A patch pocket is judged entirely on whether its edges are straight and its corners are square. Both are decided before it touches the garment.
Finish the top edge first, while the pocket is still flat and easy to handle. Turn and stitch a hem, or attach a facing.
Press the shape with a template. Cut a piece of card to the exact finished pocket size, place it on the wrong side, and press the seam allowances over it. The card gives you a hard edge to press against and every pocket comes out the same. This is the single trick that makes patch pockets look bought.
Mitre or trim the corners so the folded allowances do not stack. On a square corner, fold the point in diagonally first, then fold the sides.
On a curved pocket, run a gathering row in the seam allowance and pull it gently to ease the curve smoothly over the card.
Position it with the garment on a flat surface, measuring from a seam or a fixed reference — not from the edge of the fabric, which may not be straight.
Reinforce the top corners. They take all the load. A small triangle of stitching, a bar tack, or a backstitched square at each top corner is what stops a pocket tearing off.
Questions people actually ask
How do I get both pockets in the same place?
Measure from the same fixed references on both sides — a seam and a hem, not the fabric edge. And check with the garment folded in half before sewing.
My curved pocket has lumpy edges.
The seam allowance was not eased. Run a gathering row in the allowance and draw it in before pressing over a card template.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11