In our previous tutorials we showed you how to sew inseam pockets and flat-felled seams. These two skills are very useful to know and are often used in garment making. So today we decided to take you one step further and combine the two by showing you how to add an inseam pocket to a flat-felled seam.

Surprisingly, there are very few instructions about this technique on the Internet and since it is a great sewing skill to know if you want to make a pair of pants or a skirt with reinforced seams, we thought it deserves a proper tutorial!

Materials & Tools

Fabric of your choice (we are using IL019 GINGER Softened medium weight linen)

Matching sewing thread (for the purpose of this tutorial we have used a darker color thread), scissors, ruler/measuring tape, pins, fabric marker/chalk, sewing machine

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

1 hour

Pattern

Note: When sewing flat-felled seams, remember to increase the seam allowance of your pattern to 5/8″.

You can either draw your own pocket or use our printable template. With this template, your finished pocket will approximately measure 10″x 6″ (25,5 x 15 cm).

Make sure that you have two mirrored pieces for each pocket. The best way to get your pockets right is to fold your fabric in half and then pin the template an inch away from the fold. Cut through both layers of fabric at the same time and don’t add the seam allowances as they are already included in the template.

Steps

Note: Prewash your fabric and tumble dry it until it is still slightly moist, dry in room temperature. Iron the fabric so it is easier to work with.

1. Before you can start sewing, you need to finish the rounded edges of your pocket pieces with a serger or a zigzag stitch in order to prevent the fabric from fraying in the future. Leave the 5/8″ seam allowances raw at both ends of the opening.

Usually, your pattern will give you indications where to place the pockets but if your pattern doesn’t call for inseam pockets or you want to add them to one of your own creations, then it’s up to you to decide where to place them. Try on your unfinished garment and determine the best spot.

2. Pin your front pocket piece to the front pattern piece right sides together.

3. To attach your pocket panel to the fabric, start stitching in from the side of the opening an amount equal to the seam allowance required for the flat felled seam (5/8 of an inch). Note that you stitch a perpendicular line that is 5/8” long but at a ¼” seam allowance. Refer to the images below if this is not clear. Then stitch down to the end of the opening and back out to the side to create a rectangular shape. Remember to backstitch.

4. Trim the raw edges inside the rectangle down to 1/8″ and clip to the corners.

5. Fold your pocket panel to the other side and carefully press the seam flat and the trimmed seam allowances on the side.

6. Working from the right side, topstitch your pocket panel (only the pocket length) in place 1/4″ from the edge. This stitch line will later blend in with your flat felled seam stitch line.

7. Place the second pocket piece on top of the first one right sides together and stitch along the curve from the spot where the first pocket panel is attached to the main fabric and up to the spot where it ends.

You now have a completed pocket attached to the front of your project.

8. Now place the back pattern piece under the front piece right sides touching and pin aligning the raw edges. Note how the edge that you trimmed is shorter – don’t worry, it will later be hidden under the flat-felled seam.

9. Stitch at a 5/8″ seam allowance and be careful not to catch the under pocket edge when you sew.

Here’s a look from the right side:

10. Trim the edge that has several levels down to 1/4″.

11. Fold the wider seam allowance over the trimmed one all the way to the stitching line and press. Fold it again and press flat to enclose all the raw edges within. Pin.

12. Before completing your side flat-felled seam, edgestitch the folded seam allowance parallel to the pocket opening.

13. Now edgestitch the folded seam allowances to and from the pocket opening to create a flat-felled seam. Align your stitching with the stitch line that you’ve just made and when you reach the opening, reinforce it with a bar tack. With your needle still in the fabric, set your machine to a buttonhole stitch and sew a small tack perpendicular to the side seam.

We hope you’ll find this technique useful for your future projects!

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IL019 100% Linen GINGER FS Signature Finish