Pocket Design
 
Garment Designer offers numerous pocket styles as well as several pocket flap styles. You may choose where you want to place a pocket by selecting the appropriate command from the Extras menu. Once you have selected a pocket location, you will see style menus for that pocket. The pocket will appear on the body pattern. This allows you to view its relative scale to the garment, and its position. You may edit the scale (by dragging points) and you may move the pocket to your preferred location by selecting all the segments involved, clicking on one of the segments and dragging the pocket to its new position. If you examine the pocket, you will see a small '+' sign in the center of the pocket.
 
When you want to view the dimensions of the pocket, and/or are ready to print the pattern for your project, you should choose the Separate Pattern Pieces command from the Extras menu. This will 'tear off' the pocket, creating a separate pattern. You will still see the pocket on the garment, which assists in marking its position. When seam allowances and extensions are added to the separated pocket pattern, they will not appear on the body pocket, as this now shows placement only. When a pocket is separated, the center mark appears on the 'torn off' piece.
 
There are 6 categories of pockets styles: Outer, Inner, Outer with Flap, Inner with Flap, Flap Only and Specialty Bottom styles.
 
Outer Pockets
Outer pockets are patch pockets and are sewn on top of the garment. You will need to add the hem or extension to the top of the pocket, prior to adding seam allowances.
 
Inner Pockets
Inner pockets are pockets such as inseam pockets and pouch pockets (attached to the inside via a slit or bound opening). Many of the inner pocket styles are similar to the patch styles. They will be sewn differently however, in that you will need to create a 'slit opening', and attach the pouch to the inside. Consult a sewing book for instructions on how to do this.
 
Flaps
The flap option may be added through your choice of menus. Flaps may be used in conjunction with pockets (both inner and outer) and by themselves (as nonfunctional and decorative). Choose a flap style that is appropriate to the pocket style.
 
Specialty Pockets
These pockets will only appear on Skirt and Pant styles. They include Inseam, Angled-Trouser, Curved-Skirt and Jean styles. These styles 'cut away' part of the Bottom pattern piece and involve a pocket and pocket facing pattern. If you turn on the final pattern mode (Display menu), you will be able to see more clearly how the pant, pocket and pocket facing all work together.
 
Occasionally, the seam allowance may appear somewhat strange (which is a result of the angle at which two segments meet). If this occurs, redraw the seam allowance on your pattern printout. The display of seam allowances is one of the most difficult-to-program aspects of the entire Garment Designer program. It is generally perfect, but certain styles push the limits more than others, and the Specialty pockets are definitely in this group of styles.
 
Moving the Pocket Position Manually
To move a pocket, you need to select all segments, then click and hold on one segment and drag the pocket to its new location. If you then decide to change pocket styles, it is possible that some of the points in the initial pocket do not exist in the new pocket and thus not all points will remain in the 'moved' position. It is best to 'undo all point movement' change the style, and then move it.
 
Symmetry and Pockets
The Symmetry function behaves differently with pockets depending upon whether the pocket is still positioned 'on' the body pieces, or whether it has been separated.

• When the pocket is 'on' the garment, Symmetry works between the left pocket and right pocket on the garment. Note: You will only see this if you have both left and right pattern pieces displayed.
• When the pocket is separated from the garment, Symmetry works internally to the pocket, that is, between the left and right side of the pocket pattern piece itself.
  

The Pocket as a Placement Tool for Embroiderers
The center mark on a pocket allows embroiderers to use this as a marking tool for the placement of their machine embroidery. You may not use the pocket as a pocket at all, but rather as a means to visualize the scale and placement of the embroidered image. If you leave the pocket on the garment, the pocket shape and center mark will appear on your garment's paper pattern. If you remove the pocket from the pattern, the centering mark will move to the torn-off pattern.