Jutland Sew-Along: Adding Buttons to the Welt Pockets
Here's the latest little addition to the Jutland Sew-Along! I won't add the Jutland Sew-Along Schedule as the first photo on this post as I clearly am not following it anymore :P. Things have slowed down to a realistic pace because Matt and I are busily prepping for a new pattern release this coming Monday!
Anyways, to explain the origins of this tutorial: Before the Jutland Pants pattern was released I had created a welt pocket tutorial which I put up on our website Tutorials section and on the Fabrics-store blog as a guest post. I don't believe that this tutorial was ever added to this blog though! Today I've revised the original tutorial to include directions for adding a button hole and button for fancier Jutland Trousers. Here it is on the blog for you:
Welt pockets often have the bad reputation as being scary and difficult to sew. While it might take a little while to make perfectly square corners and until the origami folds become second nature, they really aren't that difficult...it is just a matter of doing the right step at the right time. And here are all the right steps laid out in photos for you!
For these shorts I used the Jutland Pants pattern which includes all necessary pieces. In case you are working with a pants pattern that doesn't include welt pocket pattern pieces, here are some guidelines to make your own.
For each pocket:
Draw markings on your interfaced trouser pieces as well - make sure you mark both the right and wrong side of your pants. If you are sewing the Jutland Pants, use the provided marks to choose your welt placement. You can use chalk or you can use thread basting to create your markings.
Here is my basting stitch:
And the view from the right side (make sure to stitch thoroughly at the corners so that they are very accurate):
Line up your trousers with your welt piece, right sides together. Your markings will come in handy here to make sure everything is lined up precisely.
Using a very short stitch length for added strength and precision, stitch along the long edges of the welt rectangle. Stop and back stitch precisely at each corner.
Here is a close up to show you how carefully you should stitch over the marked lines:
Now press the loose sections of the welt to help things fold crisply later on. Here I am pressing the top of the welt:
And pressing the bottom of the welt:
Using sharp little scissors, cut along the center of the welt and stop 1/2" from either end. Cut on a diagonal towards each corner, clipping as close to the stitching as you dare! The closer you get, the crisper your welt corners will appear later on...but be warned - if you snip beyond your stitching your welt will have little holes in each corner!
Turn the welt to the wrong side of the garment so that you are left with a rectangular window on the right side:
And the loose fabric on the wrong side:
Now is a great time to remove all the basting thread!
To reduce bulk later, flip up the bottom of the welt and press the seam allowances that are hidden underneath open.
And now press the sides and the top of the welt crisply flat (isn't linen lovely to press?). If you'd like, you can press the seam slightly towards the wrong side of the garment so that it isn't visible from the right side.
Turn the garment on the right side to press all four corners carefully - you can pinch and pull them a little to make them look perfectly right angled.
From the wrong side of the garment, create an accordion fold with the welt rectangle so that the folded edge meets the top of the welt window. Press the folded edge crisply.
From the right side of the garment, your welt will look almost finished!
To keep the welt in place, uncover the sides of the welt by folding over the trousers. You will see a little triangle of fabric and your accordion fold. Stitch as close to the base of the triangle as possible through all layers except the trousers themselves.
Your welt is finished! Now it's time to add the pocket bag so that it doesn't open up to display underwear (unless you've made yourself some perfect Comox Trunks that you really want to show off :P).
To add the pocket bag, first place the shallow pocket lining with right side down on top of the welt. Line up the top pocket edge with the bottom of the welt. Stitch using a 5/8" seam allowance.
Finish with a serger or a zig zag stitch:
Press pocket lining downwards:
At this point you can add a button hole to your welt pockets if you desire. I made a separate pair of pants to demonstrate how to do this:
At this point in the welt pocket sewing process, stitch a vertical buttonhole below the welt through the main pants and the single layer of the pocket lining. I stitched mine over the bottom of the Jutland Pants dart.
To prepare the deep pocket lining, first press under the long edges of the pocket facing 5/8":
Top stitch the pocket facing to the deep pocket lining. You will want to place this facing so that it lies directly over the welt pocket when the bottom of the deep pocket lining is lined up with the bottom of the shallow pocket lining.
Line the pocket pieces up with right sides together and pin in place through all layers of the welt folds (but not through the trousers themselves).
Stitch around all pocket edges using a 5/8" seam allowance. You won't need to stitch up to the top of the deep pocket lining because no other layers extend this high.
This is how your pocket will look at this point:
Finish the edges of the pocket with a serger or a zig zag stitch.
To prevent your welts from sagging in the middle, fold down the top of the trousers to expose the little seam allowance between the trousers and the pocket pieces. Stitch through the seam allowance and all the pocket layers.
If you are adding buttons and button holes to your pants, this is the point that you can sew on your button! Open up the pocket and position the button directly under the button hole.
And that's it! A finished welt pocket! With a button:
Or without a button:
Now you can add them to just about everything!
Welt pockets often have the bad reputation as being scary and difficult to sew. While it might take a little while to make perfectly square corners and until the origami folds become second nature, they really aren't that difficult...it is just a matter of doing the right step at the right time. And here are all the right steps laid out in photos for you!
For these shorts I used the Jutland Pants pattern which includes all necessary pieces. In case you are working with a pants pattern that doesn't include welt pocket pattern pieces, here are some guidelines to make your own.
For each pocket:
- Welt rectangle - one interfaced rectangle that is about four times the height of your welt and a couple inches wider.
- Shallow pocket lining - one shallow pocket piece (either shaped like mine is or just a shallow rectangle that is the same width as the welt rectangle) made out of thin cotton or some other pocketing material.
- Deep pocket lining - one long pocket piece that is shaped to match the width and bottom of your shallow pocket piece and is tall enough to extend past the top of the pants (mine was 12" tall)
- Pocket facing - a rectangle approximately the size of your welt piece that will be top-stitched to the deep pocket lining to act as a backdrop for the welt pocket (so that you don't see the pocketing fabric behind the open welt).
- Interfacing - A square of interfacing that is larger than your welt rectangle piece to apply to the trousers.
Draw markings on your interfaced trouser pieces as well - make sure you mark both the right and wrong side of your pants. If you are sewing the Jutland Pants, use the provided marks to choose your welt placement. You can use chalk or you can use thread basting to create your markings.
Here is my basting stitch:
And the view from the right side (make sure to stitch thoroughly at the corners so that they are very accurate):
Line up your trousers with your welt piece, right sides together. Your markings will come in handy here to make sure everything is lined up precisely.
Using a very short stitch length for added strength and precision, stitch along the long edges of the welt rectangle. Stop and back stitch precisely at each corner.
Here is a close up to show you how carefully you should stitch over the marked lines:
Now press the loose sections of the welt to help things fold crisply later on. Here I am pressing the top of the welt:
And pressing the bottom of the welt:
Using sharp little scissors, cut along the center of the welt and stop 1/2" from either end. Cut on a diagonal towards each corner, clipping as close to the stitching as you dare! The closer you get, the crisper your welt corners will appear later on...but be warned - if you snip beyond your stitching your welt will have little holes in each corner!
Turn the welt to the wrong side of the garment so that you are left with a rectangular window on the right side:
And the loose fabric on the wrong side:
Now is a great time to remove all the basting thread!
To reduce bulk later, flip up the bottom of the welt and press the seam allowances that are hidden underneath open.
And now press the sides and the top of the welt crisply flat (isn't linen lovely to press?). If you'd like, you can press the seam slightly towards the wrong side of the garment so that it isn't visible from the right side.
Turn the garment on the right side to press all four corners carefully - you can pinch and pull them a little to make them look perfectly right angled.
From the wrong side of the garment, create an accordion fold with the welt rectangle so that the folded edge meets the top of the welt window. Press the folded edge crisply.
From the right side of the garment, your welt will look almost finished!
To keep the welt in place, uncover the sides of the welt by folding over the trousers. You will see a little triangle of fabric and your accordion fold. Stitch as close to the base of the triangle as possible through all layers except the trousers themselves.
Your welt is finished! Now it's time to add the pocket bag so that it doesn't open up to display underwear (unless you've made yourself some perfect Comox Trunks that you really want to show off :P).
To add the pocket bag, first place the shallow pocket lining with right side down on top of the welt. Line up the top pocket edge with the bottom of the welt. Stitch using a 5/8" seam allowance.
Finish with a serger or a zig zag stitch:
Press pocket lining downwards:
At this point you can add a button hole to your welt pockets if you desire. I made a separate pair of pants to demonstrate how to do this:
At this point in the welt pocket sewing process, stitch a vertical buttonhole below the welt through the main pants and the single layer of the pocket lining. I stitched mine over the bottom of the Jutland Pants dart.
To prepare the deep pocket lining, first press under the long edges of the pocket facing 5/8":
Top stitch the pocket facing to the deep pocket lining. You will want to place this facing so that it lies directly over the welt pocket when the bottom of the deep pocket lining is lined up with the bottom of the shallow pocket lining.
Line the pocket pieces up with right sides together and pin in place through all layers of the welt folds (but not through the trousers themselves).
Stitch around all pocket edges using a 5/8" seam allowance. You won't need to stitch up to the top of the deep pocket lining because no other layers extend this high.
This is how your pocket will look at this point:
Finish the edges of the pocket with a serger or a zig zag stitch.
To prevent your welts from sagging in the middle, fold down the top of the trousers to expose the little seam allowance between the trousers and the pocket pieces. Stitch through the seam allowance and all the pocket layers.
If you are adding buttons and button holes to your pants, this is the point that you can sew on your button! Open up the pocket and position the button directly under the button hole.
And that's it! A finished welt pocket! With a button:
Or without a button:
Now you can add them to just about everything!
Comments
Alexandra said:
Beautifully clear and detailed photos and instructions. However you have just confirmed what I previously thought – I will never be making trousers for adults, far far too much work!
thenerdyseamstress said:
Thank you for this! There’s a lot of double welt pocket tutorials, but not that many single welts. I know eventually, I’ll use these for the Jutlands, whenever I get around them. I’ve been procrastinating on my wool coats because I have single welt pockets. I’ve done double welts, but not single. I thought this is how I would approach it, but it’s nice seeing it in pictures. I think it’s a great idea to press the welt before you cut and turn it over. Great tutorial!
ThreadTheory said:
I’m glad you like to tutorial, and i would love to see your finished single welts :)
ThreadTime said:
Beautiful job on those welts! Loving the linen shorts.
Lightning McStitch said:
This is beautifully demonstrated, You really excel at instructions and tutorials.
Can’t wait for the paper version of this pattern.
Sarah - Fabric Tragic said:
Super tutorial. Thankyou. Saved!
ThreadTheory said:
Thanks so much! We are hoping to have the paper patterns printed in the new year!