Single jet pocket with flap

[NigelW]

The single jet pocket with flap seems to have fallen out of favour.  Cabrerra doesn't mention it in his book (he only talks about double jet pockets with flaps) and looking through my wardrobe I have only found one jacket with this feature - a Daks blazer of my late father's which probably dates from the 1960s.

For the trousers I am currently making I want to try this for the hip and cash pockets as I think it might look less fussy that a double jet pocket and flap.  In my copy of The Art of Garment Making the process of making the single jet pocket is described but not in quite enough detail for me to follow.  It seems to go something like this:

Make the flap and use the finished item to mark the pocket length (good tip it seems to me).  Sew on the bottom jetting.  Cut the pocket opening to the exact length of the seam and turn the jetting in.  Insert the flap, keeping it pointing upwards on the right side of the coat.  Turn the coat over and sew the pocket flap to the top edge of the pocket opening with a narrow seam, from the inside.  Finish by sewing around the top and ends of the pocket from the outside.

What it doesn't mention is how to treat the ends of the pocket opening.  Should one make a little triangle at each end as one would with a double jet pocket?  If one doesn't do this there is presumably a risk of leaving a raw edge which will fray, unless it is tacked in some way.

[TTailor]

What I do is slightly different from the art of garment making but it works.
The pocket flap takes the place of the upper lip or jett.
The lower lip or jett has to fill in the hole so to speak. So if the two lines of stitching (jett and flap) are 1cm apart, the lower jet should be 1cm finished size. You still would cut between the two lines of stitching and also cut i to the corners to get a clean look.

As for the art of garment making description,
I believe (and I could be wrong) it only has one cut line and you have to sew the flap to the exact end point of the cut which you also have sewn the jetting to. The flap seam is bowed from cut end to cut end.
I have read that description before and I had a pair of vintage trousers that I believe had that construction technique. If you want to try , do a sample on a scrap first.

It is an interesting book but there are many other (and better) techniques. It is really a book "of its time".

[NigelW]

Most helpful, thank you.  I see what you mean about making the lower jet wider to fill the gap.  My vintage Daks blazer doesn't have the wider lower jet so there is a bit of a gap, but it is not noticeable as the flap covers it.

Another reason for not having an upper jet is so that the pattern will not be interrupted, assuming I can get the alignment just right!

[TTailor]

I like to use a flap with out a toplip/jett on heavy fabrics such as when I am making an overcoat. Reduces bulk.