Add a Patch Pocket to an Open Abaya: A Measured Sewing Project

An open abaya can be comfortable to wear and still lack a convenient place for a tissue or small everyday item. A visible patch pocket is one possible addition when the front fabric is strong enough to support it. Unlike an in-seam pocket, it sits on the garment surface, so you can plan its size and position without cutting an opening through the abaya.

This project makes a simple rectangular, self-lined pocket from one folded piece of woven fabric, then attaches it to a suitable unlined abaya. It includes a paper fitting stage, a fabric sample, cutting calculations and a defined stitching route. The example is intended for light use. It does not establish a safe load for a phone, keys or other heavy belongings.

The abaya should already fit and hang comfortably. A new pocket adds fabric, seams and weight; it cannot correct a narrow garment or hold an open front closed. Start with one pocket on a suitable everyday piece, assess the result, and make a second only if it serves the way you actually wear the garment.

Decide whether the abaya is a suitable candidate

Choose a stable, unlined woven abaya with a reasonably plain front panel and enough substance to carry the proposed pocket. You need access to the reverse of that panel so you can sew through the intended layer alone. Check for seams, hidden facings, existing pockets or ties behind the position you are considering.

A very fine, transparent or loosely woven fabric is a poor starting point for this simple project. So is a stretchy jersey, a heavily embellished panel, a pleated section or a lined garment whose lining cannot be moved clear. Those constructions may need different pocket support or sewing methods. A tailor can assess them without turning a small storage idea into an accidental alteration of the whole front.

Inspect the cloth in good light. A worn patch, pulled weave or weakened seam does not become sound because a pocket covers it. If the fabric is damaged, treat the damage as a repair task first. For a valuable or sentimental abaya, practise elsewhere before deciding whether visible machine stitching is appropriate.

Hold two layers of the proposed pocket fabric against the abaya. That is closer to the finished construction than holding a single scrap. If the doubled patch already feels much stiffer or heavier than the garment, reconsider the materials. Self-lining neatly encloses edges, but it also adds a second layer over the entire pocket area.

Give the pocket one realistic job

Name the item or task before choosing the dimensions. A place to tuck a folded tissue is different from a secure compartment for valuables. An open patch pocket has no closure, and a larger opening does not make its contents secure while bending or sitting.

Use a paper outline of the intended item to judge size before putting anything heavy into a trial pocket. Include the ordinary case or cover if that changes the object's shape. Then consider the weight separately: an outline that fits proves only that the dimensions may be suitable, not that the abaya can carry the item.

A pocket also needs room for your hand to enter and retrieve the contents. A small object can fit inside a narrow pocket that remains inconvenient to use. Try the opening with your normal hand position rather than choosing the smallest rectangle that surrounds the object on paper.

For this project, plan around light, non-bulky items and keep larger belongings in a bag. If your essential requirement is dependable phone storage or a closing pocket, commission a construction designed for that requirement. Do not add a zip or flap to this example without reconsidering the pattern, support and attachment.

Fit a paper pocket while wearing the abaya

Cut a paper rectangle to the proposed finished size. The example is 16 centimetres wide and 20 centimetres high. Mark the top clearly. This is the visible pocket outline; it does not include seam allowances and must not be used directly as the cutting pattern for the fabric.

Put on the abaya over the clothes you normally wear beneath it. Let the front hang open in its natural position. Hold the paper against the intended front panel and reach towards its top without lifting your shoulder, leaning sideways or pulling the panel around your body. A pocket can sit neatly on a flat garment and still be awkward to reach when the front moves.

Adjust the height and sideways position until the opening is easy to find. Look at its relationship to the front edge, side seam and any waist detail. Leave enough space for the pocket to sit wholly on the panel rather than straddling a bulky seam or being partly hidden by a turned-back front.

Use a helper or a photograph to record the position while you hold the paper. Take the abaya off before pinning or sewing. Transfer the position with a marking method you have tested on the actual material. A few removable thread marks at the top corners can be more useful than drawing a large rectangle in an untested pen.

Check the idea seated as well as standing. Does the bottom fall across a bend in your hip, disappear under your forearm or collide with a bag strap? The paper is only an approximate visual and reach test, but it can reveal a poor position before fabric is cut.

Separate the finished size from the cutting size

The pocket uses one rectangle folded at the top, right sides together. Each side has a 1-centimetre seam allowance, and each of the two layers has a 1-centimetre allowance at the bottom. There is no top seam allowance because the top is a fold.

For a finished width of 16 centimetres, add 1 centimetre on each side: cut the fabric 18 centimetres wide. For a finished height of 20 centimetres, each half needs 21 centimetres including its bottom allowance. Two halves therefore need a total cut length of 42 centimetres.

The resulting 18-by-42-centimetre piece folds into an 18-by-21-centimetre double layer. After sewing 1 centimetre inside the side and bottom edges and turning it through a small opening, the nominal finished rectangle is 16 by 20 centimetres. Fabric thickness and pressing can affect the exact result slightly, so check the actual pocket before fixing its final position.

Illustrative finished size	Cut one rectangle	Size after folding, before sewing
14 cm wide × 18 cm high	16 cm × 38 cm	16 cm × 19 cm
16 cm wide × 20 cm high	18 cm × 42 cm	18 cm × 21 cm
18 cm wide × 22 cm high	20 cm × 46 cm	20 cm × 23 cm

These are alternative project dimensions, not standard pocket sizes for different bodies. Use your paper fitting and the available panel to select a size. Changing the seam allowance changes the arithmetic; do not use these cut sizes while sewing with a different allowance and expect the same finished pocket.

Allow for the attachment at the opening

The visible width is not the clear hand opening. This example attaches the pocket 2 millimetres inside each side edge and uses a small reinforcement triangle at each upper corner. Each triangle extends another 5 millimetres towards the middle. The free opening is therefore approximately 16 centimetres minus 1.4 centimetres, or 14.6 centimetres, before allowing for the way the cloth bends.

Mark those corner areas on the paper sample. Try whether the remaining opening appears useful for your hand and intended light item. A fabric trial gives a better answer, because paper does not flex like the finished pocket. The calculation simply prevents you from assuming the entire 16-centimetre width remains open.

If the opening is too narrow, increase the pocket width only where the garment can comfortably accommodate it. Do not omit the corner support or move the attachment perilously close to the edge just to gain a little space. A different pocket plan may be preferable to forcing this one onto a small panel.

Change width and depth independently

Suppose the paper fitting shows a comfortable height, but the opening is too narrow for easy access. Increasing the finished width from 16 to 18 centimetres changes the cut width from 18 to 20 centimetres. The cut length remains 42 centimetres if the finished height stays 20. With the same corner triangles, the approximate free opening increases from 14.6 to 16.6 centimetres.

That adjustment uses 2 centimetres more space across the abaya panel. Decide where it goes. If you keep the inner pocket edge in the same place, the outer edge moves 2 centimetres towards the side. If you keep the pocket centre fixed, each edge moves 1 centimetre outward. Check reach and the neighbouring seam again instead of treating extra width as invisible.

Now imagine that the width works but you want a deeper pocket. A finished height of 24 centimetres needs two halves of 25 centimetres, so the cut piece becomes 18 by 50 centimetres. Keeping the top opening in the original position moves the pocket bottom 4 centimetres lower. That may place it across a bend when seated even though the opening remains easy to reach.

Draw the revised outline on paper before cutting. Change one dimension at a time so you can identify whether the improvement came from extra hand room, a new opening position or greater depth. Bigger in both directions can create more bulk without solving the original difficulty.

Finally, check the folded fabric against the plan: the basic example should be 18 centimetres across and 21 centimetres from fold to bottom. If it measures 9 by 42 centimetres, you have folded along the wrong direction. Unfold it before sewing; the top fold must become the intended pocket opening.

Choose and prepare the pocket fabric

A matching remnant can integrate the pocket with the abaya, provided it is suitable in two layers. A coordinated contrast can also look deliberate. Compare the materials in daylight and view the patch from a few steps away, since a close-up colour match can become visibly different across a larger rectangle.

For a first sample, use a stable, non-stretch woven fabric that presses and turns cleanly. Avoid a thick double layer that creates hard edges against a soft abaya. Avoid a fragile pocket fabric whose weave is already separating when handled. Both the patch and the garment beneath it contribute to the finished strength.

Plan the grain direction before cutting. New Mexico State University Extension notes that patch pockets are generally cut on the lengthwise grain. Here, place the long 42-centimetre direction along that grain so the folded pocket's height follows it. A deliberate bias-cut pocket needs a different assessment of stretch and is outside this example.

Check any directional print on the fabric. With a single folded piece, a one-way design may appear upright on the face and reversed inside. Decide whether that is acceptable before cutting. If you need two independently oriented pieces, use a separately lined pocket method with its own top seam allowance rather than adding an unplanned seam to these dimensions.

Prepare the material only by a care process compatible with it and the abaya. If washing or pressing is appropriate, complete that preparation before final measuring and cutting. Resolve conflicting care needs now. The fabric care guide explains why a new component can change the demands of the whole garment.

Make a complete trial away from the abaya

Make the first pocket in spare material and attach it to a larger piece resembling the abaya fabric. Include the top fold, turning opening, final edge stitching and corner reinforcements. This is more informative than testing a straight seam through two loose scraps.

The self-lined construction follows a familiar folded-pocket principle: sew the side and bottom edges, leave an opening for turning and attach the finished patch along three sides. BERNINA's original fold-over-clutch instructions demonstrate that construction in a bag lining. The garment project here uses its own dimensions and requires a separate check of the abaya's support and drape.

Use the same needle, thread and intended stitch type in the sample. The attachment passes through more layers near the folded edges, so a setup that sews the centre easily may behave differently at a corner. Check the machine manual and the needle maker's material guidance rather than choosing equipment solely from the colour of the fabric.

After turning and pressing the sample, measure it across the top, middle and bottom. The sides should be reasonably parallel and the lower corners similar. If the sample is twisted, correct the grain, cutting or seam accuracy before using the final pocket fabric.

Try the sample with the intended light contents and repeat the ordinary reaching motion. Where the materials permit cleaning, assess the sample after the planned care process too. A neat pocket that changes shape dramatically after its first wash is not ready to be added to the abaya.

Sew and turn the pocket piece

1. Cut the final rectangle accurately and identify the right side. For the example, check both the 18-centimetre width and 42-centimetre length before folding.
2. Fold it across the middle, right sides together, bringing the two short raw edges together at the bottom. The fold becomes the pocket top. Align the side edges without stretching them.
3. Mark a 1-centimetre stitching line along the two sides and bottom. Mark a 6-centimetre turning opening centred on the bottom edge. The top fold is not stitched closed at this stage.
4. Sew both side seams and the bottom sections, leaving that opening unsewn. Secure the thread at each end of the opening so it does not unravel as you turn the pocket.
5. Reduce excess bulk at the corners carefully, keeping clear of the stitching. Do not trim the turning-opening allowances away; they will fold inside to complete the bottom edge.
6. Turn the pocket right side out through the opening. Ease the corners into shape with your fingers or a suitable blunt turning tool, without forcing a sharp object through the fabric.
7. Fold the opening's raw allowances inward by 1 centimetre so the lower edge continues in a straight line. Press using the method that worked on the sample.

Close the turning gap with small hand stitches through the folded edges before attachment. This keeps the raw edges enclosed while you handle and baste the pocket. The later machine stitching will run near the bottom edge, but closing the gap now makes it easier to see whether the lower outline is even.

Check that neither layer is rolled noticeably towards the front at the side seams. A slight difference can often be corrected by easing the edge into its proper position before pressing. If one layer is genuinely longer or the seam is crooked, resolve that construction error rather than stretching the shorter layer to hide it.

With the pocket still separate from the abaya, sew a straight row about 5 millimetres below its top fold. This holds the two pocket layers together near the opening. It must pass through the pocket piece only. Sewing that row after placing the pocket on the garment would close the opening if it caught the abaya beneath.

Baste the pocket to the actual front panel

Lay the abaya open on the table with the chosen panel right side up. Move the other front, sleeves and back completely out of the way. Feel beneath the proposed pocket position to confirm there is only the intended garment layer under it.

Place the finished pocket over the fitting marks, with its top fold uppermost. Compare its actual dimensions with the paper outline; account for any small difference before fixing the position. Smooth the panel naturally instead of pulling it taut. The pocket should lie on the fabric without needing to stretch either piece.

Baste along the sides and bottom with removable hand stitches, keeping the top open. Position the basting far enough from the machine path that you can remove it cleanly afterwards. Temporary stitching should hold the placement, not gather the front.

Put on the garment for a gentle empty-pocket position check. Move naturally, find the opening and look at the front and side. Do not load a pocket supported only by basting. Take the abaya off again to make any adjustment, and remove all pins before trying it on.

Record the settled position from stable garment references. For example, note the distance from the finished front edge to the pocket's inner edge and from a defined shoulder point to its top. State where you measured; “hip height” alone is too vague if you want to repeat the placement later.

Attach three sides and reinforce the upper corners

The attachment line runs 2 millimetres inside the two side edges and the bottom edge. It leaves the top open. At each upper corner, a small triangle joins that side line to a point 5 millimetres farther towards the pocket centre, providing a broader attachment at the place your hand enters.

For the example triangle, use a height of 8 millimetres. Its upper points sit 2 millimetres below the top fold, and its lower point sits 10 millimetres below the fold on the side attachment line. Mark the route lightly using the tested method, or practise it clearly on the sample before using matching thread on the garment.

1. Begin at the lower point of the left upper triangle, 2 millimetres inside the side and 10 millimetres below the top. Secure the thread using the sample-tested method.
2. Sew diagonally up and towards the pocket centre to the inner upper point. Sew horizontally back towards the left side attachment line. You have made the two short sides of the first triangle.
3. Continue down the left attachment line, passing the starting point, then sew around the lower edge and up the right side. Pivot at the corners with the needle down according to the machine's instructions.
4. At 2 millimetres below the top on the right, sew 5 millimetres towards the pocket centre. Then sew diagonally down to the right attachment line at 10 millimetres below the top, completing the second triangle.
5. Secure the finish. Check the reverse before trimming thread ends, then remove the temporary basting carefully.

New Mexico State University Extension's patch-pocket guide recommends reinforcing upper corners with a bar tack or triangle. The small triangle here gives a defined route for the example, but the sample still decides whether that concentration of stitching suits the actual fabrics. Do not add increasingly dense stitches to weak cloth in the hope of making it strong.

Support the length of the abaya while sewing. Stop to rearrange it when the fabric begins dragging off the table, and check underneath before continuing. A long garment can quietly fold beneath the panel and become caught in the seam if you concentrate only on the pocket edge.

Inspect the finished pocket before using it

First check that the opening is actually open and that no temporary thread crosses it. Slide your hand into the pocket gently, feeling for a loose turning-gap edge, a thread loop or an accidental line of stitching. The two self-lining layers should act as one patch, with the storage space between that patch and the abaya.

Look at all three attachment edges from the reverse. The line should catch the pocket consistently, with no skipped section leaving an opening at a lower corner. Check that the needle did not pull the garment weave into a row of enlarged holes. A topstitch can look tidy from the front while a vulnerable area is visible behind it.

Hang the abaya and let it settle before pressing away any apparent problem. Compare the two front edges with the pocket empty. If the new panel pulls one side down or makes the front curl, consider its weight and position. Pressing cannot remove the extra fabric or change the way it loads the garment.

Then try only the light item for which the pocket was planned. Walk, sit and retrieve it. Watch the top corners and the fall of the front. If the panel stretches, the opening gapes or the abaya shifts noticeably, remove the item and reassess the use. This is an observation of the finished garment, not a load test that certifies a capacity.

Use the symptom to choose the next correction

What happens	What to inspect	Possible response
The pocket looks square flat but crooked when worn	Its position on the naturally hanging open front.	Revisit placement; do not assume a seam or hem is the correct visual reference on every cut.
The mouth bows outward when empty	The top fold, grain, basting tension and surrounding garment ease.	Compare with the sample and identify whether the pocket or garment is being distorted.
The lower corners are lumpy	Corner bulk and the way the allowances were turned.	Improve the sample finish before remaking the pocket; avoid forcing corners with a sharp tool.
The whole front dips when an item is added	The item's weight and the base fabric's support.	Use the pocket for lighter contents or reconsider the alteration.
A top corner starts to pull away	Whether sewing thread or garment cloth is failing.	Stop using it until the cause is repaired; extra stitching alone may not solve damaged fabric.

Moving an attached pocket can leave needle marks or a visible outline. That is why the temporary fitting stages matter. If removal is necessary, support the cloth, identify the attachment thread and unpick in small sections. Do not pull the pocket away from the garment while cutting blindly along its edge.

Plan a second pocket as a separate fitting decision

Two pockets can balance the appearance of a plain open abaya, but they also double the added fabric. Assess the first pocket's empty drape before making a matching pair. If the first already stiffens the front, a second may repeat the problem rather than correct it.

Use the same finished pattern and cutting allowances for a matching pair. Two example pockets need two 18-by-42-centimetre rectangles. You could fit them side by side within a 36-by-42-centimetre rectangle only if the usable fabric width, grain and print direction permit that layout. Samples and any preparation losses are additional.

Transfer the first pocket's position from the same garment reference points, then check both on the wearer. Open fronts can turn or fall differently, and the most useful position for one hand may not feel identical for the other. Agree whether visual symmetry, accessibility or a deliberate single-pocket design matters most before sewing.

If both are intended to match, compare the finished pieces before attaching the second. Place them together to check the outline, top fold and print orientation. Small sewing differences are easier to correct while one pocket remains a separate piece.

Keep the addition practical

Empty the pocket before cleaning and follow the care requirements of the combined materials. After the first suitable wash or cleaning, inspect the top corners, lower seam and front-panel drape. Keep a small matching remnant and the cutting notes if you may want to repair or repeat the pocket later.

When wearing the abaya open, continue to choose an under-outfit that gives the coverage you want on its own. A new pocket does not control the front opening, and filling it can move that opening more noticeably. Style the outer layer around how it actually hangs, rather than arranging it carefully for one still view.

A useful patch pocket is a modest change with a clear purpose: reachable, smooth when empty and suitable for the light items you put inside it. The paper fitting, fabric trial and measured sewing process help you judge that purpose before and after the alteration, while preserving the comfort that made the abaya worth adapting.