Cardinal Pillow 18x18 Water Resistant Polyester

A red cardinal on an eighteen inch square pillow. The most recognizable red in North American backyard birds, at the size that lets it carry a seat.

Red Is The Hard Color

• Red pigments fade fastest outdoors. This is the design where color fast dyeing earns the most, because a faded cardinal stops being a cardinal.
• The larger format gives the bird presence. Eighteen inches lets the whole bird sit in the frame with the branch rather than being cropped.
• Nothing to add. It leaves the plant as a finished pillow rather than as a cover awaiting a filler.

Anchoring A Seat

Eighteen inches is a back support size. It occupies a sofa corner or a broad porch bench instead of layering in front of bigger cushions.

On a compact bistro chair it overwhelms the seat.

Looking After It

• Do treat marks in place with a damp cloth and a mild cleaner
• Do work from the outside of a mark inward
• Do air dry it
• Do shake it by hand every few weeks to restore the loft

• Skip the washing machine; the sham and insert are one piece
• Skip direct heat, which sets stains and stiffens fabric
• Skip leaving it out in heavy rain

A Bird With Meaning

The cardinal carries associations for a lot of households, which is why it is one of the most given bird designs rather than one of the most bought for oneself.

The fabric being suitable for outdoors means it can live on a porch swing rather than being kept for indoors.

Worth knowing: do not iron it, even on low. Polyester takes a permanent sheen from a hot plate and the marked area never matches the rest again.

Questions About The Cardinal Pillow

Will the red hold outdoors?
With fixed dyes and a shaded position, yes. Direct all-day sun is what softens any red over seasons.

Is the bird male or female?
The bright red plumage is the male. Female cardinals are a warm buff and are not what this design shows.

Does it suit a porch swing?
Well. Eighteen inches has enough weight to stay put on a moving seat, unlike a lightweight cover with no fill.

What is the background?
A softer natural setting behind the bird, painted so the red carries rather than competing with detail.

Is this a common gift purchase?
Among the whole range this is the one most often bought for another person, which is worth knowing if you are choosing packaging or timing.