Oh, the luxury of a good pocket–perfect for phones, lipstick, or loose change. Plus, you can plunge your hands into them to look effortlessly casual during social situations. But what to do if your favorite dress or skirt is pocketless? No need to stand around feeling awkward with your hands flapping about in the wind and no place to stash your phone. All it takes is a good seam ripper and a little fun fabric to add an in-seam pocket to any piece of clothing in your wardrobe.
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Things You'll Need
Pocketless dress or skirt
1/2 yard coordinating fabric
Paper and pen
Scissors
Pins
Washable marking pen
Seam ripper
Step 1
Place your hand at an angle on the paper. Trace around your hand to create a pocket pattern. Make it an inch or so bigger than your hand for seam allowances. Cut along the line.
Step 2
Fold the fabric in half and pin the pattern piece along the straight raw edge (not the folded edge). Cut around the pattern. Repeat again so you end up with four mirror image pocket pieces.
Step 3
Put your dress on and mark where you would like the top of the pocket to be.
Place the top of the pocket next to the mark you made and make another mark where the bottom of the pocket falls.
Step 4
Starting a 1/2-inch above the top mark, unpick the side seam with a seam ripper. Open the seam until you get a 1/2-inch below the bottom mark.
Step 5
Turn the dress right side out and pin the straight edge of the pocket along the raw edge of the seam with the right sides of the fabrics together. Match the top and bottom of the pocket with the marks you made. Make sure the pockets are angled down.
Step 6
Sew along the original seam lines. Then press the pockets away from the dress.
Step 7
Turn the dress inside out and place the pockets pieces so they lay directly on top of each other. Pin in place.
Step 8
Start to sew above the pocket where you unpicked the seam. Sew down and around the pocket and back down the unpicked seam below the pocket. Be sure to backstitch when you start and finish to lock the stitches in place.
Step 9
Turn the dress right side out and tuck the pockets in. Press along the edges to create a nice crisp seam.
Here's to sweet pocket love and giving those restless hands a place to sit!
