Tips for Better Handmade Bags- interior pockets

This post is part of the series

A bag without pockets is a bad idea. Unless it is just a grocery bag, every bag deserves at least one pocket.

Inside pockets are something we are happy to stitch in a hurry to finish a bag. Usually we prepare the fabric for pocket, place it on the lining and stitch on three sides. It’s not a bad thing but we could do more. We could add a little depth and volume to a pocket. Here is how.

Prepare the pocket as usual and place it on the lining in the desired place. Mark the center and stitch as in the picture below.

Make a fold at 1/2” from the center stitching, to the right. Bring the fold toward the center.

And pin.

Do the same to the left of the center stitching.

Then pin the rest of the pocket in place and stitch along the three edges. Make sure you backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.

It is just as simple and now you have a better place to keep a few things.
If you want even more volume, you could make folds near the outside edges too.

Some more tips:

• Add interfacing to the fabric for pockets; I usually use quilting weight fabric and a lightweight interfacing. Heavyweight fabric doesn’t need interfacing.
• I don’t like very large pockets. When I open a bag I don’t like to see the content of the pockets exposed.  I prefer to divide a big pocket.
• If the fabric for lining has a dark color or busy print, it’s a great idea to use a contrasting fabric for the pockets. In this way, it is easy to “see” inside the bag.

You could do even more for keeping safe the content of your bag: you
could add a zippered pocket. More about it in a future tutorial.