Put A Pocket On It - DIY

This sweet little vintage dress was recently spotted at a thrift store for $2 but had a less than exciting little embroidery on it. I know these are common for little kids' vintage and I tend to steer clear of them (too much of a cutesy factor for me) but I knew this one would be easy to hide. All I needed was some coordinating fabric and a twenty minute window of sewing time.
1. I decided on this brown print (not sure if it's vintage or not) because it had some yellow, white, and green just like the dress print. 2. I used a large jar to trace a semi-circle, measured straight up from there about 2", and cut it out. 3. I found another piece of fabric, placed my first piece on top of it with right sides facing each other, and pinned them together.
4. Starting about 1" in from the right corner at the top, I stitched all the way around the brown fabric about 1/4" from the edge (seam allowance) until I got about 1" out from the left corner. I left an opening so I could turn it right side out. Then I trimmed my edges. 5. I turned it right side out and folded my opening shut. I ironed it flat. 6. I stitched across the top about 1/4" from the edge and again about 1/2" from the edge. This closes the opening and gives it a nice finish.
7. Next, I made two little pleats near the bottom curve making sure they were equally spaced. They were only folded in about 1/4". 8. I pinned those in place and ironed them flat. I made sure the curve of the bottom of the pocket was still an even curve.  9. I pinned it over my embroidery and stitched from the top right corner all the way around to the top left corner and back-stitched. The pleats add a little pucker to the pocket so that it doesn't lay flat against the dress. Perfect for rock-collecting.

Ruby loves her new rock pocket and I'm thankful that I turned a $2 thrift score into something a little more special. In fact, the bear that I covered up is now Ruby's secret. She likes to look inside and say hello to the bear. So long, Mr. Bear.

Whether you're wanting to cover a stain or a bear, adding pockets to a simple dress is an easy way to make it more exciting. You don't have to be a master seamstress for this kind of wardrobe fix. Enjoy!

EDITED: Some people have asked about Ruby's Minnetonka moccasins. They were picked up by my lovely friend, Katie, at Ozarkland in Camdenton, Missouri and brought to town on a recent visit. She's the best! You can find them on Zappos and a variety of other online retailers. This is the third pair we've owned and I'll keep buying them because they're not only adorable but super durable and easy to wear with most casual outfits. Love them!

xo,
Rachel