How to Sew in a Pocket (Free Pocket Pattern)

Always wanted to know how to add inseam pockets to an existing garment? This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to add a pocket to a dress. Use this method for adding inseam pockets to skirts, pants, jumpsuits and more!

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I recently purchased a casual maxi dress that was soft, breezy, and perfect for hot Texas summers. It also came in a beautiful lavender shade that I loved. Unfortunately, this almost-perfect maxi dress did not have any pockets!

Where am I supposed to put my hands when they are not doing anything?

I seriously considered returning this dress for lack of pockets. Seriously, it is the year 2025 and all wearable dresses NEED to have pockets.

Thankfully, this dress had a side seam, which mean that pockets can be easily added. So in today’s tutorial, I will be showing you step-by-step how to add inseam pockets to a dress.

Because hey, just in case you also purchased an almost-perfect dress without pockets. Now you can make it perfect!

Sewing Pockets

Adding inseam pockets to a store-bought dress is really an easy sewing project. As long as you can sew around a curve, you can do it!

In order to add an inseam pocket to a dress or a skirt, you will need the following:

Materials

• POCKET PATTERN – available in the Free MindyMakes Resource Library. Scroll to the bottom of the post for more instructions.
• POCKET FABRIC – 1/3” Yard (0.3M). See “What Fabric Should I Use for Pockets”, below.

Tools

• SEWING MACHINE
• FABRIC SHEARS – I love my Ginghers Fabric Scissors! I’ve had it for over 10 years and it is still going strong!
• SEAM RIPPER or EMBROIDERY SCISSORS – I really like my Gingers Embroidery Scissors for taking out seams (more than the seam ripper!) because the tip is super thin and sharp. This makes it easy to catch the thread you are trying to rip without catching the fabric threads underneath.
• CLEAR RULER – I have the Dritz See Through Sewing Ruler 2 x 18 inch
• CHALK – I really like the Clover Chaco Chalk Liner for marking. It’s thin, marks well, and easy to use!
• MATCHING THREAD
• SEWING PINS or SEWING CLIPS.
• IRON – I love my Rowenta Iron with a retractable cord for easy storage.

What Fabric Should I Use for Pockets?

Ideally, you should use the same fabric as the dress to make side pockets. However, this is not possible in the case where you are adding pockets to a store-bought dress. Here are a few tips for choosing fabric for the pockets:

• Use a similar type of fabric as your dress (or as close as possible). For example, if your dress is made of 100% cotton, use 100% cotton fabric for the pockets. This way, the dress and the pockets will shrink in a more similar way in the wash.
• Use woven fabrics (versus knit fabrics) – you don’t want your pocket to stretch if you put something heavy inside. However, if your
• Use lightweight fabric – you don’t want to add unnecessary bulk and weight to your dress.
• Choose solid, light colored fabric if your dress is light colored, thin, or more sheer – you don’t want the dark fabric of the pockets to show through. However, if your dress is dark and not sheer, feel free to use any solid or print fabric of your choice!
• No need to preshrink the pocket fabric unless your dress has been pre-washed.

Pattern for Pocket

There is only 1 pocket pattern piece. You will need to cut out 4 pocket pattern pieces. Make sure two of the pocket pieces are mirror images of the other two.

To download the free pocket pattern piece, scroll to the bottom of the post for instructions!

Where To Add Inseam Pockets on My Dress?

Generally speaking, the top of inseam pockets should sit at the level of your hip bone. There are a few ways to determine where to add your pocket.

1. Put on the dress that you want to add pockets to. You might want to wear the dress inside out so you can mark on the wrong side. Stand up straight and put your hands where you naturally want your pockets to be. Have someone else help you mark the pocket placement.
   
2. Put on the dress inside out and mark where your hipbones are. This will become the top of the pocket.
   
3. My favorite method. Measure an existing dresses with pockets to determine where the pockets should go. To do this, line up both dresses at the shoulder seam and mark on the new dress where the pockets should go.
   
   In the tutorial below, I measured the distance from the bottom of the armhole to the pocket and used this measurement for my new dress
   
   Don’t own a dress with pockets? No worries! You can go to the store, find a dress with pockets that fit, and measure where the pockets are placed on that dress and use that measurement for your pocket placement.

How to Add a Pocket to A dress

First, determine where to place your pockets using one of the aforementioned methods. In this example, I measured one of my existing dresses (red dress, above). The top part of the pocket on this dress is approximately 8.5 inches (21.6cm) from the bottom of armhole.

Next, turn your dress or skirt so the wrong side faces up. Use this measurement (8.5 inches) and make a mark (on wrong side of dress) along side seam from bottom of armhole. This will mark the top opening of pocket.

Next, make another mark 6.5” (16.51cm) along side seam from first mark. This is the distance of the pocket pattern from notch to notch, so it is a fixed length. This will mark bottom opening of pocket. Note that I used pins to make the markings.

Now use a seam ripper or embroidery scissors, take out stitches on side seams in between the two pins.

Next, we are going to sew the pocket to the opening on the dress. Note that we will pin the pocket into the opening from notch to notch and sew pocket to dress only in between the notches. In other words, the 1/2” portion of the pocket above and below the notches do not get sewn to the side seams.

Sewing Pockets

Pin POCKET PIECE along straight edge to side seam opening on dress, right sides together, notch to notch. Sew together at 1/4” (6mm) seam allowance (black dotted line).

Repeat on other side of side seam (black dotted line).

Next, understitch seam allowance to pocket fabric. This basically means to lean the seam allowance towards pocket and stitch the seam allowance to the pocket. This helps ensure the that the pocket stays in place and doesn’t peak out. Repeat on other side.

NOTE: In the photo above, I didn’t understitch the seam allowance until the pockets were already sewn together. This is why you see that the edges are already serged. While it is still possible to understitch the seam allowance after you’ve sewn the pockets together, the access is not as good. Therefore, better to understitch before the pockets are sewn together, at this step.

Pin pockets together and sew at 1/2” (1.27cm) seam allowance (black dotted line).

Next, serge or zig zag stitch along the raw edges of pocket and side seam (green line). Repeat on other side.

Your inseam pockets are now finished! (Viewed from right side of dress).

Whoo hoo! Now I have somewhere to put my hands when I don’t know what to do with them! Not to mention I have a place for my phone and keys.

Printable Inseam Pocket Pattern

To get a copy of the FREE POCKET PATTERN, subscribe to the MindyMakes Email List to receive the password for the Mindy Makes Free Resource Library. The POCKET PATTERN is listed under section ‘P’ of the library as “Pocket Pattern”.

Once you click “submit”, the password will show up on the next page. You will also receive a welcome email with the password in case you forget.

Please allow up to an hour for the welcome email to fly through cyberspace and travel into your inbox. If you still don’t receive the email, make sure to check your junk or spam folders and add my email to your safe list!

Need more help? Be sure to check out this step-by-step guide that shows you exactly how to get the password, enter the library, and download the PDF.