Pocket Belt Tutorial from Celeste at on-hand modern.

Well folks, Blogger has been unkind to me and many others.  They went bonkers for the last 24+ hours and when they came back I had lost the original post of this tutorial from Celeste at on-hand modern, plus two other posts that were up yesterday.  Luckily, Celeste’s part of the post survived… it was the only part of the three lost posts that did, for some reason.  I had written a lovely intro about Celeste, but I just don’t have the energy to rewrite all of that.  Poop on you, Blogger! 


Well, life goes on, doesn’t it?  Here is her wonderful tutorial again.  The other two posts are lost forever I’m afraid.  Now I see the major advantage to WordPress. 

Hi. I’m Celeste from on-hand modern. A big thanks to Jenny for inviting me to guest post today. She tells me you guys like crafts, so how about a sewing project? This pocket + belt (“Pocket Belt”?) is fun, easy, and–though similar in function–way more fashionable than its infamous 1990s predecessor…the fanny pack.


Everyone knows that pockets make the look, so gather your supplies and let’s get started!


[Quick tip: This project can be made by beginning sewists of any age, but it would be a great second or third project for kids to make on their own, with just a little help from Mom or Dad.]


Here’s what you’ll need:


- Template


- Fabric of your choice (about a 14″ x 14″ square)


- Coordinating 1″ wide cotton tape (enough to tie around child’s waist)


Instructions:

First, cut the back of your pocket. Pin the template to your fabric on the fold as shown in the photo above. Cut around the template and remove pins.

Next, cut the front of your pocket. Fold the template along the dotted line. Pin it to the fabric on the fold as shown in the photo above. Cut around the template and remove pins.

You should now have two nearly identical pieces of fabric, one slightly shorter than the other. Fold the shorter piece in half right side out as shown above.

Pin the front of the pocket to the back of the pocket right sides together as shown above. Beginning and ending 1/4″ above the folded edge, stitch around the pocket using 1/4″ seam.

Once you have attached the front of the pocket to the back, fold the top of the back piece over the front as shown. The wrong side of your fabric should be showing. Pin in place. Leaving a 1″ opening, stitch around the pocket again, this time taking care to sew just inside your previous seam.

Trim the edges around the pocket, except at the 1″ opening.

Turn your pocket right side out. Press. Pin the opening closed. (You will sew it closed when you attach the belt in the next step.)

To make the belt, cut a length of cotton tape long enough to tie around the child’s waist. Center the tape over the pocket and pin in place.

Stitch the belt to the pocket, closing the unfinished opening as you do so. Lastly, sew the ends of the cotton tape under so they don’t fray.

And done! Your finished “Pocket Belt” should look something like the photo above. I kept it simple for this tutorial, but I could see this project embellished and customized in a million different ways. Ruffles, buttons, velcro on the ties…maybe some sweet embroidered initials? Send me a link/photo of your finished projects–I’d love to see what you come up with!


Thank you, Celeste!  My apologies for the inconvenience, everyone.  Have a great weekend!

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Jenny Yarbrough

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Jenny is a wife and mother first and foremost. You can find her here at The Southern Institute, as the founder and owner of the blog, as well as at unboundbirth.com. She enjoys blogging and sewing, cooking for her three picky eaters, and playing tennis with her husband, Tom.

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