Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Blogpost | Tutorials

How to Sew Single Welt Pockets

Welt pockets are not a common feature on sweatshirts, but I love the structure they add to the Jasper Sweater/Dress. They give a polished look to the design and they’re not so hard once you understand the process. They are considered one of the more tricky techniques to master, but that just makes it more satisfying to add to your skill set! So no need to worry, if you need more words and photo’s to understand this process, that’s what you get in this post.

What you need:

  • The front piece, welt strips and both pocket pieces
  • Basting thread
  • Washable fabric marker
  • Iron & press cloth
  • Sewing machine (duh)

Step 1: Welt strips

Mark all the notches on the welt strips, the front piece and the pocket pieces. Use a washable fabric marker like a pencil or chalk.

Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper welt pocket tutorial

Press the welt strips in half with the right sides out, lengthwise. Match the marks of the welt strips to the right side of the front piece. The fold in the welt strip points to the inside, the raw edges to the outside. Baste the welt strip in place. I do this by hand because it gives me greater control over the position. This is also the reason why I don’t just pin it.

Step 2: Jersey pocket piece

Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper pocket tutorial

Lay the jersey pocket piece on top of the front right sides together, matching the notches and sandwiching the welt strips. I used a grey cotton jersey for the tutorial purpose, but in general you’ll want to use a colour close to your main fabric colour. Pin in place.

Sew a line between the notches, straight over the welt strip. It is more important to be in the middle of the welt strip than that you precisely match the notches. If your marks are a bit off, use the welt strip as a guide. You can feel it underneath your fingers as you sew.

Step 3: Cut

Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper welt pocket tutorial

You’re going to turn the pieces inside out in the next step. To be able to do this, you’ll need to make some cuts. Cut a single layer at a time. Start cutting the jersey pocket piece, from the raw edge towards the welt strip, at 3/4″ (2 cm) in from the notches. When you’re halfway, pivot towards the end of the stitching line you just sewed. Cut right until the tip of that line, but not through or beyond. Repeat this on the other end of the welt strip, and repeat for the front piece so the cutes are the same on both sides of the welt strip.

Step 4: Turn

Jasper welt pocket tutorial

Now stick your hand in between the layers from top to bottom. Grab the hem of the front piece and pull it through, so the pocket piece is now on the wrong side of the front piece. The welt piece already should be looking good! If it’s not straight you can go back in and sew a new line. Be sure that you leave enough welt strip to stick out though.

Step 5: The little flaps

Jasper welt pocket tutorial

On either end of the welt strip are little flaps, maybe you’ll need to pull them out after turning.   There’s one of each fabric layer on either end, so 8 flaps in total. Now we need to secure them You’ll sew the four at the bottom first, then the four at the top.

Jasper welt pocket tutorial

To get them in the right position, fold the pocket piece and front piece towards the top. The pocket piece on top, the front piece on the bottom. Pull the little flaps down and align their edges. If the fabric is bunching at the ends of the stitching line, pull them a bit more out. Align the flaps so they are parallel to the side seam next to the welt strip. Pin them in place.

Jasper welt pocket tutorial

Now sew a straight line from the end of the stitching line towards the side edge, through the flaps and the welt strip. The stitching line should be perpendicular to the welt strip and come out at the notches at the side. Repeat for the other three welt corners. And that’s it, you’ve got your welt in!

Step 6: Grade & press

Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper welt pocket tutorial

Go back in and grade the seam allowances of the welt strip and the fabric you cut into. The purpose of grading is to reduce bulk and create a smooth transition from areas with a lot of fabric layers to areas with less layers. In this case, to create a smooth transition between the area of the welt (6 layers) to the area around it (2 layers). I like to keep the outside layers longest, and cut the inner layers a bit shorter. Turn it the right way around again and press your pockets.

Step 7: Pocket piece 2

Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper welt pocket tutorial
Jasper welt pocket tutorial

Lay the second pocket piece on top of the jersey one, matching notches. Sew the tops and bottoms together. Just then pockets, not the front piece! Finish the seams if desired, or if your fabric curls. Baste the edges of the pocket to the side seam allowance to keep them in place. It might seem a bit redundant, but it ensures they will line up nicely when you attach the side panels. The pocket pieces are supposed to be longer than the front piece.

That’s it, you’ve made single welt pockets! The process is not exactly the same on other garments, but I hope you have a better understanding of the process now. If you have any questions or suggestions, let me know in the comments!

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16 Comments

  1. alright, that was fairly painless, as far as welt pocket constructions/instructions/destructions go. thanks!

  2. I just had a huge aha moment reading this tutorial! I all of a sudden got it! Thanks! Now I’m going to practice a couple of times before doing my sweater to be sure I really have got it.

    1. Good to hear! Good practice to test it first, you’re more patient than I am :)

  3. Thanks for the tutorial!
    One question though: how do you stitch the second pocket piece to the jersey one, without sewing through the front piece? Cheers from The Netherlands!

    1. Hi Hanneke, I flip the sweater top and bottom out of the way and then just sew the pocket pieces. Hope that helps!

  4. So you stitch the second pocket piece to the jersey piece only? I think I get it :-) Thanks!

  5. Thanks for the detailed instructions. A suggestion – the pattern makes it clear that when you cut, you don’t cut the welt strip. These instructions don’t make that clear. Would be lovely if you could include this note in Step 3. Thanks again – wearing a newly made Jasper hoodie as I type.

  6. My pocket pieces are wider than the front piece. I thought I had made a mistake, but checked on the pattern pieces – the same. At sewing class, my tutor checked too. I’m puzzled. This has made it much more difficult. At first I thought I needed the extra for a pocket but it’s way too much and would certainly show under the front piece.

    I agree that the instructions here are better than on the pattern – sadly, I still got it wrong, fortunately it’s not terminal. I should have practiced first as Lori did!

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