Hortus Animal Velvet Cushion - Olive

This is a 50cm square cushion in olive green velvet, with a single embroidered bee worked large across the front. The bee is stitched rather than printed, its body picked out in dense thread and its wings in a paler, finer stitch that catches the light differently to the velvet ground around it. At 50 by 50cm it is a full-size cushion, big enough to hold its shape on a sofa and to carry a single motif at a scale that reads across a room.

An olive velvet with one clear motif sits happily where the surrounding scheme is doing less. It works on a plain sofa, on a bed against neutral linen, or in an armchair by a window where the pile can catch daylight. The single-bee front gives you a piece with a focal point, so it earns its place better as one of a small group than lost in a heap of pattern. The plain velvet reverse means you can turn it over for a quieter face when you want the motif to rest.

The cover is velvet front and back with coordinating piped edges, which is the seam you can see running round the sides in the photographs; piping gives the edge definition and helps the cushion keep a crisp square rather than slumping at the corners. A hidden zip runs along one side so the cover comes off cleanly for cleaning and the closure stays out of sight. The fabric is polyester throughout, a fibre chosen here for a velvet that stays soft while standing up to daily handling and resisting crushing better than many natural piles.

What is the cushion cover made of?

The cover is 100% polyester velvet on both the front and the reverse, a fibre chosen for a soft pile that handles daily use and resists crushing well.

Does the cushion have a motif on both sides?

No. The embroidered bee sits on the front only, and the reverse is plain velvet, so you can turn it over for a quieter face when you prefer.

How big is the cushion?

It is a full-size 50 by 50cm square, large enough to hold its shape on a sofa and to show off a single motif at a scale that reads across the room.

How does the cover come off?

A hidden zip runs along one side, so the cover comes off cleanly and the closure stays out of sight when the cushion is on display.

What is the piping for?

The coordinating piped edge gives the cushion a defined outline and helps it keep a crisp square shape rather than slumping at the corners.

Is the bee printed or stitched?

It is embroidered, worked in thread across the velvet, with the wings in a finer, paler stitch that catches the light differently to the body.