Weekend Review: Just Pockets

 

Just Pockets / Pat Moyes
Newtown, CT: Taunton, c1997
103 p.

I borrowed this older book from a distant library recently, as I love pockets, and like books that really focus in on one thing. It's from 1997, but there is still quite a lot of good information. (tiny preview here).

I wouldn't say it's a must have; lots of the ideas here are explained in other basic sewing books that you might already have. It goes over Patch, In-Seam, Inset, and Hidden pockets, and in each section the basics are covered plus some additional variations. There is instruction for each, and some diagrams -- some of the steps have photos as well. But there are also some suggested styles that don't have any illustration at all, which both makes them harder to understand, and is a bit confusing when one is skipped. I wouldn't say there was anything super innovative here, though it does cover a number of ideas for adding to a basic. 

However, I did enjoy looking through this book, and found a few new-to-me tips, like creating a patch pocket in a sheer material so that the seam doesn't show through (double layer & turned). There are also a few neat styles like having a waistband opening enclosed in a slant pocket (although I think that Threads magazine had a fairly recent article with this info shared again). As to hidden pockets, there's lots about welts but also a "ticket pocket", an internal pouch in a bigger interior pocket. I also like the look of a gathered top patch pocket that's shown in a sketch. 

So there's enough here to interest me, and it did give me some ideas. You can probably find all these instructions and ideas online these days, but I did enjoy the flip through. If you happen to come across this book it's worth checking out, especially if you do love a good pocket.