BERNINA Corporate Blog -Cargo pockets with a twist: tutorial
Sometimes you suddenly get a fun idea in your head, one that makes you sprint to your sewing room because you want to work it out super fast.
This was one of those for me: adding cargo pockets to my 8-year-old’s pants, but cargo pockets with a twist.
What twist you say?
I made a cut-out in the pocket and sewed a contrasting piece of fabric behind it, which really gives a nice effect.
In this tutorial, I’ll take you through how to make the cut-out and how to add the pockets to pants.
I made the Bay pants for Nova, and drafted the pockets in all sizes as an extra pattern piece.
You can download that for free over here :-).
As always I’m using my BERNINA 480 and BERNINA L 890.
Requirements
-main fabric and contrasting fabric (for cut-out)
-fusible interfacing (e.g. H180)
–Bay pants pattern for kids (or any other pattern of your choice)
–free pattern part for cargo pockets
-sewing machine and overlocker
Tutorial
Would you like to watch a video tutorial of how to make the cut-out?
You can find it here 🙂
1.Make the cut-out
Choose a shape and size for the cut-out you want to make, I went with a heart shape.
Cut 2 pieces of fabric, one in the main color (color of your pocket) and one in a contrasting fabric.
Cut the pieces of fabric 2cm larger than your (heart) shape, all the way around.
Apply interfacing on the back of the main fabric piece and finish the seams with your overlocker.
Also finish the seams of the piece of contrasting fabric with your overlocker.
Draw the shape of your cut-out in the center of your piece of main fabric, at the back.
Pin to the place where you want your cut-out.
This tutorial is about a pocket, but you can also easily apply this to e.g. a front panel or back panel
Pin with right sides together.
Stitch your shape into place.
Cut away the fabric inside your shape, keep 5mm of allowance.
Make small cuts into the allowance, all the way around.
This way you’ll have less trouble folding the shape in later.
Fold and iron the remaining fabric from the shape to the back of your pocket.
This is what the back of the pocket will look like:
And this is how the front of your pocket looks like:
Take your piece of contrasting fabric.
Lay your pocket right side down and now pin the contrasting fabric to the main fabric, right sides together.
Stitch all around at presser foot width.
The front of your pocket now looks like this:
Final step: topstitch your shape at 2mm from the edge, all the way around.
Your cut-out is ready!
2.Making the cargo pockets
In the following steps, I’ll show you how to make the cargo pockets and sew them onto the pants.
For the pictures, I worked with pockets without cut-out to not distract too much attention from the pockets themselves 😉
Finish the edge of your pocket piece with your overlocker.
Stitch a guideline in your pocket piece, this will help later when you need to iron the edges.
Stitch the guideline at 1cm from the edge, as shown in the picture below:
Fold the top edge of the pocket 2cm over, right sides together.
Pin in place.
Stitch both sides at 1cm from the edge.
Fold back into place, push out the corners and iron the edge flat.
Then stitch into place at 2mm from the edge.
Now iron the remaining edges of the pocket 1cm inwards.
Use the guideline you stitched earlier as an aid for this.
Pin the pocket in place, centered on the side seam.
Pin the bottom edge of the pocket to this distance (this is a guideline) from the unfinished hem:
Stitch into place at 2mm from the edge.
Stitch the first and last 2cm (that is above the stitching line of the top edge) with a small zigzag:
Continue with a straight stitch.
Take your 2 pocket flap pieces and pin them right sides together.
Stitch the edges of the flaps, leaving the top edge open.
Trim the seam allowance to about half.
Turn the flap right side out and topstitch at 2mm from the edge.
Pin the flap right side up above your pocket.
Leave 2cm between the top edge of your pocket and the flap.
Stitch the edge of the flap at 5mm from the edge.
Iron the flap down and topstitch again at presser foot width.
You’re finished!
I am happy to share a full picture and detail picture Nova wearing her Bay pants with the heart cut-out, she is so happy with this!
Happy sewing!
Isabel
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