A pin-on pocket

Last year, a much-loved skirt that I'd worn for nearly 20 years finally wore out beyond my ability to repair. The fabric simply wore clean through, and because the skirt had a complicated, multicolor pattern, there was no way I could patch it that wouldn't look stupid. So, reluctantly, I began searching for a replacement. Eventually, I settled on a patchwork wrap skirt from The Little Bazaar, an online retailer that works with "small manufacturers from cottage or very small industry" to produce garments it describes as "ethnic and trendy look, Bohemian and hippie soul." Rather than buy it right away, I added it to my Gift Hero wish list, and sure enough, in January I received it as a birthday present.

In most ways, this new skirt is a pretty good substitute for its predecessor. The color palette isn't identical, so it doesn't work with all the same tops, but it can pair with many others that didn't match the old one. And since it's a wraparound, it will always fit, even if I lose or gain a few pounds. But there's one crucial feature it lacks: pockets.

Now, I don't rely on pockets for every part of my everyday carry. Like most women, I carry a purse that holds most of my stuff: wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses, a mini umbrella, and assorted other sundries such as my collapsible drinking cup and straw. But with all that stuff in the bag, it takes a bit of time to reach in and fish out anything I need. So I like to have at least one pocket in every outfit for things that I might need to grab quickly, such as a handkerchief. And with this skirt, I wouldn't have one. I could add a pocket to the outfit by pairing the skirt with a sweater or jacket, but that wouldn't be practical during the hottest days of summer.

So I started wondering if I could somehow add a pocket to this skirt. I was able to find lots of online tutorials about how to do this, but most of them rely on the same two basic methods, neither of which would really work with this skirt. The first involves opening up the side seam of the skirt to sew in a pocket—not an option, since this wraparound has no side seams. And the second, sewing patch pockets to the front, requires you to have fabric that matches the skirt—also not feasible with this variegated patchwork pattern. I considered trying to sew on a patch pocket in a coordinating solid color, but with my limited sewing skills, I was afraid I might mess up the skirt if I added anything visible to the outside.

My next idea was to construct a set of tie-on pockets. According to clothing historians, pockets that are actually sewn into garments are a relatively recent development: from the 17th through the 19th centuries, pockets were separate garments that could be worn either over or under a person's other clothing. This idea was appealing, since I'd be able to wear the standalone pocket with other clothes as well. But since the skirt itself is a wrap-and-tie style, I feared that having an additional garment tied around my waist over top of it would be awkward. 

What would really be ideal, I thought, was a pocket I could either tuck under the wrapped-over edge of the skirt or pin to the waist tie over top of it. Even with my rudimentary sewing skills, I figured I ought to be able to make something like that with the right materials. But what could I use?

Most of the remnants in the scrap bin were plain, utilitarian fabric, such as old blue jeans, that wouldn't fit with the skirt. But I managed to unearth one piece that looked like it would might work: a shoulder pad salvaged from an old shirt. Not only was it a colorful, patterned fabric in keeping with the skirt, it was already neatly machine-hemmed, so I wouldn't have to worry about my hand-sewn seams looking wonky.

Once I'd found this, converting it into a pocket was pretty straightforward. I used my trusty seam ripper to undo the seam along the straight top edge of the shoulder pad and pulled out the padding. Then I folded over the raw edge of the fabric and stitched it down. I then safety-pinned the resulting half-circle of fabric to the waist tie of the skirt, creating a little pocket at waist level. If I find the pocket works well in this position, I can try stitching it down more permanently. If it doesn't, I can simply unpin it and move it to a new location.

This new, temporary pocket isn't exactly roomy, but it's large enough for a handkerchief or any other small item I might need to slip into it. And it fits in fairly nicely with the "ethnic and trendy look" of the skirt. With its addition, I think this skirt will be as practical as it is charming.