How to Make Welt Pockets With Ribbon
Welt pockets are pockets slit into a jacket or pants and edged with a 1/4-inch strip of folded fabric. This is very exact sewing, but creates a neat, tailored look. There are many ways to create welt pockets. In "Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style" Kenneth D. King suggests using ribbon as interfacing for welts to ensure stability and correct size. Usually the welt fabric matches the garment, but occasionally contrasting fabric is used.
Things You'll Need
- 3/8 inch grosgrain or satin ribbon
- Tailor's chalk
- Dressmaker's pins
- Rotary cutter
Instructions
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1
Mark the exact placement and length of your pocket slit with tailor's chalk on the front of your garment. Your garment pattern should indicate where the pocket is to be placed.
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2
Cut rectangles of fabric the same width as the pocket slit plus 1 1/4 inches for each welt. You will need two welts for each pocket. The rectangles should be a more than an inch wide.
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3
Cut lengths of 3/8-inch ribbon to match the welt rectangles. Place the ribbon on the wrong side of the welt fabric. Fold the material in half over the ribbon. Cut with a rotary cutter through the fabric using the ribbon as a guide so you have a straight piece of folded fabric 1/2 inch wide. Machine baste along the folded edge 1/4 inch from the edge through fabric and ribbon. Do the same with the other welt.
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4
Pin the first welt to the right side of the garment, folded edge up and raw edge just touching the pocket chalk line. The welt should extend past the chalk line 5/8 inch on either end. Machine baste it to the garment over the welt basting. Do not stitch past the end of the marked slit. Place the second welt with the folded edge down. The raw edges of the welts should be barely touching. Machine baste it.
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5
Cut the pocket bag square from the same fabric as the garment, according your pattern directions. Pin it over the welt, wrong side out, with the 5/8-inch seam line of the bag exactly matching the basting line of the welt. The large portion of the square will be above the welt. Turn the garment over and stitch along the basting. The stitching should not go beyond the ends of the slit.
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6
Cut the pocket lining from lining material and position it over the lower welt in the same way on the right side of the garment, the large portion of the lining square downward. Turn the garment over and stitch along the basting.
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7
Cut the slit of the pocket with sharp-pointed scissors. Begin in the middle of the slit mark and cut to within 1/2 inch of each end. Cut between the welts and only the garment material. Snip a Y-shape starting 1/2-inch from each end. Snip just to the stitching, not through it.
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8
Pull the pocket bag fabric and lining through the slit to the back. This will pull the welts up into place. They should meet exactly in the middle of the slit.
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9
Turn the garment so the right side is up. Fold back the side of the garment to the edge of the pocket, and smooth out the welt, the welt ends and the V-shaped tab of fabric created by the Y cut. Stitch through the welt ends and V-tab at right angles to the pocket slit, close to the end of the pocket. Do this on both sides to create neat corners.
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10
Place the pocket fabric and lining together, matching the edges, with the right side of the fabric against the lining. Stitch around the sides and bottom of the pocket, catching the V-tab and welt ends again to reinforce them.
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Tips & Warnings
Backstitch the beginning and ends of the seams to secure them, or set the machine for very short stitches for the first 1/2 inch.
Check your work often to be sure the welts are in the right position.
If you garment is very light, you may wish to reinforce it with interfacing before creating a welt pocket.
References
- Photo Credit Businessman in suit image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
