How To Add Pockets To Your Projects
After releasing our latest pattern, the Innes cami and dress, we received a few questions about adding pockets… We realised that there might be more of you out there looking for some tips to help you sew pockets into the Innes dress or any garment. As self-declared pocket lovers, we needed to put this right!
We’ve created our Beginner Pocket Pack to help you master pockets confidently. Our handy resource has five templates, ready to cut out, and use on your projects straight away. It comes with detailed instructions you can save down and refer back to whenever you need.
We’ve had so much positive feedback about the inseam pockets from our Cissy dress, so we have included this template in the pack along with 4 patch pocket options. The small patch pockets are great as back trouser pockets or breast pockets on a blouse and can be sewn to a lining too. We have also included a larger patch template which is perfect on dresses and skirts. Our In-seam pocket template is generous in size so you could confidently stash a whole days’ worth of snacks in there, should you need.
Adding pockets is a great way to make your mark on your me-made garments, and to start to build confidence in altering pattern pieces and adapting patterns. Once you have mastered the basics, our templates can be adapted in endless ways to suit your design. The patch pockets are the most versatile they can be altered to any width and height to suit your project. You can change the shape of your pocket too, rounding the corners for a softer look, or add mitred corners and a top flap to give a utilitarian feel.
(*tip For kids clothes, you can scale down the patch pockets, or try printing the in-seam at a reduced scale on your printer settings)
Download the Beginner Pocket Pack here, or check out our step by step guide to adding a patch pocket below.
How To Sew a Patch Pocket
Select a pocket template from our Beginner Pocket Pack. Or create your own by tracing out a rectangle to the size you want your pocket to be, then add a 1cm (3/8”) seam allowance to the bottom and vertical edges. To create the pocket facing increase the height of your pocket by a further 3cm (1 3/16”).
Once you have decided on your pocket size and cut out your fabric, wrong sides together, fold the top edge over by 0.5cm (3/16”) and press.
Turn your patch over. Right sides together, fold the top edge over 2.5cm (1”) and pin
Using a 1cm (3/8”) seam allowance, stitch the sides to secure the folds and to create the pocket facing
Snip the corners and turn through to the right side
Wrong sides together fold the base and vertical edges in 1cm, (3/8”) and press
Edgestitch the top fold down
Mark your pocket position and then pin in place
Topstitch the pocket bag to your garment with an edge-stitch.
Reinforce the pocket opening by stitching a triangle shape as shown here
Alternatively, stitch a bar tack, or add a bar tack, at the vertical edges of the pocket opening to secure
And that’s all it takes to add a super clean patch pocket, have fun playing around with your pocket shapes and proportions and making all your me-mades a little more functional!
