Ahoy, pirates! Hope you grabbed your FREE Walk the Plank pajama pants patterns by now. If not you can get them here. Today I wanted to show you how easy it is to add patch pockets to the pattern so all those husbands, boyfriends and sons of ours will be even happier with their new PJ pants. I’ll also show you how to enclose the the elastic in the seam.
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Front patch pockets
Start by printing the WTP pattern piece in the size needed. Now grab your Papa Bear Joggers (Mama Bear or Baby Bear) pants pattern and print only the page(s) that include the Patch Pocket. You now have two pattern pieces, the pants and the pocket. Cut the leg fabric (two mirrored images) and 4 pocket pieces (2 mirrored images for the main and 2 for the lining). The PJ pants pattern is drafted for woven fabric. I did use knit instead…you can do that too if you want!
Take your pockets and place them right side together. Sew around the edge with a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving 2-3″ opening so we can turn the pocket.
Clip the corners and snip the curve of the pocket as close to the seam as possible (without clipping the stitch). Turn your pocket inside out a press very well. Repeat with the other pocket.
Top stitch only the pocket curve opening.
Take the pants pattern piece and place it right side up. Fold the pants so the inseam matches making sure the front is on top. Measure 4″ down from the waist edge and 1 inch away from the side fold. Place the pocket as in the picture below and pin in place.
Note: you will need to adjust these measurements if you are making the kids Walk the Plank pj pants.
Sew the pocket to the pants making sure you leave the pocket curve open. You will only be sewing around the 5 straight edges. Repeat for the other leg.
That’s it! You added patch pockets to the pajama pants. Simply continue to construct the pattern as per the tutorial and enjoy a new pair of PJs WITH POCKETS!
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Back patch pocket
Next I want to show you how to add a back pocket to your Walk the Plank PJ pants. This hack is even easier and it does not require any additional P4P patterns. Simply cut one rectangular piece of the same fabric or a coordinating one. The size of the rectangle will vary depending on how big you would like the pocket. I cut my piece 5″ wide by 6″ tall and I am making a size 6 PJ pants.
Optionally, you can serge around the edges to prevent fraying in the wash.
Fold the top of the pocket 1″ down, press and sew in place.
Now fold the other three sides 1/2″ and give it a good press. Do not sew them just yet.
Take your pants pattern piece and with the right side out, match the inseam. Place it on the table with the back facing up. The back part of the pants is the one with the higher rise.
Place the pocket approximately 3″ down from the rise. Note that this placement will vary from size to size so I encourage you to baste in place insead of sewing in place if you are not sure if you’ll like where the pocket sits.
Edge sew the pocket to the pants (or baste) making sure you do not sew the top but only the bottom and the sides of the pocket.
Continue sewing the PJ pants as per the pattern tutorial and enjoy you new pair of back pocket Walk the Plank pants. 🙂
NOTE: If you basted the pocket, try the pants on! If you like where the pocket sits, stitch it in place. IF you don’t, you can easily remove the pasting stitches and relocate the pocket before you sew it in place.
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Enclosed elastic waistband
Next up I would like to show you how to enclose the elastic in the waist so you do not have any visible serged edges. Sew your PJ pants as indicated in the tutorial. Press the top of the pants 1/4″ down in order to create a memory hem.
NOTE: this method will yield a rise that will be 1/4″ lower than the original pattern.
Sew the elastic in a loop (as per the pattern) and mark the quarters with pins or clips. Find the quarters of the waist opening and match the elastic quarter points to them, placing the top of the elastic 1/4″ of an inch down from the top of the pants. Use the memory crease mark as a guide.
Sew the elastic with a a zig zag stitch.
Fold the top top of pants down. This may be a tricky process since you will have to stretch the elastic as you go. Take it slowly and press!
Fold the elastic down and pin in place. You will again need to stretch the elastic so you might find it easier to skip pinning and just use your hand to hold it in place when you sew.
Sew as close to the edge as you can, stretching the elastic to make sure the fabric lays flat when you stitch it.
There you have it…. an enclosed elastic for your new PJ pants!
Hope you found these easy hacks helpful. Don’t forget to show your creations in the P4P group! We love to see what you make for you and your loved one.
This is a great pattern. So easy!
Can I make a size 4x with the walk the plank shorts?
The Walk the Planks are our older sizing- that goes to a Plus 3x. However, they’re a loose fit. If you made them in knit they would be plenty of ease for a Plus 4X as is 🙂