I was making a little girl’s pinafore in some quirky Moda fabric I found in Liverpool (Central Park print). I chose a simple shape as the fabric is busy enough as it is and I thought clean lines would show it off, but once it was made up I thought it needed a little bit extra. I had some Happy! by Moda fabric that would match perfectly but couldn’t decide what to do with it – so I came up with the idea of elasticated pockets as they would be simple in shape but not lie too flat.
Now, I have no idea where this idea came from as it popped into my head so I suspect I may have seen them somewhere and buried them somewhere deep in the ‘ideas’ treasure box in my brain. They turned out looking so cute I thought it would be helpful to do a mini tutorial for them so here goes….
To begin, I decided on the shape of pocket I wanted (I chose a rounded, half circular shape) and cut the pieces out of the fabric. Remember, because they are going to be elasticated make sure you make the pockets wider than you ultimately want them to be. I made mine two inches wider. Also, add an extra 3/4″ on the top of the pocket to allow for the seam and fold to thread the elastic through, and 1/4 all round the edge of the pocket for the fold.
Once you have cut out the pockets, fold the top over by 1/4″ and iron it down. Then fold it down again by 1/2″ and stitch along the bottom edge of the fold to create the casing for the elastic. Then turn in the bottom edges of the pocket by 1/4″ and iron flat to keep the fold in place.
Cut two pieces of elastic to the length you would like the top edge of you pocket to be, adding an extra 1/4″ to account for where the elastic will fold in on itself at the edges when stitched to the dress or item of clothing you are making. Thread the elastic through the casing and stitch it down at each end of the pocket to hold it in place.
Now pin the pocket to the garment, ensuring that the edge folds you ironed flat earlier are tucked inside. Then stitch the pocket to the garment as closely to the edge of the pocket as you can for a neat finish.
And there – you’ve done it! I love these pockets as they are ideal when you want a simple shape so that it doesn’t detract from the fabric or the rest of the garment but isn’t completely flat. I love how they add depth to the pinafore I made.
I have listed these pinafores in my Etsy Shop for sale if you would like one for your little one! I couldn’t resist – the fabric is just adorable!
Seriously, how cute are they?! It is a good job they live in Mexico as I would be tempted to steal them!
