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I like pockets. They are fun and add interest to any kind of clothing. I usually put pockets on most clothes I make, and I often put pockets on clothes I don't make, if they need some!
I'm making a pair of pants now with a lot of pockets, and I wanted to do something different with some of them. I came up with the idea of a pocket with an elastic opening, and a friend, seeing it, gave it the name of Sphincter Pocket. This Instructable will show you how to draft a pattern for this pocket so you can make it whatever size you want, and then construct it either to add to clothing you're making or clothing you already have.
I'm making a pair of pants now with a lot of pockets, and I wanted to do something different with some of them. I came up with the idea of a pocket with an elastic opening, and a friend, seeing it, gave it the name of Sphincter Pocket. This Instructable will show you how to draft a pattern for this pocket so you can make it whatever size you want, and then construct it either to add to clothing you're making or clothing you already have.
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Signing UpStep 1Draft the pattern
First you will need to make a pattern to cut the pocket from, as its shape, flat, is non-intuitive. We'll use a method called slash & spread. I have used pattern-specific tissue paper, from a commercial pattern that I never made, but regular tissue paper or even newspaper will also work just fine.
Pic 1: First draw a shape in the size of the finished pocket. It doesn't have to be a rectangle, but it should have no concave edges or thin points. A circle or triangle would also work. Remember to draw a circle where the sphincter hole will go.
Pic 2: Cut it out. Decide where you want the seam to be - there will have to be a seam as the pocket is going to be bigger than the flat pattern. I chose to have the seam be at the shortest point, the top of the pocket (see note on pic).
Pic 3: Cut along the seam line. Then start 'slashing'. Make cuts that start from the sphincter hole and go up to, but not through, the edge of the paper. This is ticklish - if you do cut through at some point, it will make the spreading a bit harder but it's not the end of the world.
Pic 4: Make these slices in one entire half of the pattern. Try to keep the cuts relatively evenly spread out over the edge of the pocket generally. There's a lot more pocket edge than sphincter hole edge so you may run out of sphincter hole edge before you get half way around the pocket. This is OK; cut some of the slashes starting from the edges of previous slashes. This is clearer in the pic.
Pic 5: Draw a straight line on another piece of tissue paper. This will be the center line of your finished pattern. Lay the slashed piece along the new line matching up the centers, and tape it down. Spread the slashed pieces apart (there will be some wrinkling near the edges, where the slashes end; this is OK) one by one, and tape them down.
Pic 6: Continue spreading and taping until there is no more to tape. You'll end up with a rather wing-like shape. The edges of the sphincter hole are now little more than a series of dots at the tips of the 'feathers'.
Pic 7: Trace around the edge of the wing shape to solidify the pattern piece edge. You'll need to connect the dots of the sphincter hole for the inside edge. Be more concerned about getting a nice curve than about getting exactly to the line of dots, as they are usually somewhat uneven at this point.
Pic 8: Trace around the edge again, to indicate the seam allowance (the part that will be folded under in the finished pocket). Leave 1/2 or 5/8 inch of seam allowance around the edges, and 1/4 inch at the sphincter hole edge.
Pic 9: Cut along your seam allowance lines and your pattern is complete. Whew! The hardest part is done now; the rest of the steps are much easier.
Pic 1: First draw a shape in the size of the finished pocket. It doesn't have to be a rectangle, but it should have no concave edges or thin points. A circle or triangle would also work. Remember to draw a circle where the sphincter hole will go.
Pic 2: Cut it out. Decide where you want the seam to be - there will have to be a seam as the pocket is going to be bigger than the flat pattern. I chose to have the seam be at the shortest point, the top of the pocket (see note on pic).
Pic 3: Cut along the seam line. Then start 'slashing'. Make cuts that start from the sphincter hole and go up to, but not through, the edge of the paper. This is ticklish - if you do cut through at some point, it will make the spreading a bit harder but it's not the end of the world.
Pic 4: Make these slices in one entire half of the pattern. Try to keep the cuts relatively evenly spread out over the edge of the pocket generally. There's a lot more pocket edge than sphincter hole edge so you may run out of sphincter hole edge before you get half way around the pocket. This is OK; cut some of the slashes starting from the edges of previous slashes. This is clearer in the pic.
Pic 5: Draw a straight line on another piece of tissue paper. This will be the center line of your finished pattern. Lay the slashed piece along the new line matching up the centers, and tape it down. Spread the slashed pieces apart (there will be some wrinkling near the edges, where the slashes end; this is OK) one by one, and tape them down.
Pic 6: Continue spreading and taping until there is no more to tape. You'll end up with a rather wing-like shape. The edges of the sphincter hole are now little more than a series of dots at the tips of the 'feathers'.
Pic 7: Trace around the edge of the wing shape to solidify the pattern piece edge. You'll need to connect the dots of the sphincter hole for the inside edge. Be more concerned about getting a nice curve than about getting exactly to the line of dots, as they are usually somewhat uneven at this point.
Pic 8: Trace around the edge again, to indicate the seam allowance (the part that will be folded under in the finished pocket). Leave 1/2 or 5/8 inch of seam allowance around the edges, and 1/4 inch at the sphincter hole edge.
Pic 9: Cut along your seam allowance lines and your pattern is complete. Whew! The hardest part is done now; the rest of the steps are much easier.
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