Outside pocket for a skirt

Last month I made an A-line linen skirt and attached an outside pocket to the waistband. I mentioned that I was going to show how I made the pocket. I wanted to add a pop of color to the skirt, which was a solid muted blue. I had this fun Echino print, which I got from Superbuzzy in Ventura at Craftcation last year (see my post).

I figured it out as I went along, starting out with a wide square. I knew I was going to add pleats to the pocket so that when I put something in it, there wouldn’t be an obvious bulge. I guess you could call it “pocket ease” – heheh.

I knew I wanted the back pocket piece to be longer than the Echino fabric because the back piece would attach to the waistband. I didn’t want to use my skirt fabric for the entire back pocket piece because linen isn’t that sturdy. So I decided to use a black poly/cotton blend and then sew a piece of the linen fabric just at the top of the back pocket piece.

I didn’t take photos of every step but I’ve written all the steps. Hopefully, it make sense.

I started out with a wide square – about 11 inches x 10 inches

 

I made two pleats and pinned them in place.

 

Fold the front pleated pocket piece in half to use as a pattern for the back pocket piece but make it a couple of inches taller than the front piece. Cut the back pattern piece. I used a black cotton/poly fabric I got at a Bay Area Sewists fabric swap.

 

 

For the “tab,” the piece that attaches to the waistband:

• cut a piece of the skirt linen fabric
• fuse a piece of interfacing to it (I used black interfacing)
• finish one long horizontal edge
• attach the linen fabric to the top of the back pocket piece by placing the skirt fabric right side facing the pocket back. Don’t sew all the way to the bottom.  Trim the seam. I pinked mine.

 

Turn the fabric inside out. Press the fabric. This will be attached to the waistband and the sides of the “tab” above the pocket need to be finished.

Place the front pocket piece, right side facing the back piece. This is why I didn’t sew all the way down the sides. I need a seam allowance to attach the front pocket piece. The front piece overlaps the linen fabric at the top. Sew the front and back together along the sides and bottom. Turn inside out.

 

On this skirt, the waistband curves slightly. To ensure that the pocket is straight, place the pocket on top of the skirt and trim the excess at the top. See how the top right side is higher than the waist?

After I attached the pocket, I decided it was too long. So I trimmed an inch and sewed the bottom again.

And finally, the pocket was done!

If I were to make an outside pocket again, I think I would make it a little less complicated by using one fabric for the entire back piece. Then I would sew the front, turn it inside out and finish the raw edges of the “tab” (the part of the back that attaches to the waistband) by making a narrow hem. This would avoid the slight wrinkles just above the top corners of the front pattern piece.

I like an outside pocket because it doesn’t ruin the line of this A-line skirt.  An in-seam side pocket wouldn’t look very good. You could see anything you put in the pocket and it would weigh down the skirt.