Skip to main content

Sew Along: Track Jacket - Sewing a Welt Pocket

Progress on my track jacket has been going really well. I'm thinking this project could take an afternoon to whip up, but because I'm sewing for an hour here, an hour there, it's taking a little longer. I was interested in seeing how the pockets on this jacket were sewn. This is the first time I've done a welt pocket, so I thought I would share it with you.

The pattern piece that you are going to sew the pocket to is the front piece. It looks like this:


Taking the welt pattern piece, fold the welt in half lengthwise, zig-zag along raw edge. I found that the fleece knit stretch pretty good when doing this. I would recommend to not stretch it so that it does not pull at the front piece after sewing.

Stay-stitch around the pocket opening. Pin the welt to the pocket opening, right sides together. Sew along the long edge, making sure to sew next to your zig-zag stitch. You don't want the zig zag to show on your finished pocket!



Pin ends of the welt to the short sides of the opening. I had to think about this one for a minute, but once you play around with the fabric, the light bulb will go off!



This is what the pocket looks like after the welt is stitched in. (Without top-stitching.)




Top-stitch around the pocket. (This picture actually shows after the front has been sewn to the side front piece. This step will come later.)



Now that the pocket welt is complete, it's time to sew the pocket lining on. The pattern suggests that you cut the lining out of the same fabric as the rest of the pattern. I was afraid it would create too much bulk in the front, so I selected a rayon knit for the lining. (After selecting it, I think I would have gone with something a little heavier, like a ponte knit. The rayon knit stretches a lot and seems like it might stretch out if I put too much stuff in the pockets.) Pin the right side of the pocket lining to the wrong side of the front piece. Stitch around the entire pocket, keeping the welt section open. 

The welt section is on the left of this picture. 

Finally, you can pin the side front to the front, making sure to catch only the pocket lining at the welt. There you have it---a completed welt pocket!


After you sew the side front, top stitch along the seam. Almost every single seam in this pattern gets top-stitched! (I love ready-to-wear touches!) I'm hoping I can finish the jacket tonight! Wish me luck!

Comments

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Sheer Elegance and Everyday Comfort with my Two New Tops

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last Fabricista make for 2025. While many sew a special holiday outfit at year’s end, I went in another direction sewing two tops that couldn’t be more different. One is sheer and elegant while the other is easy comfort for everyday wear.  These tops reflect how I dress at this stage of life. As an over-50 sewist, these two tops reflect how I dress at this point in my life.  Sometimes I want something a bit special, other times more basic. Either way, sewing them in beautiful fabrics, custom fit to my body, makes all the difference in how I feel when I wear them. Even though I’m quite pleased with my two tops, my original plan was to sew a jacket with the tropical print stretch twill and pair it with a top sewn from the soutache mesh knit . Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough to get enough of the stretch twill to make a jacket, so a top it was!  You do know you have to act fast when you see something you love on Fabric ...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing for a Florida Cold Snap with Fabric Mart Fabrics

Even here in Florida, we get the occasional cold weather surprise, and when temperatures dipped recently, I was very glad to have the perfect handmade outfit ready to go. For this month’s Fabricista make, I sewed up New Look pattern 6771, using two beautiful fabrics sent to me by Fabric Mart Fabrics. The Fabric & Pattern Choice New Look 6771 is a cozy two-piece set featuring a relaxed-fit top and pull-on pants—exactly the kind of pattern that works well for transitional weather. I chose to start with the top, using a brown animal print French terry from Fabric Mart, and it turned out to be an absolute dream to work with. The French terry was soft, substantial without being heavy, and handled beautifully at the machine . It had just the right amount of structure to highlight the pattern’s design details while still feeling comfortable and wearable. From cutting to pressing, this fabric behaved perfectly and elevated the final garment. The Top: A Total Win The top from New Look 677...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Coziest Pajama Set

For most of my life, I happily wore mismatched pajamas. Not caring what my pajamas looked like, just delighting in anything clean and comfortable. My sister also had the same mentality about pajamas until one day it all changed.  She came over for a fun sister hangout weekend and pulled out a set of matching pajamas! I nearly dropped over with shock! Growing up, she was the queen of mismatched pajamas. She was notorious for wearing faded t-shirts and pajama shorts long after their life expectancy. But there she was in a set of sophisticated matching pajamas with white piping, raving about how wonderful they were. If the queen of mismatched pajamas could appreciate a fine pair of matching pajamas, everyone could. Shortly after that, I decided to give matching pajamas a try, and I became hooked as well.  There is a peace and order that comes with having a matching pajama set. You always know which pajama top goes with which bottoms. You can reach for them quickly in the closet a...