Vintage skirt refashion and gathered pocket how-to…

Ok, I forgot to take a before photo – these things happen – but I didn’t change the skirt so much that you can’t guess what it looked like before.
I love old granny type skirts (having said that my gran would never wear this in a million years). Charity shops are full of them and they’re always well made, warm, but a really unflattering length. I hacked off about 6 inches from the bottom an re-hemmed it. I also added an elasticated gathered pocket. I need pockets you see, and so much of my clothing doesn’t have any, I end up carrying my bag around with me at work all the time. I believe this might be the start of a mass empocketing campaign…
Here’s a little how-to for the pocket.

I cut up a vintage embroidered tray cloth to make the pocket (did I hear a sharp intake of breath? I know, I nearly wept myself but I have hundreds of these and they are two a penny at my local Sally Army) It is about 9 1/2” wide and I cut it so I had enough unembroidered fabric to hem.

I then turned it over and ironed, pinned and sewed a casing big enough for 1/2” elastic.

I tied the elastic to a safety pin and pulled it through. I pinned the elastic to one end with a little poking out. I then sewed through all layers in line with the scalloped edge – about 1/4” in.

 

After trimming the end neat with the scalloped front, I gathered the elastic so the top measured 5” – just large enough for a hand.

I pinned the open end of the elastic casing and sewed through all layers and trimmed the end neat.

I pinned the pocket to the skirt and tried it on to make sure it was in the right place and sewed around the edge in line with the inner points of the scalloped edge (no fancy following the shape for me!) I sewed another line just inside to give it a little more strength.

And you’re done!
Beccy