These directions are for a lined skirt with an in- seam pocket in a side seam and a 7-in. zipper inside the pocket.
Mark the Pocket
1. Cut out the skirt with a 11⁄2-in. seam allowance
on the side seams. Measure and mark the pocket opening 8 in. below the waistline thread tracing.
2. Thread-trace the seamlines and baste the skirt together.
3. Cut a rectangle 10 in. by 12 in. from lining fabric for the pocket bag.
4. Right sides together, stitch the seam below the pocket opening; knot the thread ends. Remove the basting.
5. With the skirt right side up, chalk a line on the front seam allowance 13⁄8 in. from the side seam.
On the skirt back, chalk and thread trace the zipper opening 1 in. from the seamline. Mark the bottom of the pocket opening 71⁄4 in. below the
thread traced waistline.
6. On the skirt back, clip the seam allowance at the bottom of the opening to the seamline so you can press the seam open below the clip.
7. With the skirt front wrong side up, stabilize the pocket opening with a narrow strip of organza (see p. 101) Turn under the seam allowance at the opening and baste 1⁄4 in. from the edge.
BaSte Pocket Basting Thread-traced placement RS garment RS pocket
5. Mark the waistline on the pocket bag, using the thread tracing at the skirt waistline as a guide. Mark the bottom of the zipper opening on the folded edge of the under pocket 71⁄4 in. below the thread-traced
waistline.
Join skirt Back to Pocket Bag
1. Right sides up, align the seamlines of the skirt front and back at the pocket opening; top-baste them together so the right sides are together. Pin the pocket bag in place wrong side up. Align the thread-tracings at the waist and bottom of the zipper opening on the pocket bag and skirt back.
InSeam Pocket wIth ZIPPer
PrePare ZiPPer oPening attach skirt Lining
Baste skirt front to Pocket Bag
1. Right sides together, match and pin one side of the pocket bag to the chalk-marked line on the skirt front seam allowance. Baste the pocket (this is the upper pocket) and skirt front together with a
3⁄8-in. seam. Stitch and knot the thread ends. 2. Remove the bastings. Press the seam flat, and then press it toward the pocket bag.
3. Turn under the opposite side of the pocket bag (the under pocket) 3⁄8 in.; baste.
4. Turn the skirt wrong side up, fold the bag in half vertically, with right sides together. Smooth the pocket bag toward the center front; pin and baste the top of the bag to the skirt.
Mark Pocket Back seam allowance Skirt back 8” pocket opening Bottom of zipper opening Thread-traced line 13⁄8” from seamline Skirt front Seam allowance Chalked line 1” 11⁄2”
Baste skirt front to Pocket Bag
8” 3⁄8” Stabilized opening Bastings Skirt back Clip at bottom opening. Pocket seam
Front seam allowance 12”
Pin pocket bag to skirt front Skirt front Fold pocket vertically Mark waistline Pocket bag (under pocket showing) Seam allowance Seamline Seamline joining skirt and pocket bag
Upper pocket
Fold back seam allowance under and baste 1⁄4” from edge Basted edge of pocket bag Seamline Bottom of pocket opening Zipper opening Under pocket Skirt front Bottom of zipper opening Skirt back Side seam Zipper Baste lining to back of zipper Clip to end of zipper Back lining
Fell stitch here Thread-traced waistline Use needle point to turn raw edge under Side seam Front lining Thread-traced line 1” from seamline
2. To complete the seam below the zipper opening, slipstitch the pocket to the skirt back seam allowance beginning at the mark at the bottom of the zipper to the clipped seam allowance (about
3⁄4 in.). Remove the bastings and press the seam
open. Knot the thread ends.
3. Spread the skirt wrong side up with the pocket on top. Smooth the pocket toward the front; pin the pocket bag together at the bottom.
4. Chalk-mark the pocket stitching line,
beginning on the skirt front at the bottom of the opening, continuing to the front of the pocket. To chalk-mark the front edge, begin at the top about 1 in. from the fold and end on the fold about 5 in. from the bottom. Baste. When basting, hold the skirt seam allowances out of the way to avoid sewing through them.
5. Stitch, knot the thread ends, remove the bastings, and press flat.
6. Trim the pocket seams to 1⁄4 in. Overcast the
raw edges of the pocket together.
Prepare Zipper opening. On the skirt back, stabilize the zipper opening, with a narrow strip of organza. Fold the seam allowances to the wrong side and baste 1⁄4 in. from the edge; press. Baste and
sew the zipper in by hand (see p. 101).
skirt Lining. To finish the zipper, add the skirt lining and sew to the zipper by hand.
1. When lining the skirt, cut the lining seam allowances 11⁄2 in. wide—at least on the left side,
where the zipper will be located—since the placket is 1 in. from the side seam.
2. Right sides together, pin the lining seam; mark the bottom of the opening 71⁄4 in. below the
waistline. Stitch and press the seam below the zipper, but not in the placket area.
3. Wrong sides together, pin the skirt and lining together with the seamlines aligned at the waist and sides.
4. Place the skirt, lining side up, on a large pressing stand. Adjust the back lining so the lining covers the skirt back and zipper tape; pin.
5. On the lining front, mark the end of the zipper; clip to the marked point. Using the point of the needle, tuck the seam allowances under at the bottom of the zipper; pin. Repeat at the sides; baste. Press the lining lightly and fell stitch it in place.
always a smart touch for a tailored jacket, a double- welt pocket can be made with or without a flap. On this linen yves saint laurent jacket from the 1970s, the pocket flap was inserted between the welts; it has been tucked inside the pocket to show the opening. Wider flaps are sometimes used and applied by hand to the fabric above the pocket.
(Photo by Susan Kahn. Author’s collection.)
Join skirt Back to Pocket Bag
Match thread- tracing at waistline Skirt back Bottom of pocket opening
Back seam allowance
Zipper placement line 1” from seamline
Bottom of zipper opening Chalk stitching line on pocket bag Skirt front Slipstich Thread-traced seamline Seam allowance
6. Remove the skirt from the pressing stand. Trim the lining seam allowances as needed in the zipper area. Trim the seam allowances below the zipper to 1 in., remove all bastings and overcast the edges.