Sewing Tutorial Vintage Cloth Pillow with Applique

This is a fantastic project for beginner sewers because it's easy, doesn't take too long, cannot easily become messed up as you go along, and feels very homespun, comfortable and impressive as a final product.  For your first pillow, select cut out shapes that are simple. Select fabric that is easy to work with too, that won't be too bulky.  Here I am using simple heart shapes in coordinating shades of yellow or gold, and a vintage table runner made from white linen.  I used a large piece of iron on, heavyweight fusible interfacing to support the linen. The easiest fabric to begin with would be a sturdy cotton or canvas. 

The first step is to cut your fabric and your shapes. I purchased this pillow form at the sewing store for about 11 dollars. You could use fluffy filling but I prefer to work with an already constructed pillow.  You could also use a pillow you already own, of course.  

Measure your fabric the width of your pillow across. This pillow is 16 inches across so my fabric is 16 inches across.

The fabric then needs to be a little more than twice as tall. This pillow is 12 inches tall. I cut the fabric to be about 28 inches long. You can adjust it shorter later but not longer so err on the side of too long.
Arrange your design. I played around with the shapes until I liked the look of them together. To understand the frame for your design, fold the fabric to the general shape of the pillow. To be more certain, you could pin the shapes on to the precise spots you want them. 
There are many extra steps you could take for applique sewing if your shapes are complex.  You can back your shapes fabric with interfacing or fusible quilting for support, shaping, or a puffy look.  I just sewed these cotton shapes directly on, using a zig zag stitch.
Zig zag stitching: You can see the notch marking the center of the pressure foot is lined up with the edge of my shape outline. That ensures the zig zag stitching will sew halfway onto the shape fabric and halfway onto the case fabric. You may have to sew it twice to get the look you want with the stitching.  Or you could experiment with other stitches.  If you do not want the shape edge to fray during washing, make sure to stitch over it fairly well.
My 12 inch tall pillow lined up next to my fabric and sewn on shapes. I adjust the alignment. I fold the fabric to 11 inches.  That one inch off will help the final pillow case shape taught to the pillow.  I guess when they sell you a 12 inch pillow, they measure the corners that puff out a bit. To sew your pillow case, it's better to look at the body of the pillow instead of the corners. You don't want to sew it so small that it's overly tight, just medium-taught so the design looks sharp.

Here is one of the products available for more complex applique shapes. You stick it onto your shape, then peel the other side to stick that side of adhesive onto your main fabric. It holds in place while you sew and then irons into the fabric.  I didn't need it today for the hearts but it's nice to have on hand.
When you have folded your pillow a few times and believe your fabric is lined up well for your design, then you can make any final length adjustment/trim.  Now fold the raw edge twice, to hide the raw edge, and sew. I used a zig zag stitch but you could also sew a straight stitch. 

Since I am using a vintage table runner that has a decorative lace trim, I want to make sure that edge comes out on top of the final case.  The side you fold down first will the the outer/top side.  In my case today, this sewn raw edge will fold on top of the inside-out fabric.  Then it will be hidden inside the case for the final pillow.
I tried to take extra pictures of the folding business because that confused me at first. Here is the pillow and my case. As you can see, I had to sew all my shapes on before any folding. 

I sewed the group of 4 hearts for the front, main design focal point, a bit off to the side because it looked nice to me.  Then I sewed two more hearts on the spot that will be the back top of the final pillow case, above the decorative lace trim, which will be the outer edge on the final case.
Now I folded the first fold: decorative edge goes first.  Right sides are together.
Second fold: the edge that was the raw edge is folding onto the top here. This edge will be hidden inside the case in the end. I make sure to measure it is 11 inches tall here. I try to make sure the design stays straight.
You might want to pin it so all edges remain aligned during sewing.
Sew half inch seam allowances. If your pillow somehow comes out too wide, you can come back to this step and take it in a bit further, for a tighter fitting case.  In this photo you also see that raw, sewn edge is on top here (and the decorative lace edge is beneath/inside).  You might want to sew this entire edge twice for a sturdy case.  You might also want to sew this part here twice, where the case will be most pulled on later during pillow insertion.
Corner tip: I have found that the corners look better if you make a second sewing, at a 20 degree angle. It seems to me that most pillow corners don't have a firm fluff. This helps the corners look right.  If your finished pillow has baggy corners, come back to this step and sew in a bit more.
Turn your case right side out and check your work. It's not too late to make some adjustments mentioned above.
Making your own, unique pillow can be very sentimental. The design possibilities are endless.
This one has a great personality because of the vintage linen table runner and the retro-prints on the heart shapes. It's so soft, too.
You'll probably want to make another pillow after you make your first pillow.  And what a nice gift it could be to personalize a pillow for your friend or family member.  Both my kids are already demanding I make them a special pillow just for them.
Good luck. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.