam to Seam Measurement, not the Visual.
  • If Measuring an Existing Pillow, Measure Seam to Seam with Measuring Tape Taught and Across Middle of Pillow…Not Corner to Corner.
  • Knife Edge and Pleated Corner Pillows, Once Stuffed will Visually Appear Smaller.
  • Boxed Construction Pillows with No Crown will Appear the Same Visually as the Seam to Seam Measurement; If Very “Fat” and Crowned, Seam to Seam Measurement will be Reduced Only Slightly.  Inquire for More Information.

Do You Know There Can be a Difference in the Seam to Seam Size and the Size Your Pillow will Appear After it is Stuffed?  This Demands Serious Consideration when Planning Your Pillow Project.


Example:  A Seam to Seam 20” Knife Edge Pillow

• This Size Pillow will Usually be 5”-6” Thick when Stuffed
• Deduct Half the Thickness (2.5”-3”) from 20” Measurement
• The Stuffed Pillow will Visually Finish 17”-17.5”

Basically, the Seam to Seam Measurement will be Reduced by Half the Thickness of the Pillow After it has been Stuffed.  Also, the Larger the Pillow Dimension, the “Fatter” the Pillow will be when Stuffed.


Example: A Seam to Seam 14” Knife Edge Pillow with 1” French Pleat Corners

• This Size Pillow will Usually be 4”-5” Thick when Stuffed
• The 1” Pleat in Each Corner Means the Original 14” Has Been reduced at the Corners, 2” Horizontally, and Vertically. Corner to Corner is now 12”.
• Because the Stuffed Pillow will Still Dome Out in the Center to Total Thickness of 5”, Deduct Half (2.5”) From the Original 14”
• The Stuffed Pillow will Visually Finish 11.5”-12”

Notes: If This 14” Knife Edge Pillow Were to Have 2” French Pleat Corners, the Finished Visual Size Would be More Like 9.5“-10”

The Larger the Seam to Seam Measurement of Your Knife Edge Pillow, the “Fatter” it will be, and Hence will Reduce the Visual Size Relatively More.  For Example, a 24” Seam to Seam Pillow may Visually be only 20” when Stuffed.

• Fabric
  • Customer Should Supply the Fabric or Material.  The Artisanaworks Workroom is Happy to Work C.O.M. (Customers Own Material).
  • If Fabric is Ever to be Washed, it Must be Pre-Shrunk and Professionally Pressed.
  • Before Contacting or Inquiring Please Have the Following Information Compiled:
    • Width of Fabric
    • Will Your Project be Cut Straight of Grain or Railroaded?  (If the Horizontal Cut will be Parallel to the Cut Edge of the Fabric, this is Straight of Grain;  If the Horizontal Cut of Your Project will be Parallel to the Selvedge [woven edge], this is Railroaded)
    • Does Your Fabric have a Repeated Pattern?  What is the Horizontal and Vertical Repeat?
    • What is the Weight/Character of Your Fabric?  Thick/Heavy/Stiff/Medium/Thin
    • Is Your Fabric a Pile Fabric?  Velvet/Mohair/Velveteen/Chenille
    • Will Your Project Have Self or Contrast Welt?  This is cut on the bias, diagonally, and can consume yardage quickly.
    • Detailing:  Welt?  Rope Trim, Tassel Fringe, Brush Fringe, Loop Fringe, Flat Trim, Other?  Piecing?  Zipper or Hand Stitched Closure?
    • Size, Seam to Seam Measurement, and Boxing Size if Boxed Construction.  (If You Need Assistance in Figuring Seam to Seam Measurement, Tate can Assist You with This).

• Closures

The Artisanaworks Workroom Offers Hand Stitched Closures for Your Decorative Pillows, Cushions, and Bolsters, which are a Clean, High End Look.  If Stuffed with a Down or Down and Feather Insert, the Entire Pillow can be Dry Cleaned.  If the Fill Contains any Dacron or Polyester Fill, a Zipper Closure is Recommended.

For Custom Down Feather Inserts, Please Inquire or Visit the Sister Site: www.down-and-feather.com

For a Zipper Closure, the Workroom has Dressmaker Zippers Available in White, Black, Khaki, Off White.  If Your Fabric(s) Require(s) Another Color, First Inquire.  Otherwise, You will be Advised as to the Length of Zipper Which will Need to be Supplied.

Hidden Zippers Incur an Additional Charge, and may not be Appropriate for Some Pillow Fabrics.

• Trimmings

“The Devil is in the Details.”  This can be very True When it Comes to Trimmings.  If You have Chosen a Rope Trim, Does it Have a Flange Tape Sewn to it?  If so,  How is it Sewn to the Rope?  Often, it is Impossible with Machine Stitching to Completely Hide the Tape Sewn to the Rope Cord, and This will Require Hand Stitching.  Any Time Hand Stitching is Involved, it is Labor Intensive, Which is Reflected in Cost.

Trims That Have a Thick, Bulky Header (Thick Brush Fringe, for Example), sewn in the Seam are not Appropriate with Very Thin, Lightweight Fabrics.  Also, Avoid Flat Trims on Pile Fabric.

Need Advice?  Please Contact Carol Tate.

• Pricing

For “Ball Park” Estimates for Custom Decorative Pillows, Cushions and Bolsters, Please Refer to the Pillow Cover Price Guide

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Designer Workroom ~ Studio Pillow Cover Price Guide Pillow Portfolio Guide to Ordering Custom Pillows