Pillow construction

I had a question about yesterday's post about this pillow, dealing with how I constructed it. Did I use batting and a backing?  And the answer is - it depends!

On this scrappy pillow I wanted it to be sturdy and washable, so I did an envelope.  The front is hand quilted through the scrappy top and a piece of cotton batting.  I didn't put a back on this one because the stitching is all inside and I stuffed it with a pillow form.  I can pull out that pillow form to wash the outside.  I used the same envelope technique in my granddaughter's big floor pillow. Just make sure you have enough overlap in the back to prevent any gaps.   

This Cathedral Windows pillow I made for Christmas will not get washed and because of the star buttons I don't imagine anyone will lay on it for long. It is only decorative. This one was constructed with no openings at all and I put a layer of batting under the front and the back before stuffing the whole pillow. Then I just sewed the seam shut with some hand stitching.  I like using the batting layer when stuffing a pillow because it makes a smooth outer layer and you don't feel any bumps from the stuffing.