diy: add pockets to skirts and dresses

in almost all of my creations, and my thrift store finds, the first thing i do is add pockets. they’re extremely useful and almost any existing dress/skirt can be easily altered to add in-seam pockets.

after seeing the how-to over at burdastyle, here’s how i put in my pockets. these in-seam pockets can be added to any skirt or dress that has side seams. and those side seams can’t have a zipper in them, blocking where the pockets go.

materials needed: sewing machine, thread, seam ripper, pieces of fabric to create your pockets.

1. download and print out the pocket pattern; cut out 4 pocket pieces. (the pattern stretches a little into the margins — sorry, i like big pockets!)

2. take your dress/skirt and starting at about 3 inches below the natural waistline, start ripping out the seam until you have about a 10 inch hole. don’t be scared.

3. pin 1 pocket piece to the front of the skirt, 3.5” below the natural waistline. right sides together. and pin another pocket piece to the back of the skirt, in the same location (right sides together).

4. stitch the front pocket to the front of the skirt, using 3/8” seam allowance. stitch the back pocket to the back of the skirt the same way. (here, you use a 3/8” seam allowance so that in the end, your pocket fabric actually starts a little inside the skirt seam allowance…making it invisible from the outside)

5. first press the seam open

6. then fold over the pocket and press it flat.

7. turn your skirt inside out. with front and back skirt pieces right sides together, stitch along the seams and around the pockets using 5/8” seam allowance…in one continuous stitching line. make sure your seam allowance matches the existing skirt seam allowance, and stitch over the existing side seams at the top and bottom just a bit to make sure everything is put back together nicely.

8. clip into the seams where the pockets join the skirt.

9. press side seams open. turn right side out.

Repeat steps 2 - 9 for the other skirt side seam and voila!