With their unique blend of style and functionality, Cargo pants are more than just cool! Their versatility and practicality make them a must-have in any wardrobe. Today we have a tutorial to show you how to hack our June Pants pattern by adding a cargo pants pocket.
A note before we start, the June Pants have a 26” (66 cm) inseam. This results in a slightly cropped pant. You are good to go if you want a pair of cropped cargo pants. If you want your cargo pants longer, follow the instructions in the booklet to lengthen your pattern to the desired length. We have an example of that here.
Psssst: You can use this post to add a cargo pocket to pretty much any pair of pants, like our Arden Pants!
Pocket Pattern
You can find the pocket pattern printout here. If you like to draft your own instead, the table below will tell you the dimensions of the rectangles you will need.
| 0-6 | 8-14 | 16-20 | 22-28 | 30-34 | |
| Cargo Pocket Cut 2 main |
7 ¼” x 9 ⅝” 18.5cm x 25cm |
7 ½ x 9 ⅞” 19cm x 25.5cm |
7 ¾” x 10 ⅛ “ 20cm x 26cm |
8” x 10 ⅜” 20.5cm x 26.5cm |
8 ¼” x 10 ⅝” 30cm x 27cm |
| Pocket Flap Cut 2 main |
7 ¾” x 7 20cm x 18cm |
8” x 7 ¼” 20.5cm x 18.5cm |
8 ¼” x 7 ½” 21cm x 19cm |
8 ½” x 7 ¾” 22cm x 20cm |
8 ¾” x 8” 22.5cm x 20.5cm |
| Pocket Flap Interfacing Cut 2 interfacing |
7 ¾” x 3 ½” 20cm x 9cm |
8” x 3 ⅝” 20.5cm x 9.3cm |
8 ¼” x 3 ¾” 21cm x 9.5cm |
8 ½” x 3 ⅞” 22cm x 10cm |
8 ¾” x 4” 22.5cm x 10.3cm |
When making your own pattern pieces, place notches 1 ⅝” (4 cm) away from one shorter pocket edge and in the middle of the pocket flap on the shorter sides.
Where to place the pocket?
The ideal placement depends on your height and personal preference. We highly recommend following steps 1-2 below to construct the pocket and then pin the pocket on to determine its placement. You only need to use the pocket, not the flap. Just make sure to take into account that the flap will be placed a bit higher than the pocket.
If you already have a pair of June Pants made, put them on. If you don’t have a pair of June Pants, put on a pair of similar-fitting pants. Use the constructed pocket to help you determine where you think it should be. Cargo pockets are typically located at the lower- to mid-thigh and are centered on the side seam. But the pockets' final placement is up to you. You can move them more to the front or back or even tilt them slightly! Carefully pin the pocket in place and take the pants off.
Measure the distance from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the pocket. Subtract 1” (2.5 cm) from the distance to get your pocket placement measurement.
Construction
1. Apply pocket flap interfacing to one-half of each pocket flap.
With the right sides together, fold the pocket flap at the notches. Sew the short sides. Turn the pocket flaps right side out and press.
Edgestitch ⅛” (0.3 cm) away from the edges. For two lines of topstitching, sew a second line of stitches ¼” (0.6 cm) away from the first one.
2. Press the top of the cargo pocket towards the wrong side 3/8” (1 cm). Fold the top of the cargo pockets to the right side at the notches, 1 ¼” (3.2 cm), and sew along the top sides at a ½” (1.3 cm) seam allowance.
Turn the tops of the pockets right side out and press. Press the bottom and sides of the pockets in ½” (1.3 cm).
Edgestitch ⅛” (0.3 cm) from the folded edge at the top of the pocket. For two lines of topstitching, sew a second line of stitching ¼” (0.6 cm) away from the first one.
Follow steps 1-5 in the instruction booklet to prep the waistband and sew the drawstring. Then follow steps 14-23 to construct inseam pockets and sew the side seam. Note that the instructions booklet's illustrations for steps 14-23 will show the inseam as already sewn. This will not be the case here, we are skipping this on purpose to attach the cargo pocket first.
3. Optional: Edgestitch the side seam, placing the stitches on the back leg ⅛” (0.3 cm) away from the seam. For two lines of topstitching, sew a second line of stitching ¼” (0.6 cm) away from the first one.
4. Lay an assembled leg flat with the right side facing you. Starting at the raw edge of the waistband at the side seam, measure down your pocket placement distance and make a mark.
Center the cargo pocket on the side seam, making sure the sides of the pocket are parallel to the side seam. Pin the pocket in place. Make sure the bottom of the inseam pocket is not in the way of the pocket and move it down a bit if it is.
You can “mark” the center of the pocket by folding it in half and slightly pressing it. Use the press line as your guide for centering the pocket.
Edgestitch the pocket ⅛” (0.3 cm) away from the edges to secure it. For two lines of topstitching, sew a second line of stitching ¼” (0.6 cm) away from the first one. Secure the top corners with a horizontal bar tack.
5. Trim the raw edge of the pocket flap to straighten it if necessary. Draw a stitching line ⅝” (1.6 cm) away from the raw edge.
Lay a pocket flap on the pants with the raw edge touching the top of the pocket. Center the flap to the pocket and pin it in place. Make sure to move the inseam pocket bag on the wrong side of the pant leg out of the way.
Attach the flap to the pants, sewing 5/8” (1.6 cm) away from the raw edge. Make sure not to go past the flap edges.
6. Trim the flap seam allowance to 1/8 “ (0.3 cm). Be careful not to cut the pocket or the pants. Press the flap down onto the pocket.
Edgestitch the flap a scant ¼” (0.6 cm) away from the folded edge. The raw edges of the flap will be enclosed. Secure each side of the flap with a bartack. For two lines of topstitching, topstitch the flap ¼” (0.6 cm) away from the first line of edgestitching.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 in this post to attach the pocket and flap to the other leg. Double-check to make sure the pockets on both legs are sewn at the same level.
Complete step 13 in the instruction booklet to pre-press the hems of the pants. Then go back to step 5 in the instruction booklet to sew the inseam on each pant leg.
Proceed with steps 25-35 in the instruction booklet. Note that you can topstitch the left leg with one or two lines of stitches after sewing the crotch seam in step 25.
Voila! You are all done. We hope you enjoy your new cargo pants. Check out this post here to see more of Helen’s version!
