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How to Make a Welt Pocket

Welt pockets can add style to jackets, pants, skirts and other garments. These interior pockets can also hide money and keys. The opening of a welt pocket looks like straight or angled rectangles of fabric. A double-welt pocket includes two strips of folded fabric at the pocket opening. The lined pocket hides from view. The following instructions are for a 5-inch long pocket opening. Try sewing a welt pocket on a scrap fabric piece before sewing the garment.

Things You'll Need

Pencil, washable and sharp, or tailor's chalk
Ruler
Thread
Hand-sewing needle for basting and tailor̵7;s tacks
Scissors
2 fabric strips, cut crosswise, 1 1/8 inches wide by 6 1/2 inches long
Fusible interfacing, 6 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide
Iron
2 pieces of lining fabric for pocket, 6 inches by 6 1/2 inches
1 strip of garment fabric for pocket, 2 inches by 6 1/2 inches
Tailor̵7;s clapper, optional

Instructions

Preparing the Welts
- 1
  Mark a 5-inch long placement line with tailor̵7;s chalk or a sharp, washable pencil and a ruler on the right side of the garment. Mark each end of the placement line with tailor's tacks.
- 2
  Fuse the interfacing piece to the wrong side of the garment fabric. Follow the manufacturer̵7;s directions for fusing the interfacing. This interfacing will be behind the placement line.
- 3
  Set the iron to the steam setting. Press the two fabric strips. Gently pull the strips in both directions while pressing to minimize stretching later. Fold each strip in half lengthwise and press.
- 4
  Set the sewing machine to a long, straight, basting stitch. Machine-baste the strips 1/4 inch from the fold. This basting line will be a sewing guide.
- 5
  Pin the raw long edges of the fabric strips to the placement line. The strip's folded edges will be away from the placement line. Hand-baste the strips to the garment. Remove the pins.
- 6
  Set the sewing machine to a shorter, straight stitch. Machine-stitch each strip using the temporary basting stitches as a guide. Sew to the same length as the placement line. Backstitch to secure the threads. Two parallel lines of stitching will form.
- 7
  Set the garment wrong side up on a flat surface. Cut a long slit on the placement line between angled slits: >--------<. Cut to within a stitch of each corner. These angled slits point to each corner.
- 8
  Turn the strips to the inside. Two welts will form. Hand-baste the long, folded edges together. These temporary stitches will keep the welts in place.
Attach the Pocket Pieces
- 9
  Pin the strip of garment fabric to the top of one lining pocket. The right side of the fabric will face up. Three edges will be even.
- 10
  Zigzag stitch the two long edges of the fabric strip to the lining pocket.
- 11
  Pin the pocket with the fabric strip face down on the top welt. Machine-stitch with a straight stitch the top of the pocket and the top welt. Machine-stitch the remaining lining pocket to the bottom welt.
- 12
  Machine-stitch the remaining lining pocket to the bottom welt.
- 13
  Form a horizontal pleat by bringing up the first pocket piece. This pleat forms above the top welt and covers the welt.
- 14
  Pin the two pocket pieces together, including the extended welt ends and the triangles of fabric near the ends of the placement line.
- 15
  Machine-stitch the two sides and lower section of the pocket. If you prefer rounded corners at the lower part of the pocket, stitch a curved seam.
- 16
  Press the pocket with steam. Pound out the steam with a tailor̵7;s clapper. Let dry. Remove the temporary basting thread and tailor̵7;s tacks.

Sewing