Sewing Welt Pockets The Easy Way

Adding welt pockets to a garment isn’t something you do when you just start sewing but it shouldn’t be considered the hardest thing to do either. I did some research and found that you can skip some steps and still get a very nice result. So, if you are looking for an easier way to sew welt pockets, read on to learn this hack or check out my YouTube video.

In this tutorial I am not actually making a finished garment, but showing you how to make a welt pocket as if it was going into a garment, into the back of a pants panel or the front panel of a jacket. Trying this out on a scrap is a great way to learn and practice before you use this on a real garment and at the same time you can also experiment with different fabric combinations (types, weights and colors). You can also add a welt pocket to a tote bag. That might be a nice way to experiment with or practice this type of pocket as a tote bag is really easy to assemble.

We have a nice tutorial for a simple extra large tote bag with boxed corners on our sewing and quilting blog.

A welt pocket is a sleek and streamlined pocket with a narrow opening framed by one of two fabric edges. The actual pocket is contained, hidden away inside the garment, sometimes in between the lining and the outer fabric layer.

A welt in textiles refers to a strip of fabric that is sewn into a seam to add strength and durability to a seam. A welt pocket can often be found on the front of a man’s tailored jacket (with a little handkerchief tucked into it) or on the reverse of jeans or pants in general.

This pocket is attached to the inside of a garment and is usually located on the garment where no seams are available to allow the typical seam-pocket style. The welt refers to the narrow fabric edges that frame the opening. The strips to construct this edge are attached separately. Welt pockets can also include a flap, or incorporate fabrics in contrasting colors, or even include closures, or lace, or piping. Welt pockets are usually placed horizontally on garments, but they can be vertical or at an angel as well.

To construct a welt pocket you need to measure and work accurately. Know that these pockets are more time-consuming than others, however this doesn’t mean that they are difficult. If you follow the directions carefully, you’ll be amazed by the result.

There are different types of welt pockets, single-welt and double welt pockets are the most common, but you can also make decorative welt pockets or zippered welt pockets. In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make a single-welt pocket.

Single-welt pockets come with a folded or a separate welt, made out of a single fabric strip.

The main difference with double-welt pockets is that they use two welts to create an opening. The decorative variant is also called a faux-welt pocket and looks like a pocket but without the functionality of a pocket. There is no real opening or pocket. You can also include a button or a zipper in a welt pocket, if you want to get a more secure pocket.

Because constructing a welt pocket involves some fabric folding, a light- to medium-weight fabric works more easily than a heavy-weight thick fabric. Doing precise and clean folds, seams and corners is always more difficult with heavier fabrics. If you do want to make a welt pocket in a garment made out of a heavy-weight fabric, be sure to make your pocket opening and welts large enough.

• Your cut pattern piece or ‘main fabric’ (trouser back piece, jacket front piece,...)
• A fabric piece for the pocket welt, normally in the same fabric as the pattern piece but you can use a contrasting fabric for a playful accent. I will refer to this piece as the welt facing. This piece should be at least 2 inches wider than the pocket opening width and about 4 inches high.
• The fabric piece for the pocket bag. This piece should be double the size of the pocket in length. We are folding this piece in half at the end (the fold is at the bottom of the pocket) to create the pocket.
• Fusible interfacing to reinforce the pocket opening, so it should be a little bigger than the pocket opening
• Thread, pins, scissors, marker, ruler, iron, sewing machine.

For this demonstration, I used the blue fabric representing the garment (the pattern piece or main fabric), red fabric for the welt facing and flowered fabric for the pocket bag, so you can easily see what goes where. I will also use contrasting thread but you should use matching thread of course.

1. Finish the edges of the pocket bag piece and the welt piece with pinking shears, your serger or an overcast stitch. You can also do this at the end, if you forgot, but it is easier to do it before assembling all the pieces.

2. Mark where you want your pocket to be positioned on the wrong side of your main fabric (the pattern piece). The exact position should be marked on the pattern you are using. I would advise to add interfacing on the wrong side of the main fabric for some stability.

3. Now you need to draw a box with a temporary marker. Look at the images to see what you have to draw. The rectangular shape is where you will add stitching, the lines inside the box are cutting lines. If you are using fusible interfacing to reinforce the pocket, it is easy to draw this box on the interfacing. If you draw it on the interfacing, you can use a permanent marker. This box is the size of your pocket opening. Draw a line in the middle (not touching the short ends) and two little triangles towards the corners of the box.
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric, if you haven’t done so already.

4. Add the welt fabric (red fabric) and the pocket bag (flowered fabric) piece behind the main fabric, right sides facing the main fabric.

5. Stitch through all 3 layers on the box markings…just on the outer line, the rectangular shape. Clip through all of the layers with your scissors on the middle line and the triangle lines. This is how you create the pocket hole. It is important to be accurate here and snip until each corner of the seams. Precise cutting here makes for neat corners later.

6. Now flip the main piece through the opening towards the back and press the folds around the opening completely flat, making sure there are no waves or puckers.

There should be no tension in the corners. The pocket bag and main fabric are now on top of each other and the welt facing is in the back. The red side is the inside and the blue side the outside.

7. Fold up the welt facing so it covers the opening, the top fold should match the top edge of the opening.

So first grab the bottom edge and fold it towards the top edge, over the pocket hole.

Take a look from the right side to make sure it is in the right position. Press flat.

8. Now topstitch all around the entire pocket opening on the right side. Make sure you don’t grab the welt fold at the top edge or your pocket will be closed. You can trim excess welt fabric that is folded down so it won’t be in the way of the pocket.

9. Now finish off by enclosing the pocket. Fold the pocket bag piece up, match the top edge, and sew the three edges closed. Don’t grab the main piece while stitching the edges.

I forgot to finish the edges of the pocket bag at the start, so I decided to finish them with pinking shears.

This is what my finished welt pocket looks like. I think I’m ready to try this technique on a real project soon!

While this technique might seem intimidating at first, with a bit of practice, you'll find that adding welt pockets can be a fun and satisfying way to elevate any garment or accessory. Whether you're making trousers, jackets, or even tote bags, welt pockets provide a clean, professional look.

Ready to give it a try? Don’t be afraid to experiment with different fabrics and pocket styles—each project will help you build confidence and improve your sewing skills. For more sewing inspiration and additional tutorials, be sure to browse through our sewing and quilting blog. You'll find plenty of tips, tricks, and project ideas to take your sewing to the next level. You might want to learn how to repair side pockets for example?

And if you’re looking for high-quality sewing tools to make your sewing projects easier, check out the Madam Sew shop for everything from specialized rulers and cutting tools to fabric markers and perfect project bags.

Start small, take your time, and soon you'll be sewing welt pockets like a pro!

Happy sewing!

An
Blogging for MadamSew.com