Painless double welt pockets

Many people find double welt pockets difficult to make with not so neat results. I’ve had a browse on the Internet, and there is no shortage of tutorials for them! But in most cases I got intimidated and discouraged even before they started the actual steps, and I already know how to make those pockets! 😦 So I decided to offer you my method – it’s not very different from what is already out there, but hopefully is a little less intimidating. 🙂

Preparation

As an example, I am making double welt pockets in the lining for a jacket, so they cross the seams in the front panels. Which means that before I can start the pockets, I need to sew those seams. 🙂

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In general, sew the seams or darts first but don’t assemble any more pattern pieces than necessary – it is easier to work on smaller pieces.

Prepare the fabric for the welts and the pocket lining, as well as fusible interfacing. Make sure you’ve got enough! Pockets require surprisingly much material.

Most tutorials will tell you to cut out all the pieces at this point. Nothing wrong with that, but I get too easily confused with a multitude of very similar yet slightly different rectangles, so I prefer to cut them as I use them. The downside is of course that if you discover half way that you don’t have enough material, you’re left with a half-finished pocket.

Step 1. Mark the pocket

Draw the opening line on the right side of your panel – this is usually the line drawn on the pattern. Draw also short (1cm) ending lines at the correct angle to the opening line, or copy them from the pattern but make them a little shorter, otherwise your drawing may be visible on the finished result!

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The correct angle depends on whether your pocket is placed horizontally or at an angle. If this is your first pocket, I highly recommend doing a horizontal one because a slanted pocket is that bit trickier. For a horizontal pocket, the end marks run perpendicular to the cutting line, and this is the pocket I’m making today.

For a slanted pocket, the basic steps remain the same, but the pieces become parallelograms rather than rectangles, so they’ll be larger. Once you’ve mastered a straight pocket, you’ll understand what needs changing.

Step 2. Reinforce the pocket

Cut a piece of fusible interfacing that is 3cm wider than the pocket opening, and is 6cm tall. Turn your panel the wrong side up and iron on the interfacing over you mark, centred.

Yes, I tricked you there – the mark is on the other side of the fabric! 😮 Didn’t I say you’ll be needing to use your brain on this one? 🙂

Step 3. Make the welt strips

Decide how wide you want your welts. Usually they are 7.5mm wide, but it depends on the material, and whether you are Imperial or metric. 🙂

Cut two strips of material for the welts: 2cm longer than the pocket opening and 4 times welt width tall – in my case it’s 3cm.

Cut two pieces of interfacing of the same size.

Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of your welt strips.

Fold the strips along the middle in length and iron them flat.

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Step 4. Place the strips

Put your panel on the table with the right side up.

Place the first welt strip with the open edge along the pocket opening line, centred – that is, so it extends 1cm beyond the line on each end. Pin it.

Transfer the end marks onto the strip.

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Place the second welt strip with the open edge closely against the first strip, align them well. Pin it.

Transfer the end marks onto the second strip.

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Step 5. Stitch the strips

Assuming you have done the previous steps accurately, this one will determine how straight your pocket will look. So if you are not quite happy with the previous steps, it is worth while to go back and redo them now.

Ok, now we stitch! If your fabric is wiggly or slippery, I recommend basting first. Also if this is your first pocket. 🙂

Basting: never baste exactly on the line where you intend to machine sew later – it will be a pain to remove the basting thread and some will always be left behind. Instead, baste just next to your intended seam. For our pocket, baste near the open edges of the strips, say, about 1/4 of the strip width. This basting can also be left in later! 🙂

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If your material is particularly difficult or you are still a bit unsure, baste also along the closed edge of the strips. This basting will need to be removed, so watch out for fabrics with needle memory – where you can still see the hole after the needle had been removed! Never baste leather here for this reason.

Marking: draw a line along the length of each strip exactly in the middle. This is important, so be meticulous.

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Stitching: sew along your lines, from one end mark to the other, so not the whole length! Backtuck or reinforce both ends of the stitching.

Step 6. Cut the pocket opening

This is the point of no return! Everything we’ve done so far, could be undone, but not the cutting. So make sure your pocket is where you want it, such as on the right side of the fabric, for example, on the correct pane (left/right), etc.

When everything looks good, cut the panel between the strips, but not all the way! Stop 1.5cm before each end mark.

Now unpick a little or remove the basting and cut towards the end points of the main stitching so you get a shape like this – cutting line shown in red:

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You need to come frightfully close to the stitches!

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Step 7. Turn out your pockets!

Well, just the one you’re sewing. 🙂 Turn the welt strips through the opening.

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If you get wrinkles in the corners, that’s because you didn’t cut far enough.

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The right corner above has such a wrinkle. You need to cut right to the thread! I did say it was frightfully close.

Press your pocket, align everything properly and sew it shut.

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Yes, these stitches will be removed later. 🙂

Turn over your work and sew shut also the ends of the welt strips, but be careful not to sew them onto the triangles! Just the welt strips – no one escapes! Resistance is futile!

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Step 8. Sew the corners

Now fold the panel along one of the end lines and stitch the corner triangle to the welt strips along the end mark line, but most importantly – from corner to corner! I like to stitch the whole stretch back and forth, it’s only short. Gently pull the triangle outwards to smooth the work.

Turn the work to the right side, press and behold your double welt pocket! 😀

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Step 9 – optional. Top stitch around the pocket opening

If you want your pockets top stitched around the edge, now is the time to do it. However, just use straight stitch close to the edge – wide decorative stitches will interfere with attaching the actual pocket later, so that needs to be done out of turn half way attaching the lining. I’m leaving this for you to work out later. 🙂

Step 10. Cut the fabric for the pocket

Pockets come in different shapes, and the corresponding pattern pieces should be included into your pattern pack. So here we’ll just make a simple rectangular pocket.

Cut the lining 2cm wider than your pocket opening and twice the pocket depth plus 3cm tall. So for example, if your pocket opening is 14cm wide and you want a 15cm deep pocket, you need to cut a rectangle that is 14+2=16cm wide and 2×15+3=33cm tall.

If you are making a pocket on the outside of the garment, you don’t want the lining to show through the welts. In this case also cut a piece of outer fabric (consider pattern matching with the panel!) that is 2cm wider than the pocket opening and 10cm tall.

Yes, you got it – the extra 2cm is for the seam allowance, 1cm on either end. 🙂 (This was a hint for pattern matching.)

Attach this piece of outer fabric to the right side on the upper end of the lining like appliqué – you are just covering up that top end and you’ll be treating this new appliquéd pocket piece as one from now on.

Step 11. Attach the bottom end of the pocket

Working on the wrong side of the panel, lift up the welt strips along with the rest of the seam.

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Place the bottom end of the lining (the one without the appliqué) onto the bottom welt strip, wrong side up. Align them well and pin it.

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Stitch on the seam allowance, just next to your existing stitch, from end to end.

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For strength, make two or three additional stitch lines on the seam allowance so that the pocket would not immediately rip out when it is being used for transporting rocks, wrenches and hammers. 😉

Flip back the pocket and press the seam.

Step 12. Attach the top end of the pocket

Fold the pocket over and align the top end with the top welt strip. This will be automatically the wrong side up because the right side of the lining is now the inside of your pocket. 🙂 If you had appliquéd a piece of the main fabric onto the top of the pocket lining, it will now lie hidden between the lining and the welt strip.

Pin and stitch like for the first strip.

Step 13. Sew the sides of the pocket

Your pocket now looks like a pocket! Except the sides are still open.

Flip open the side seams of your welt strips and sew the sides of the lining together. As simple as that!

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Again, it may be a good idea to make several stitch lines on the seam allowance here, for strength.

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Your pocket is done! 😀

Step 14. Remove temporary stitches

Flip your panel to the right side and remove the stitches that are holding the pocket shut.

Another pressing and –

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Finished!

Buy me a coffee 🙂