How to Add Pockets to Skirts and Dresses Without Sewing

Women’s summer dresses are notorious for not having pockets. The same goes with women’s skirts, shorts, skorts, pants and everything else because the arbiters of fashion don’t think women have stuff they want to carry in a pocket.

Yeah, yeah. I know I can carry stuff in a purse. But carrying a purse is sometimes a hassle, like say at a party or BBQ or days that end in a Y. That’s one of the reasons I started sewing my own summer skirts and dresses. I can add as many functional pockets as I want to, take that clothing designers!

Well. Mostly.

I found some fun Captain America cotton fabric that would look super cute if I made it using my favorite retro wrap sundress pattern (you can find the Simplicity 8085 sewing pattern I used here) to wear on the Fourth of July. Or our local Marvel Comics exhibit. Or to watch a Marvel movie on date night. Or well, you get the idea.(Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)  

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How to Sew a Retro 1940's Polka Dot Top

I bought all of the materials to make a cute vintage short sleeve blouse to add a little diversity to my normal t shirt and polo shirt summer wardrobe. I let the project fall to the bottom of my To Sew list as the  costuming I'm most confident in making took priority because I very rarely, almost never make day to day clothing from scratch. Mending and tailoring I can do with my eyes closed but I'm almost ashamed to admit that until I got a computerized sewing machine two years ago I have never sewed anything with my nemesis - buttonholes - in my life.

I figured it is about time I sew a little bit outside of my comfort zone and make this cute summer blouse.

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How to Sew a Skeleton Skirt with POCKETS

I plunked a bolt of skeleton print fabric on the store’s cutting table.

 

Fabric cutting lady: what are you making?

Me: A skirt

Fabric cutting lady: Oh! Are you getting ready for Halloween early?

Me: No. Just making something fun to wear for every day.

Fabric cutting lady: (Gives me a blank stare because she doesn’t know what to do with this information and says nothing. This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten this response from her about one of my weirdo projects.)

 

That doesn’t matter because I made a cute, twirly dirndl skirt that has pockets!
 

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And you know what?

 You can make one too!

1950’s Wrap Sundress

A good long while ago, I fell in love with the 1950’s vintage wrap sundress sewing pattern Simplicity 8085 (you can read about it in detail here.) I bought a super cute cotton cherry print fabric with the intent to make a dress for myself. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convince.)

 Two years later I still  had a sweet vintage sewing  pattern reprint and super cute cotton cherry print fabric  in its shopping bag in my sewing room.  *sigh*

I need a dress for a wedding reception (hopefully? maybe? We’ll see how group events play out when the time comes) later this summer for a wedding my husband and I attended on Zoom. That’s all the incentive I need to finally sew my 1950’s wrap sundress. I made a few tweaks to the pattern because as my husband observed long ago, I always hack a sewing pattern in one way or another. 

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How to Sew a 1950’s Inspired Wrap Sundress