Sewing Pockets onto or into Clothing

Dear users, dear authors,
How do you sew pockets onto or into clothing? Any tips?

Place the inner pocket right sides together on the front of the pants as shown in the picture, stitch along the edge with a seam allowance the width of the presser foot, then fold it inward, press the seam allowance, and stitch it down so the pocket can’t slip outward. Next, place the pocket bag on top as shown in the picture, pin it in place—otherwise it tends to slip—then sew it securely and neaten the edges. That’s the whole art of sewing pockets into pants.



With pants, unless they have patch pockets, the pattern usually specifies where the pocket should go. Best

regards, Inge

The pictures disappeared, okay, here they are again

Best regards, Inge

I guess that takes a lot of practice, right?

Oh yes, during our training we sewed about 40–50 pairs of pants until our instructor said, “Okay, now you can actually wear these pants, and they have pockets you can put things in.” :-)

Best regards, Inge

Oh my.
What happens to the pants you sew during your training? Are they given away, taken apart, or kept?

It really depends on the type of pocket and the garment in question.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of pockets: patch pockets and inset pockets .

Patch pockets (flat, cargo, with or without a flap, etc.) can be easier to sew, but every little mistake is immediately noticeable.

Inset pockets are categorized based on whether they’re inserted into an existing seam (in-seam pockets) or whether the opening is sewn directly into the fabric.
For example: slash pockets with and without a facing, zipper pockets, piped pockets with 1 or 2 welts (not to be confused with piping tape!) , chest pockets (jacket), ...

My tip: Follow the sewing pattern instructions exactly. And if in doubt, sew a test piece first using an inexpensive fabric.

There’s no general solution for this, as Hundsstern quite rightly says. It always depends on the sewing project.

Adding pockets to existing garments afterwards is possible, but it requires experience and skill. I would always recommend first gaining some sewing experience and also sewing patterns with pockets several times.

50–60 pairs of trousers, as Akela says — I can well believe that this is how it is in a tailoring apprenticeship.

Best regards,
Sonja

In addition to all the great information (thank you so much for that), I’d like to say that I think the fabric with the hard-working mole is absolutely enchanting.

Best regards, Ina