Trouser Pockets That Fit Your Phone

Let's make: trouser pockets deep enough to fit your smartphone (even when seated). Also: how to fix a hole in my trouserpocket.

Smartphones mostly do not fit in your trouser pocket. Or perhaps they just fit in when you are standing upright, but when you sit down a hard object is pushing in your soft parts. You can take out your phone each time you sit down, or use a hand bag to carry it, but if you don't like these solutions (because this way you tend to forget and lose your phone or handbag) you can just as well make your trouser pockets deeper!

• A sewing machine
• A pair of scissors
• A piece of fabric: cotton as used for bedding is fine.
• A piece of 50x50cm (20"x20") will do in most cases.
• Yarn
• A tape measure
• Tailor's chalk is nice but not strictly necessary

This works best

Take the point where the pocket is attached to the side seam. Go down another cm (1/2") and cut the trouser off straight.

A small cut of 1 cm (1/2") at the sides makes it possible to attach the extension

Apply a Zigzag Stitch at the Cutting Edges Against Fraying

Now you can cut the pieces of fabric for the extension part. Cut 2 pieces of fabric for each trouser pocket (front side and back side). Take a bit oversize in each direction, both length and width. Many trouser pockets are about 18cm (7") wide: in that case, take about 24cm (10"). The length depends on how deep the part of the pocket that is left on is and how deep you want your pocket to be. In my experience (regular fit trousers with a 5" phone) is that the bottom of the pocket needs to be 36 cm below the top of the trouwers. When in doubt: take some extra depth because shortening is only little work. On top of the objected depth, take about 3-4 cm (2") extra for the seams etc. When you have cut the pieces, you can apply a zigzag stitch at the top againt fraying.

The trickiest part of the job: attaching the additional fabric to the existing pocket. It is a small wrestle with the fabric under the sewing machine. Important with all the sewing: make sure that you do not close the pocket! Also important: make sure that the seam points outward, because otherwise you get a fraying ridge inside your pocket. Make a stitching as given below.

Fold the new fabric down. Fold the seam upwards and apply a second stitch. This gives a stronger connection and prevents a seam that is irritating your leg.

Now the extension is finised for 1 side

Do the same for the other side of the pocket. En keep remembering: the seam has to be directed to the outside of the pocket and do not close the pocket

The trouser pocket looks like this when you fold back the upper part

Nearly done. Now, the pocket can be closed. Measure the desired depth and mark it with the chalk.

At the bottom and sides of the pocket, connect front and back with a basic stitch. Make sure there is a good closing of the pocket at the connection with the original pocket, without including the trouser: once more, this is a small wrestle with the fabric under the sewing machine.

Now the pocket is closed. Check the pocket: is it accessible down to the bottom, are there no holes and of course: is it deep enough for your phone! When it is OK: stitch one more time around the circumference with a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying. Cut off the excess fabric. Beware not to cut the zigzag stitch, because then it will still fray.

Enjoy to always have your phone on you and never have to forget it. Safe, handsfree and no worries.