Another method I know of but rarely use, is sewing a gathering stitch (long stitches, pulled manually after) along the curved edge and gathering the seam allowance to make a curved edge. I'll show this in a later post.
Here is a nice in-between method that's nothing new, but quite effective.
You'll need a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard the shape of your actual finished pocket (i.e. minus seam allowances). Finish the edges as you would usually do -serge, zig-zag etc.
Lay it on the wrong side of your pocket and press the seam allowance over the cardboard, pulling it taut over the edge of the cardboard.
![](http://teigland.smugmug.com/Other/Other/DSC4331/1026591414_vY565-XL.jpg)
When you flip it over, there'll be a nice crisp, smooth curved fold.
And you can just pin the whole pocket in place (finish the top edge first, of course) and top-stitch it down.
Now that's a fancier-than-usual patch pocket because it has that yoke with some white trim. We'll revisit this pocket in a later post to learn how to make that. For now, it's sufficient that we have conquered the curves.
Here are a couple of other simple curved pocket variations:
You'll need a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard the shape of your actual finished pocket (i.e. minus seam allowances). Finish the edges as you would usually do -serge, zig-zag etc.
![](http://teigland.smugmug.com/Other/Other/DSC4307/1026585258_KdhGx-XL.jpg)
Lay it on the wrong side of your pocket and press the seam allowance over the cardboard, pulling it taut over the edge of the cardboard.
![](http://teigland.smugmug.com/Other/Other/DSC4308/1026585381_VFqbo-XL.jpg)
![](http://teigland.smugmug.com/Other/Other/DSC4331/1026591414_vY565-XL.jpg)
When you flip it over, there'll be a nice crisp, smooth curved fold.
![](http://teigland.smugmug.com/Other/Other/DSC4333/1026591607_BCio7-XL.jpg)
And you can just pin the whole pocket in place (finish the top edge first, of course) and top-stitch it down.
![](http://teigland.smugmug.com/Other/Other/DSC0907/1096050537_ZRvY7-XL.jpg)
Now that's a fancier-than-usual patch pocket because it has that yoke with some white trim. We'll revisit this pocket in a later post to learn how to make that. For now, it's sufficient that we have conquered the curves.
Here are a couple of other simple curved pocket variations:
No hem allowance at the top edge - just bound it right off with bias tape. Also tucked in ric-rac around the rest of the perimeter as I top-stitched it on.
And look - you can do it in knits, too!
Thank you so much for the tutorial!!1
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial! This is gonna be a great series!! I linked over on Craft Gossip Sewing:
ReplyDeletehttp://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-curved-patch-pockets/2010/11/22/
--Anne
Great technique, I'll try it.
ReplyDelete