How to Make a Double Pocket for a Snow Skirt

Intro: How to Make a Double Pocket for a Snow Skirt

Are you using one of the patterns from Culler Creations to make a Snow Skirt? 

This tutorial will take you through the steps to create a great double pocket for your skirt. 

You can add your own touch to the pocket by adding trim. 

Be creative!

STEP 1:

Supplies needed:
Two 9 inch square of ripstop nylon
Two 2 inch squares of ripstop nylon
One zipper - longer than 9 inches
Thread to match your ripstop nylon
Scissors
Rotary cutter
Pins
Wonder Tape (1/4 inch double sided tape)
Zipper foot (optional)

STEP 2:

Attaching two inch ripstop squares to the zipper.  Be sure to open zipper.

STEP 3:

Trim 2 inch squares even with the sides of the zipper

STEP 4:

Turn zipper face down.  Trim ends of zipper to 1/4 inch from the stitching at both ends.

STEP 5:

Lay one 9 inch square on a flat surface, right side up.

Press a piece of Wonder Tape along the very top edge of one 9 inch ripstop square.  Press firmly.

Wonder Tape will be an amazing addition to your sewing notions!

STEP 6:

Peel off the paper layer of the Wonder Tape.  The double-sided tape will remain along the edge of the ripstop square.

STEP 7:

With zipper unit face down, press top edge along the very top of the 9 inch square.

STEP 8:

Using a zipper foot, stitch 1/4 inch from the top edge of the zipper unit.

You may want to stop sewing, with your needle down, when you are getting close to the zipper pull.

Lift the foot, and slide the zipper pull out of your way.

Put the foot back down and continue sewing.

STEP 9:

Fold stitched square away from zipper. 

Finger press flat. 

Stitch along the folded edge.

STEP 10:

Repeat the steps for the second 9 inch square.

Place second 9 inch square on a flat surface, right side up. 

Press a piece of Wonder Tape along the top edge.

Remove the paper layer.

STEP 11:

Lay the square with the zipper attached, zipper side down, on top of the Wonder Tape. 

Press firmly.

Stitch 1/4 inch from the top edge.

STEP 12:

Open out second square and finger press it flat.

Stitch close to the fold, the length of the square.

If you want to add trim to your pocket now is the time!

Place a piece of trim parallel to the zipper, on one side only, leaving a space of 1 to 2 inches between the zipper and the trim.

Stitch the trim along both of the long sides.  The ends will be caught in the side seams.

STEP 13:

Fold pocket unit in half ~ well, not quite in half!  Leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch of pocket above the zipper.

(If you stitched trim to one of the pocket squares, you would fold the other pocket square over the trim square.)

Open zipper before pinning edges.

One of the squares will be longer than the other. 

Why?  This is because it is easier to have you cut two 9 inch squares and trim them up now, than to ask you to cut a 9x7 and a 9x9  and try to explain which is the top edge! 

STEP 14:

Cut excess ripstop so bottom edges of the pocket are even.

STEP 15:

Sew 1/2 inch seam along both sides and across the bottom. 

Make sure the zipper is open.

Trim the corners diagonally.

STEP 16:

Turn pocket right side out through zipper opening.

Gently push the corners out.

STEP 17:

Stitch across the top edge only of the pocket.

STEP 18:

Congratulations!  You have made a great double pocket for your snow skirt.

When you attach the pocket to your skirt, DO NOT sew across the top, as that is your second pocket.  Sew only along the 2 sides and across the bottom.  Reinforce your stitching at the top corners of the pocket.

If you decide not to use the pocket on your skirt, you can still make use of this as a make-up bag, or sewing tools bag, or....... any number of possibilities! Or make more zippered pouches from your leftover ripstop fabric.

If you don't yet have a Snow Skirt pattern, take a look at the patterns we offer at Culler Creations.  There are 2 styles for women:  Snow Skirt Pattern and It's a Wrap and one for Girls.  Any questions about the patterns or this tutorial, drop us an email at [e-mail]

Stay warm, Debby

Comments

[debby57]

Hi and thank you for asking. A snow skirt is an insulated skirt that is worn over clothing as added winter warmth. I designed and sell patterns to make the skirts. I created the instructable to help people make the double pocket to attach to the side of the skirt. It is, in fact, a zippered pouch. When attaching it properly, you have a zippered pocket and the pocket formed when sewing on the bottom and two sides of the square.
hope that answers your question, and thanks again for checking it out!
Debby

[PointyOintment]

What's a snow skirt? What's a double pocket? I did visit your website and I'm still not clear on the concept. What you've made here looks like a square pencil case to me.

[BraveNewWords]

Snow Skirt - What a brilliant idea! Though I'm from the mid-Atlantic east coast, where it should NEVER be less than 10 -20 with the wind chill, I remember many uncomfortably cold mornings waiting on an elevated platform for the subway to school. This would have been a God-send!

[debby57]

Thanks for your comment. I actually grew up in Maryland and can also remember waiting at a cold bus stop! I hardly leave the house in the winter here without my snow skirt and there certainly does not have to be snow on the ground to benefit from the warmth!

[BirgitJansen]

Great instructable, great idea! Just one idea/question. Instead of using two big squares, can't you use one rectangle? Sew the zipper to both ends of the rectangle, just like you did, fold in flat, finish the sides. It would eliminate the bottom seam and since there wouldn't be a shorter and longer piece, you wouldn't have to cut off the extra. Do you know what I mean?

[debby57]

Yes, you could do it that way. Good idea. I'll give that a try. thanks!

[debby57]

I thought some more about that idea - of a rectangle. It would work, but would meant that when you attach the rectangle to the second side of the zipper you would be sewing in a tube. With a large rectangle that would work; for one this size I think it might be challenging!