Welt pocket construction
Posted by Kathleen Fasanella on Jun 23, 2005 at 5:06 pm / Sewing / Trackback
Picking up where I left off yesterday, sew both folds into place with 1/4″ seam allowance, starting and stopping exactly (that’s critical) at the ending chalked lines.
Here you can see one side is done:
Now both sides are done
This is the view from the back. Both lines should be perfectly parallel. Look closely, one of my lines is too short:
It’s more obvious here. If you make this mistake, just restitch it till it meets that chalkline.
My corrected sample is shown here
Now cut the center slit. Remember to leave about 3/4″ uncut in the corners.
You’ll need to cut a Y into each corner. Get close -very close- to the stitching in the corner. I like to use homesewing applique scissors for this part. The scissors are very sharp with fine points.
Turn the pocket.
The pocket is turned. This looks pretty clean if you notice. Not bad for something that’s not even pressed.
And here it looks from top-side, also unpressed.
If I had one “tip” to show you, it’d be this one. Press that seam open. Yes, it’ll end up layered together anyway but this gives a nice clean line to the topside.
This is mine with the final pressing from the top-side
Your pocket should look like this from the back at this stage. See how crisp the welt lips are on the ends?
Now you want to sew up those triangles on each end.When you pressed this pocket, you created a faint line at the base of that triangle. Use that as your sewing line. Don’t worry about getting too close because you can pull the threads. The usual problem is people are too far away.
Here is the pocket sewn off. If you notice, the stitching is perfectly aligned with those first chalk marks I’d made.
And here’s another view of the triangle sewn off.
And here’s the completed view from the back
And a final view of the front. See, it’s easy once it’s pre-pressed with that embarrassingly low-tech paper jig.
Oh, and for those of you so inclined to hit that “Donations” button you see right up there underneath the search box, up there in the top of the right hand column? I’d be ever so grateful; it’s much appreciated and I have a long memory of who donates and who doesn’t and who asks the most questions versus those who don’t ;-)…
And now I’m off to the Solar Festival in Taos…….have a great weekend!
Entries in this series (links open in a new window):
Zippered welt pockets
Welt-Reece machine operations
Marking & Cutting
Welt and paper jig
Welt pocket construction
19 Responses to “Welt pocket construction”
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June 23rd, 2005
6:04 PM
Oh! Now I see what the jig is used for. The way I did it was way less acurate. What about top stitching? I Love this tutorial!
June 24th, 2005
6:30 AM
Wow, Kathleen! I just can’t believe what a huge difference that paper jig makes! Thank you ever so much for sharing this with us. I can’t wait to make my own paper jig.
June 24th, 2005
2:40 PM
Jigs. Oh yeah, I make them at the drop of a hat, but mostly in mechanical work. Any time a particular hole pattern will be drilled more than once. Or as a guide for cutting out a shape. Or to accurately locate one feature relative to another. And this on rigid materials - wood, plastics, metals.
Sometimes I’ll do it for a one-time job that’s in a difficult place to reach, or when I don’t want the hassle of correcting a screw-up (like mounting an outlet on the side of my shop building).
Just consider how much better you can lay out a feature for your flexible-in-all-directions cloth material if you first do your layout on a rigid, stable medium (like Oaktag [folder material]), correct your mistakes with eraser and pencil, transfer to, and _then_ cut that precious cloth!
Tom, in mid-New Mexico, USA
June 25th, 2005
1:53 AM
Is there a minimum or maximum size a welt can be? (I understand it can’t be smaller or thinner than is workable, or so large it might defeat the purpose)
Can it be two different visual thicknesses on top and bottom?
If it’s a stiff fabric should it be reinforced with interfacing anyhow?
June 30th, 2005
8:02 PM
Welts can be whatever you engineer them to be. If you want welts that are 3/8″ wide for example (the ones I did were 1/4″) you’d need a jig that folded at 1-1/4″ and your pattern for the welt would need to be 1/2″ wider.
I’ve actually made welt pockets that had a different upper and lower lip. You need to piece your fabrics to match halfway but the total width would still need to be 3″.
If it’s a stiff fabric, yes, you need to fuse it anyway. And I say that knowing most of you will most likely ignore that advice ;). In cutting a huge hole into it, you’ve destabilized the fabric. Fusing helps keep its shape in direct relation to the rest of the garment. In cutting into it, you’ve un-stiffed it from a structural standpoint.
September 16th, 2005
12:30 PM
I finally got round to doing this tutorial but I ended up with a 3/32″ gap between the two lips when finished. Should the lips meet?
December 6th, 2005
7:32 PM
You are amazing. I am working on a vest with a mccall pattern that has a welt pocket and It never would have worked. My family does alot of reinactments and costume partys so I do alot of sewing and these pictures you have make a world of difference! Your instructions are so much better than the patterns!! Thank you so much for what you are doing!!!!
November 17th, 2006
12:48 PM
Thank you so much for the quick tutorial..you taught me better than my teacher at fashion school! Ever thinking bout becoming one? ^___^
April 15th, 2007
2:31 PM
I just found this site. This is an excellent tutorial for the Welt Pocket. But, I don’t have the beginning of these instructions. Is it possible to get them?
Thank you.
Nicky
June 4th, 2007
8:51 PM
I’m w/Nicky…I, too, just found this site and it appears to be EXACTLY what I am looking for except that the instructions are incomplete, only referring to but not including the previous day’s work. :’( I would LOVE to have the complete instructions. Would this be possible? Thank you.
Teresa
June 4th, 2007
9:14 PM
If you go back one day, you will find the instructions as promised. Use the left pointing arrowed entry at the top of the page until you get to the day before. Not one entry, one day.
It’d be nice if just 1/100th of you would leave a donation. I’d do more tutorials.
July 31st, 2007
10:39 AM
I left a donation. Because OMG, have you saved me time and frustration!!!
August 2nd, 2007
10:42 AM
I am interested in how to construct a welt pocket with a zipper? I am making a purse and it has two or more welt pocket with zippers.
Thank You Cindy
August 13th, 2007
5:56 AM
Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve seen this tutorial, and it’s FANTASTIC! I’m going to use it the next time I make welt pockets. Thank you so much!
September 17th, 2007
11:11 AM
Your welt pocket instructions are fantastic. I’ve been trying to follow the pattern instructions on a waistcoat pattern and the pocket looked rubbish - but your way looks amazing and its so simple! Your pictures make it so much easier.
Thanks very much!
Mina
November 30th, 2007
9:13 PM
IT SHOULED BE JETTED POCKET, NOT WELT POCKET! ^v^
March 15th, 2008
11:33 AM
Thank you sooooo much! Im doing a Burda pattern out the magazine - and it just ASSUMES that you know what they are explaining - of course there are no pictures to their explanations! I Googled Welt pockets - and I came across this site - I will definately keep this site for future assistance! Thx once again!
August 5th, 2008
9:12 AM
That is so much easier than the print out that you get with the pattern! Thank you so much, I will go and try it!
August 5th, 2008
3:07 PM
You saved me! I left a donation and encourage others to do the same, it’s great information.