The kangaroo pocket is a large, single pocket with two side openings, often placed at the front of casual clothing. It allows you to easily slide your hands in or store small items. Very popular on sweatshirts, hoodies, and some coats, this pocket combines style and practicality. In this article, we’ll show you how to create a kangaroo pocket and add a functional touch to your creations.
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How to Sew a Kangaroo Pocket?
1. Neaten pocket opening edges
Fold the strips for the pocket opening edges wrong side facing in. Pin the strips onto the edges, slightly stretched to fit. Stretching these pieces will ensure that they do not lose their shape later. Let the strips overhang by about 1 cm (3/8 in) at the top and bottom to guarantee a good seam allowance. Now, stitch the strips and neaten them together. If the seam allowance is very thick, trim it a bit before neatening.
2. Topstitching
Lay both strips up and topstitch close to the pocket opening edges. Do the seam allowances of the strips slightly high over the top and bottom? If so, trim them when you topstitch the edges.
3. Topstitch the pocket – topstitching
Lay the pocket right sides together, with the front placed exactly where it's marked on the pattern piece. Pin the pocket in place and stitch.
4. Stitch the pocket – side seams
Fold the pocket down. In order for the pocket to lie nice and flat on the finished garment, you can either topstitch the seam completely or just secure it at the right and left with small stitches. If your fabric is relatively thick, first trim the corners of the seam allowances a bit. This will let everything fit more easily under the presser foot of your sewing machine.
Now fold in the seam allowances at the vertical edges of the pocket and stitch them likewise. If the pocket ends at the hem, you can now stitch it together with the hem. If the pocket ends above the hem, turn the seam allowance under again and stitch the pocket in place, first trimming the corners a bit if necessary.
5. The "elegant" variation
Do you prefer a clean look without extra strips of fabric at the pocket opening edges? You can also simply neaten the pocket seam allowances, press them to the wrong side of the fabric (stretching the pocket opening edges slightly as you press), and then stitch the pocket to the garment.
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Patterns With a Kangaroo Pocket
Now it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice! Check out 4 of our favorite patterns for sewing a sweatshirt or dress with a kangaroo pocket.
And there you have it! You now know how to sew a kangaroo pocket onto a garment like a sewing pro!
And to find all the sewing techniques in one place:
