How to sew a welt pocket with a zipper

When I made the nappy bag, I wanted it to have a welt pocket with zipper. There are several ways to make such a pocket. Below you find a description of how I learned to do it in class. (Sorry for the dark pictures, by the way. It’s winter, you know…)

What you need

2 pieces of fabric of 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in) straight grain or 45 degrees of the grain. That’s your own choice. Overlock them before you begin
A 15 cm (6 in) zipper
A piece of interlining: 6 x 17 cm (2.4 x 6.7 in)
A small pair of scissors
Pins
Sewing chalk
An iron
A zipper foot for your sewing machine

How to get it all in the pocket

On the right side of your fabric, draw a rectangle measuring 15 x 1 cm (6 x 0.4 in) where you want to insert the pocket. Draw a horizontal line in the middle of this rectangle. This will be your pocket opening. On both sides of the horizontal line, mark 1cm (0.4 in) on the inside of the rectangle. Starting from these marks, draw a line to the upper and lower corner of the rectangle, creating a triangle while doing so.

How to sew a welt pocket with zipper / Hoe naai je een paspelzak met rits

On the right side of your fabric, use pins to mark the corners of your pocket. This will help you to draw the corners on the wrong side of your fabric.

On the wrong side of your fabric, draw a rectangle around the markings: 2.5 cm (1 in) above and below the edge, 1 cm (0.4 in) on each side.

Iron the interlining on the wrong side of your fabric. While doing so, make sure that the pocket opening is in the middle of the interlining.

Draw the pocket opening on the wrong side of your fabric, on the interlining.

If you haven’t done so yet, remove the pins from the corners of the opening drawing.

On the right side of the fabric, pin one of the pieces of fabric with the right side on the right side over the opening drawing. Make sure to cover 2.5 cm (1 in) on both sides and 3 cm (1.2 in) on top.

On the wrong side of the fabric, carefully and precisely stitch the outside edges of the pocket opening.
Note: Start in the middle of a horizontal line, never in a corner.

Cut the middle line carefully until you reach the triangle points.

Cut the triangles very carefully.

Put your hand from the wrong side of the fabric through the opening and pull the fabric through the opening, so the pocket is on the inside.

Trim the edges.

Roll the edges between your thumb and index finger until the seam is neatly folded.

Iron the edges.

On the wrong side of your fabric, stitch the triangles on the pocket fabric.

Pin the zipper in its place.
Tip: If it’s easier for you, baste the zipper in its place.

Use your zipper foot to top stitch the pocket opening and thus stitching the zipper into place.

On the wrong side of the fabric, pin the second piece of pocket fabric on the piece of the pocket that’s already attached to the pocket opening, right sides facing each other.