Adding Pockets to a Workout Shirt

Cycling jerseys, while admittedly not the most flattering of garments, have one enormous practical advantage over standard workout tops: pockets. Deep back pockets, with elasticised tops, that can hold all kinds of doodads safely tucked away but still within easy reach.

Since I love to take my camera on my walks (in addition to keys and occasionally a cell phone), I decided my favourite workout shirt needed some pockets too.

Attached pocket made using a Lycra print from my stash

Here's how I did it:

I marked the back of the shirt with chalk lines as placement guides...

...then measured the marked rectangle and did a bit of math to determine how large to cut my pocket fabric.

You can add any seam allowance you like -
I chose 3/8" because that's how wide
my presser foot is on one side. : )

I cut the rectangle (on the cross-grain as it  happens; length-of-grain would also be fine) and basted a line up each side edge to use as a fold guide later:

Using a standard zigzag stitch, elastic was applied to the top edge (wrong side) of the pocket. (A serger would work even better.) I cut the elastic a bit shorter than the edge and stretched it slightly while stitching...

...then folded the edge over and stitched it down, catching the elastic in the stitches.

Then I realized that I'd forgotten to mark the center of the pocket. Oops! (It would have been much easier had I done it before applying the elastic. A lesson for me.)

I pinned the pocket to the shirt, right sides facing, placing the raw edge of the pocket 3/8" in from the bottom line, and matching the edges and the centerline:

...AND being careful to fold the side edges in before pinning, as I planned to topstitch them down later:

Then I stitched across the bottom, 3/8" in from the edge, using a tiny zigzag. Here's the pocket, stitched across the bottom, and flipped right side up to hide the seam:

Next I pinned the pocket down the middle (matching the center marks), and topstitched it to the shirt with a medium zigzag stitch...

...then pinned the sides under and to the shirt (lining them up with the chalk lines), and edgestitched them down with the same medium zigzag. (Sorry, no exciting stitching pictures.)

Lycra is a bit squishy and slippery, and  likes to bunch up under the presser foot sometimes - so my side edge stitching did not come out as perfectly as it could have. (But it was good enough for me.)

And here's my shirt with its new pockets ready to hold my camera case and cell phone.

It's hands-free walking for Mrs. M from now on. : )

P.S. If you'd like to add pockets to a workout shirt, any stretch fabric will do - you could even cut up an old t-shirt. If using a fabric with minimal stretch, I would recommend making a few small tucks across the bottom edge of the pocket before attaching it to the shirt. This will give the pocket some room at the bottom (think of the difference between a flat paper bag and one with a square bottom), and will help prevent stress on the seams. Since I was using a very stretchy fabric I omitted the tucks.

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