Here’s a closer look at the Porthole Pocket dress that features the circular pocket technique in the Archive workshop collection Patchwork Portholes and Pockets.

You can easily add a porthole pocket to a garment, but look for a style that gives plenty of space to showcase the pocket. This is a really simple, but very wearable dress pattern called the Geranium Dress that I’ve sewn a lot for Amelie. As you can see it’s a straightforward bodice and pleated skirt.

I’ve used just one fabric to make the whole garment, it’s a fantastic double-sided cotton lawn which has a funky plaid on one side and the plain blue chambray on the other. It’s a lovely soft fabric to wear, but a bit tricky to sew as it frayed so much. Overlocking and French seams were definitely required!

Using the plaid for the bodice and then picking it out again in the pocket lining works great don’t you think?

Topstitching adds a great looking finish and I’ve done a single line along the bodice seam and a double line around the pocket bags. I’ve used red thread which obviously stands out, if you wanted something more discreet, just match your thread and fabric colour.

It closes with just three little buttons on the back. These are some lovely dyed shell buttons that I’ve raided from Linda’s stash. I did the buttonholes using the automatic buttonhole stitch on my sewing machine. If the thought of machine sewing buttonholes into an otherwise completed garment gives you the heebie-jeebies, don’t worry! Practise on some scraps of the same fabric until you’re confident. I usually use a strip of masking tape on the garment to guide my placement of the foot, et voila! I’ve sewn the buttons on with a thread that matches the buttonholes and topstitching just to bring everything together.

I hope this inspires you to add a Porthole Pocket to a garment. For more tips and how you can apply the same process to bags do take a look at the video workshop collection.

Bye for now,
Laura x