Drafting Pockets: Patch, Welt and In-Seam

Before drafting any pocket, fix its opening size and position. A hand needs roughly fifteen to sixteen centimetres of opening to enter comfortably, so most functional pockets have an opening in that range; smaller openings are decorative. Placement follows the natural resting position of the hand and the garment's proportions.

Mark the opening on the garment pattern itself, not just on the pocket piece, so the two agree. A pocket drafted perfectly but positioned by guesswork will still sit wrong on the body.

A patch pocket is the simplest: a single shaped piece sewn onto the outside of the garment. Draft it as the finished shape plus a hem allowance at the top and seam allowance around the sides and bottom. The top hem is usually wider, folded back to reinforce the opening and finish the raw edge.

For curved patch pockets, add notches or a facing to help turn the seam allowance smoothly. Lined patch pockets need a lining piece cut slightly smaller so the lining does not peek at the edges. Keep the corners square or gently rounded to match the garment's style.

• Draft the welt itself as a rectangle: opening length by twice the finished welt height plus seam allowance.
• Draft the pocket bag as a bell or pouch shape wide enough to clear the opening and deep enough to hold contents.
• Add a separate facing behind the opening so no garment wrong side shows through the slit.
• Mark the exact slit position and length on the garment as a drill-hole and line reference.
• For a double welt, draft two narrow welts meeting at the center of the opening.

An in-seam pocket hides inside a garment seam, most often the side seam of a skirt, trouser or dress. It requires two bag pieces, or one bag piece extended from the garment, positioned so the opening falls where the hand naturally rests. The opening is reinforced with a stay or a facing extension so it does not stretch out with use.

Draft the pocket bag as a rounded shape attached at the seam, deep enough that a hand fits without straining the seam. On trousers, the front pocket is a variant of this: a curved opening on the front panel with a separate bag and facing behind it.

Pocket depth is a functional decision. A bag that is too shallow tips its contents out when the wearer sits; a common minimum for a usable pocket is around fifteen centimetres below the opening. The bag shape is usually rounded at the bottom so contents settle and lint does not collect in corners.

Cut pocket bags on grain to keep them stable, and use a firmer pocketing fabric for the bag on trousers and skirts so it does not distort. On lightweight garments the bag fabric should be light too, or it will show through as a shadow.

A single pocket can generate three or four separate pieces: welt, bag, facing and stay. Keeping them grouped, labelled and correctly notched is essential, and this is where a clean digital file earns its keep. Minerva Patterns supplies garment patterns with their full pocket piece sets in DXF AAMA, PLT and PDF, with opening lines and drill holes marked so each pocket assembles precisely.

Whatever the type, the sequence is the same: fix the opening, draft the pieces to match it, and confirm every mating edge is equal before you cut.