How to add pockets to knit shorts [FREE POCKET PATTERN]

Pockets! life is just better with pockets.

Now I can’t tell you for the life of me why I didn’t add pockets to the #206 Ladies Retro Gym Shorts pattern to start with. But I thought it presented a good opportunity to do a post about adding pockets to, not only this pattern, but to pretty much any knit shorts (or pants for that matter) pattern that you have.

Ok, so there are lots of different types of pockets and this is definitely not the only way for knit shorts, but it is one way you could up your pocket game, with this pattern or with another you might have.

What you will need:

Thread Faction Multi-fit Knit Shorts pocket pattern
The Thread Faction #206 Ladies Retro Gym Shorts Pattern or another knit shorts pattern.
Some matching (or contrasting) fabric to that which you are using for your shorts.
Thread, scissors and other general sewing paraphernalia.

First up, print off your pattern, tape it together and cut it out. You will notice there are a number of different lines and things. Check out the pic below for a break down of what these are all about.

Right, after you have your pattern together and cut on the right lines we are going to customize the shape. This is pretty easy, all you need to do is put your front shorts pattern piece (or actual fabric in my case) over the top of your pocket pattern piece lining up the top corner and side, and then mark the excess pattern piece you need to get rid of.

Then get rid of the excess, and use your pattern piece to cut 2 pieces(mirrored) from your fabric. If your using a patterned fabric like I did, you will need to pattern match these pieces as you will see them in the final product.

Next cut your pattern piece along the pocket opening curve as shown and use the bigger of the 2 pieces to cut 2 pieces(mirrored) from your fabric.

Use the smaller of the pieces to cut the pocket opening out of the front shorts pattern pieces.

You should now have 2 sets of pattern pieces (mirrored) that look like this:

From here it is easy.

Place a the pocket piece with the opening right sides together with the front shorts pattern piece, sew/serge along the pocket opening. Then turn the pocket piece to the inside and press well.

Next place the other pocket piece, right sides facing over the one you just attached to your shorts and sew then together along the straight edge (don’t sew then to the front shorts pattern piece).

The last thing you need to do now is baste the pocket pieces to the front shorts at the top and side inside the seam allowance. This will look something like this:

And BOOM! you have pockets. You can continue on with the pattern now treating these just as you would the front pattern pieces without pockets, and at the end you will have something that looks like this: