How to Embroider the Back Pocket of Your Favorite Pair of Jeans

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Jennifer Stern, contributor

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Here's my embroidered pocket.

jen stern

This is the "before" shot.

jen stern

Use a sharp seam ripper to take the pocket off.

jen stern

Here's my embroidered pocket.

Photo: jen stern

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The next step is to position the pocket back on your jeans, exactly the way it was originally. To keep the pocket from shifting as you sew, stick it in place using Wonder Tape. Wonder Tape is a 1/4-inch-wide, double-sided sticky tape, and I think it works better than using pins to hold the pocket in place. The best part is that the Wonder Tape will wash away when you throw your jeans in the laundry.

Wonder Tape is so sticky that you don't have to cover every inch of the edge—just get some on each side.

After you peel the paper backing off, it looks like mini Scotch tape.

Peel the paper backing off the Wonder Tape.

Stick the pocket back into its original position. Then, set your machine up for topstitching. Change the needle to a size 14 topstitching needle, and thread the needle with heavy YLI Jean Stitch thread. Don't use the Jean Stitch thread in the bobbin; it will be too much for your machine to handle. I use all-purpose thread in the bobbin—either the color of the Jean Stitch thread or the denim. If you can't find Jean Stitch thread in a store near you, you can get it at Red Rock Threads. Lengthen your stitch length to 3.5–4.0mm.

A topstitching needle has a very long eye so that it can accommodate the heavy topstitching thread.

Starting at the top edge of the pocket, follow the dark line to stitch the pocket back on. To reinforce the stitching at the top edges of the pocket, backstitch to create the look of a bar tack. If you stitch along the outer line all the way to the opposite top edge of the pocket, you can backstitch (creating a "bar tack") and then continue back on the inner topstitch line going in the opposition direction to your start point. That way you can finish sewing the pocket with a back tack on the top of the pocket where you started sewing.

You shouldn't have any trouble going around the corners if you softened them with a hammer!

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Comments (4)

thedigitizingdiva writes: Hey Jen!

As always you have great information!!! Your patterns are great, and I think this is great info...very detailed! So many "how to's" are woefully lacking in specifics!!!

Excellent comment about softening the edges with the hammer and positioning with wonder tape!!!

Rosalind
Charlton Sewing Center, Embroidery Instructor
Posted: 10:55 am on May 26th

scrapslady writes: I'm with sewingcats. I have an embroidery machine but haven't learned to use it yet. Don't see why you couldn't use a hand embroidery pattern to do the same thing. If you're really good at hand embroidery, it can be even more charming.
Posted: 3:13 pm on March 7th

sewingcats writes: Not everyone has an embrodiery machine! What's your idea for those of us who will have to use a needle and floss/ribbon or the built-in stitches on our sewing machines?
Posted: 4:37 pm on January 3rd

robingal1 writes: This is great! I'm looking forward to trying this myself!
Posted: 2:27 pm on September 22nd

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