Sewing the Front Pockets on Designer Jeans (part 1)

Another quick lesson on sewing designer jeans, sewing the front pockets.  I have broken this into two parts as this lesson will cover attaching the silk charmeuse lining and topstitching the pocket edge.  The next lesson shows how to add a coin pocket and closing up the lining.  To get started you will need your front jean pieces and the pocket lining.  You will usually find cotton as the fabric for the pocket lining, but I prefer to use something a little more luxurious, like silk charmeuse.  Because the silk is so thin you can’t see the pockets through the outside of the jean, not to mention the fabric feels awesome against the skin.

Again, experimenting with some of the new features on my Brother Dreamweaver XE VM6200D stitching this pocket is painless. First off, look at the size of the new “J” foot. (The picture has the original foot alongside the new foot).  The longer length really makes a difference when sewing across layers of fabric.  The foot glides across humps, thicker seams, even uneven edges as the pocket we will topstitch.  I call this a BIG plus!

Onto sewing the pockets … pin your silk charmeuse lining to the denim fabric along the curve of your pocket.  You can stitch from either side, I chose to stitch with the denim on the top so you can see the sew straight laser vision guide a little better.  I have aligned the laser with the raw edge of the fabric, allowing me to sew the entire pocket curve with a precise seam allowance.

Press the Pocket Lining … Turn the lining to the inside of the pocket and steam press, using the tailor’s clapper to permanently hold that crease (shown on video below).

Topstitch the Pocket Edge … Again, utilizing the laser light to make sure my first topstitch line is perfectly placed 1/8″ from the edge of the pocket curve.  Then I move the laser light to align with the previous topstitch line, but here is a new one for you.  I am able to use the v-sonic pen pal to touch where I want the laser light to move to.  You have to check out the video below to get the full visual of this unique feature, but simply put … engage the pen pal, touch the bed of the sewing machine where you want the laser light to shine, and hit OK.  That’s it!  Just imagine how easy sewing straight rows of topstitching will be :)

Brother™ has provided me with the DreamWeaver XE, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own

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About Angela Wolf

Angela Wolf is an internationally renowned fashion designer, TV personality, speaker, and author. She started a custom apparel business in 1994 and in 2010 launched a women's RTW collection. Winner of the 2008 Passion for Fashion and in 2010 Angela was one of the featured fashion designers in Chicago and participated in Chicago Showcase Fashion Event put on by the Apparel Industry Board and chaired by Mayor Daley. Angela is also the "Couture Sewing Expert" on the PBS series "It's Sew Easy" and is quickly becoming a household name. With the added exposure in the sewing industry, Angela is launching a pattern collection for the home sewer. Each season she will offer patterns to coincide with her RTW collection and you can find the patterns at www.AngelaWolfPatterns.com Angela writes a monthly "Fashion and Trends" column on PatternReview.com and is a frequent contributor to Threads and Sew Stylish Magazines. With a passion for designing quality clothing and exploring her love for creating new trends and techniques, Angela continues to share her talent by teaching and speaking all over the country. Angela and her husband Winn also fish professionally in tournaments. Salmon on Lake Michigan in the summer and sailfish in the Florida Keys in the winter. ... Fashion and sewing have been a passion of mine since childhood. “I used to sneak fabric out of my mother’s closet, but I was too young to understand patterns. So I would lie on the fabric, have my younger sister's draw an outline of my body with chalk onto the fabric, and then my creations would begin. I am happy to say my designing has come a long way since then :)” In 1994, with a bachelor degree in business management from Illinois State University and a brand new sewing machine and serger as a graduation gift from my family, I started ABO APPAREL. I began with women’s custom apparel and thru the year’s added alterations and wardrobe planning. An A-list clientele has given me over sixteen years of experience dressing and fitting many diverse women and has enabled me to understand the different styles that compliment each individual. Impeccably tailored jackets with beautiful silk, hand dyed charmeuse linings are a signature of my work and many of my designs also include intricate hand beading and custom trims. Styles range from Casual Resort Wear to Extravagant Evening Wear, always enhancing every woman that wears my apparel.

Posted on October 3, 2012, in Jeans, Jeans, Patterns, Sewing and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.

  1. Angela I can’t wait until your Jeans patterns are released. For now I tease myself with your how to videos.

  2. Angela, for this video are you using the jean fabric that you have for sale on your site?
    Love these instructional videos :)

  3. Hi Ann, It is the fabric I have on the site – I have another new denim coming in a month in many colors, I will send you some swatches when I get them.

  4. Colors please lots of colors. Can’t find locally

  5. New denim? Lots of colors?! Oooh…can’t wait to see them.

  6. Omg, you make it look easy and nice. Maybe I can sew jeans too.

  7. I have ordered you Jeans DVD and hope to receive soon. Any idea on the release date on your jeans patterns?

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