Barcelona Beauty - Part #9

Welt Pocket in Side Front Tutorial

I have made some progress on the jacket, getting the back completely assembled, and then moving on to the fronts. To work on the fronts, I started with the welt pockets that are in the side front panels. Today I'll show you how I made those pockets. (For another great welt pocket tutorial, please go visit Paco who has shown the traditional way to make a welt pocket with a flap.)

Today's technique can be used to put a welt pocket in any side front panel - skirt or jacket. This is easier than the traditional welt pocket because you do not have to make what we call the window opening for the welts and/or flap. The sides of the pocket bag are finished by the seams on either side of the side front piece. You'll see this at the very end.

Here are the steps:
1. Mark and prepare the side front panel. On the wrong side, interfacing the pocket opening. This will properly support the opening and any stress placed on it from use. The interfacing used will depend on the type of fabric being used. For this example, fusible hair canvas was used. Mark the center line of the pocket opening on the interfacing.

2. Prepare the welts. Cut two strips of fabric for the welts, 1" wide by the length of the opening, plus 2". Note: this sample shows welts that are 1/4" wide when finished. To make wider welts, multiply the finished desired width by 4 and cut strips that wide. Welts may be cut on the bias or straight of grain. Interface the welts with a lightweight fusible interfacing, especially if cut on the bias. Fold the welts in half long ways and press.

Join the two welts with a long zigzag stitch. You now have a welt unit. The zigzag stitching will be removed when the garment is complete.

Using a 1/4" presser foot, stitch a guideline down each welt, exactly 1/4" from the joined center. I realize that neither of these last two instructions show very well in the photo because I used the same color thread - you might be able to make out these details in subsequent photos.


3. This is a scary step. Cut the side front section into two pieces along the center line of the opening. Do not panic, we will fix this in the next section.

4. With right sides together, stitch one side of the welt unit to the upper section and the other side of the welt unit to the lower section of the side front. Stitch with the welts on top and stitch right on top of the basted guideline. Open out fabric and press. You will now have welts to bridge the gap between the two pieces and have united your side front once again.

5. Add the pocket bag, part A. Cut a rectangle of fashion fabric as wide and as long as the side front unhemmed. Turn the side front over, with the wrong side facing up. Place the fashion fabric, wrong side up on the welts, with the top edge lined up with the seam allowance edge of the top welt. Pin in place.

Turn the fabric back at the top welt seam allowance so that you can see your original line of stitching down the top welt, with the interfacing side up.

Stitch again on this stitching line, through the welts and pocket lining.

6. Add the pocket bag, part B. Cut a rectangle of lining fabric as wide and as long as the side front unhemmed. Turn the side front over, with the wrong side facing up and fold the pocket lining piece you just added up and out of the way.

Lay the pocket lining fabric in place, right sides together with the fashion fabric pocket, but upside down on the side front.

Pin and stitch from the interfaced side of the side front as for step 5. Turn pocket pieces down and press.

7. Finish pocket bag. Pin both the pocket bag pieces together at the bottom and stitch across the bottom. Stitch only through the pocket bag pieces, not the side front. Trim bottom of bag if necessary.

8. Prepare side seams. Baste together side front and pocket bag along both sides at the seam line. This piece is now ready to be joined to the center front and to the side back at the side seam. Those two seams will form the sides of the pocket bag. Trim welts and pocket bag if necessary to be even with the raw edge of the seams.

You can see the finished pocket from the wrong side in the photo above and from the right side in the photo below. In the photo below, you can see the side seam in the left of the photo where the side front has already been attached. The center front piece has not yet been attached in the right side of the photo.

If you like the look of welt pockets, but fear to make them the traditional way, try at least a sample this way. If you're more ambitious, try using a zipper that has been separated instead of the fabric welts for an unusual embellishment.

Parting Shot: Shiny Shoes. Just for fun I picked these up on super clearance the other day. I couldn't resist, they're patent leather, and by now you probably know about my thing for shiny shoes. I won't tell you how many pairs of patent shoes I own! Besides, they'll be a fun transition shoe for spring/summer. At least that's my excuse for the moment.