Sashiko pocket

Tie-on pockets are lovely projects for exploring new techniques without it taking forever to finish. I have made several pockets through the years in different techniques and materials. Today I have finished a sashiko pocket.

Making pockets is also a perfect opportunity to use scraps and material you already have. I have used a butchered tweed jacket, a couple of eBayed linen towels and a vintage evening clutch for some of mine.

Fabrics

I have had a sashiko pocket on my crafting list for a couple of years now. I found Chen, an Etsy seller in France who imports vintage handwoven fabrics from eastern China and I realized her fabrics would be perfect for my pocket. I had some scraps of her fabrics at home, and also ordered a sample pack of Indigo resist dyed fabrics.

Once I got the fabrics (Chen is super fast!), I had a hard time deciding what fabrics to use and how to arrange them. I wanted solid colour fabrics for the sashiko stitching and resist dyed for contrast—some for the pocket front and some to peek out above the pocket opening. I played a bit with shapes and patterns and landed in a combination I liked.

Sashiko stitching

The sashiko stitching was of course the main event of the pocket. I drew the grids and started the first thread and put it reluctantly aside. I wanted to bring it to the writing retreat I had coming up. It was hard, but I perservered.

Hand sewing is deeply calming, helps me clear my head and open it for new ideas. As such it’s the perfect companion for writing. With the needle in one hand and the sturdy fabric in the other I stitched away in straight lines and geometrical patterns of endless interpretations. Vertical lines, wide and shallow angled figure-eights and finally horizontal lines. I still pull a bit, making the fabric pucker, but I’m learning.

Assembling

When I had woven in the final end I made a border between the sashiko and the resist dyed fabrics. I had woven a band from scraps of handspun yarn dyed with fresh Indigo leaves, which was the perfect candidate for the job. I even had some of the yarn left for the stitching.

The other pockets I have made have been tie-on ones, menaing that the band was part of the straight top of the pocket. For this one I had bought a pocket hook. Therefore I wanted the top rounded. To make the shape sturdy I made a bias tape from scraps from a pair of pants I sew a couple of months ago.

Making your own bias tape is a lot of fun if you have sharp scissors and the discipline to draw straight and orderly lines. I added the band to the pocket opening and around the five layers—the front with a lining, the back with two.

I stitched the hook at the top and a tassel at the bottom. I made the tassel a couple of weeks ago from thrums I found in a bag of finished projects. It was the perfect fit for a Japanese-style pocket!

Flaunting

The other morning the mist had draped itself over the lake and the morning swim was magical. When I got home I changed quickly and came back to the dock before the mist had disappeared entirely. Of course I paired the pocket with pants that I sew from Chen’s fabrics in a Chinese style pattern she provided me with. The fit was perfect and I giggled of joy at my mixed heritage pocket.

I love wearing my pockets, especially in the summer when I don’t wear a jacket. Even if most of my pants and skirts have pockets of their own, no garment is sturdy enough to house a smart phone without weighing down the garment.

Materials I used:

• Handwoven vintage (1930–1970) cotton fabrics from China for front, inside, mini pocket and bias tape, from Indigoloom.
• Remnants from antique cotton sheet for (double) back lining.
• Indigo leaves for pounding on lining.
• Band made from my handspun silk yarn, dyed with fresh indigo leaves.
• Tassel made from thrums in handspun silk yarn, same as the band.
• Pocket hook made by Emma Frost.
• Sashiko thread, needles, thimble and stencils from Indigoloom.

Pocket collection

Here are my previous pockets, together with the new addition:

• A linen towel pocket with a amoeba shaped couching stitch. Handwoven band in commercial linen yarn.
• An upcycled evening clutch in linen, handwoven band in commercial yarn. Pocket pattern by Hamblemouse.
• Påsöm embroidery, in wool on wool, commercial cotton bands and reindeer skin backning. All the material is store bought, but the pocket is embroidered, stitched and made by me.
• A butchered Harris Tweed jacket. Band is my handspun and handwoven. Inspired by pocket pattern from Hamblemouse.
• A belt bag, handspun and handwoven. Based on sewing pattern from Merchant and Mills.

Happy spinning!

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