Sew contrast colour fabric pockets to a top

Contrast colour pockets

I have to be honest, I don’t particularly lust after designer labels. It’s not that I wouldn’t have them. Who doesn’t love everything that Isabel Marant makes? But I won’t live on cereal so I can own designer pieces. The prices are a huge deterrent. And besides, many high street stores have perfectly acceptable versions of the latest must-have items.

DIY is a highly affordable – if not free – way of modifying or up-cycling clothes with a few tweaks to get the latest looks. And DIY-ing is as green as you can get. Fashion without a conscience. Love it!

Fold seams and press with an iron

The trend of adding a row of contrasting colour fabric to the hem of a skirt or a colour block pocket to clothing is so easy to do. And it’s a perfect way to use up fabric scraps.

In this DIY I added a pair of contrasting colour pockets to a T-Shirt. Well actually two T-Shirts since I liked the idea so much and one of my T-Shirts had a tea stain that I wanted to cover.

Sew patch pockets to top

So firstly you need to find a top to transform. Put it on and have a look to see where you would attach pockets and about how big you would want them to be.

Getting a sense of perspective is not as easy as one thinks and I always advise trying things on and fitting as you are working.

Use fabric scraps to add pockets to a top

Cut your pockets allowing about 1.5 centimetres around the bottom and sides of your pocket and about 3 – 4 centimetres for the top fold. I like to press the folded seams around the pockets with an iron so they stay in place.

Pin the pockets to your top. Do use a ruler to measure that pockets are equal distance from the top and from the sides. And fit your top again to make sure you are happy with the size and placement. Sometimes I even ask my other half to give my DIY’s a once over before I finish them.

Pin and sew your pockets in place and that’s it! Your top has had an on-trend makeover.

There is a collection of past DIY’s and past ideas on the Greenie Galleries which you will find by heading back to the top of the page. 

I have sooo much to learn about blogging and HTML but I managed to give the gallery page a tidy-up last week.

And Greenie will always appreciate a ‘like’ on the Greenie facebook page – see top right of this page.

Have a great green week!

Greenie.