How-to: Add a Kangaroo Pocket to Your Favorite Skirt

sew a pocket

I am a firm believer that skirts ought to have pockets. I mean, really – what garment isn’t improved with a little pocket action, right?

Clothing designers do not seem to agree with my pocket philosophy, though, which I think is a terrible shame. Luckily, with a little crafty know-how, you can add a pocket to almost any skirt to stash, say, your key, money, and ID for an evening out. Take that, pocket-haters!

Materials

  • 1 skirt made of medium or heavy-weight fabric. The skirt should close on the side or back, since your pocket is going right on the front.
  • Large piece of coordinating scrap fabric or your favorite organic fabric
  • Sewing machine, pins, thread, iron, measuring tape

Directions

1. The size of your pocket is going to depend a lot on the size of your skirt. Put your skirt on, and grab your measuring tape.

2. Measure across to see how wide your pocket will be and up and down to see how tall you want it. Write those measurements down. For this example, let’s say you’re wanting a pocket that’s 11″ across and 7″ high.

3. Add a 1″ to that measurement. That means you’ll be cutting a piece of fabric that’s 12″ X 8″.

4. Now, fold your cut piece of fabric in half lengthwise, and trim off a triangle at the bottom, where your corners meet up. The goal is that when you open it back up, you’ll have fabric in this shape:

pocket

5. Now that the pocket is all cut out, you need to finish the edges. Grab your iron, flip your fabric so it’s wrong-side-up, and fold in the unfinished edges all the way around by 1/4″. Iron, then repeat one more time, so your unfinished edges are totally hidden. Pin all the way around.

6. It’s time to sew! First, sew a seam along the top edge of your pocket, 1/8″ from the top.

7. Pin your pocket to your skirt, making sure that it’s nice and centered. I recommend putting the skirt on once you’ve pinned, to make sure the pocket is in a good position for you.

8. Sew all the way around from the top left corner, down and around and back up to the top right corner. Remember to back stitch a few times on both top corners, so that your pocket will be nice and secure.

9. Iron your pocket to set your stitches, and you’re ready to wear your newly pocketed skirt.

If your skirt does have a front closure, you can still add a pocket, just not a kangaroo-style one. Instead, you can put your pocket on one or both sides of your skirt. Follow the instructions in the same way, just measure and pin on the side rather than in front. Pockets for everyone!

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