How to make a pocket t-shirt

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one shirt, size M)

• Outer (jersey or interlock) — about 110 cm wide × 190 cm (43 × 75 in)
• Or, for a contrast pocket: a scrap about 20 × 20 cm
• Ballpoint machine needle and thread for knits
• Lightweight fusible interfacing for the pocket opening — about 15 × 5 cm

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Pocket T-shirt” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the bust, length, shoulder width, sleeve length, cuff width, neckline width (one side), pocket width, pocket depth and ease. Presets cover S, M, L and a larger pocket.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace both lines. Front and back are cut on the fold at center.
2. Cut the pieces
   One front and one back, each on the fold; two sleeves; one pocket; one bias strip for the neckline.
3. Transfer the notches
   The notch on the front marks the top-left corner of the pocket. Mark it with tailor's chalk. The left chest is the usual place, but hold the piece up in front of a mirror first so you put it on the side you meant to.
4. Interface the pocket opening
   Fuse a narrow strip behind the fold at the top of the pocket. Jersey stretches at the opening, and without it the pocket gapes with use.

4. Sewing

4-1. Make the pocket

1. Turn the top edge under 1 cm, then 2 cm, and topstitch.
2. Press the remaining three allowances to the wrong side. The two lower corners are chamfered on the pattern, so the folds meet neatly instead of stacking up.
3. Baste them down and the next step will not shift.

4-2. Attach the pocket to the front

1. Do this while the front is still a flat single piece. Once the sides are sewn the body will not fit round the machine arm.
2. Line the pocket's top-left corner up with the notch and pin or clip it.
3. Topstitch down one side, across the bottom and up the other, leaving the opening free.
4. Reinforce both ends of the opening with a small triangle of backstitching. Every time a hand goes in, that is where the strain lands — do not skip it.

4-3. Sew the shoulders

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew the shoulder seams.
2. Finish the allowances and press them towards the back.

4-4. Bind the neckline

1. Join the bias strip into a loop, then sew it round the neckline right sides together.
2. Turn it to the inside and topstitch.

4-5. Set the sleeves and sew the sides

1. Match the sleeve-cap notch to the shoulder seam and set each sleeve in, right sides together.
2. Place front and back right sides together and sew from the cuff down to the hem in one pass. Repeat on the other side.

4-6. Hem the cuffs and the body

1. Turn each cuff under twice and stitch with a stretch stitch.
2. Hem the body the same way and it is done.

✏️ Attach the pocket while the front is still one flat piece. Sew the sides first and you are feeding a tube round the machine arm, and the pocket will not go on straight. Moving one step earlier in the order changes the whole result.

5. Tips & variations

• Contrast is the point: a checked or printed pocket lifts a plain T-shirt entirely. A 20 cm square of scrap is enough.
• Where it sits: the notch puts the pocket about 20 cm down from the shoulder and 12 cm from center. If it looks low on you, raise it 2 cm next time — holding the piece against yourself in a mirror beats any number.
• The larger-pocket preset: 15 cm wide by 16 cm deep swallows a phone. Anything heavy will drag the front out of shape, though, so keep it to light things.
• One on each side: the pattern marks both positions. Two pockets give it a work-shirt look.
• Works in woven fabric too: the pocket is made the same way. For a non-stretch version, add this pocket to the woven-fabric T-shirt pattern.