For this Late for a Date blog hop, we chose two of our patterns that suit the Wonderland collection perfectly. First we made an Easy Peasy Peasant dress from the adorable pocket watch print Late for a Date in Blue and paired it with a solid white Storybook Pinafore made using the Cross Back Modification here on the blog [EDIT: Our Sugar Dot pinafore includes a cross back view with no extra tutorial needed! See Sugar Dot pinafore pattern for girls 12 months to 10 years here]. A simple black Knot or Not Headband adds a classic Alice look.
Now, we have a free heart shaped pocket tutorial for you! We’ve also paired this breezy summer dress with a Knot or Not Headband to complete the look.
Let’s take a closer look at those heart-shaped pockets! It is the perfect shape and so much fun. What little girl wouldn’t love heart-shaped pockets? They can be added to just about anything and are the perfect place for stashing treasures.
Heart Shaped Pocket Tutorial
Let’s get to the heart shaped pocket tutorial!
- First, download the pocket pattern piece: TDD Free Heart Pocket . Then print at 100% or to your personal preference. Here are some general recommendations for print scale on a girl’s dress. For sizes 4/5 and above print at 100%. Print at 90% for size 2/3, 80% for sizes 6-24 months, and 70% for 0-3 months.
- As directed on the pocket pattern piece, cut two hearts per pocket. I cut 4 hearts to make 2 pockets. Make sure to transfer the dots from on either side of the heart at the top of the pattern piece to the right side of the fabric.
- Use a 1/4″ seam allowance to sew two pockets right sides together. Leave about an inch unstitched on one side for turning. You may find it helpful to mark the stitching line so you can sew nice, precise points at the top and bottom.
- Before turning, clip into the top center of the heart right to the stitching line and clip across the bottom of the heart close to the stitching line.
Also, clip curves around the top of the heart or trim with pinking shears (as I have). If trimming with pinking shears, do not trim the area left open for turning.
- Now turn your heart through the opening. Use a small tool (knitting needles, chopsticks, small screwdriver) to push out the top curves and bottom point. Press well turning under the 1/4″ seam allowance at the turning point.
- Almost done! Topstitch around the entire heart 1/4″ from the edge. Again, it may be helpful to mark your stitching line at the top and bottom of the heart. Then, edgestitch (1/8″ from the edge or less) the top of the heart between marks only.
- Pin the pockets to your garment. I have chosen to add the pockets last as it is easier for me to place them correctly on a finished garment. For the Storybook Pinafore, I have placed my pockets centered under the straps vertically on my pinafore and a few inches below the bodice seam. Pin pockets in place and edgestitch 1/8″ from the edge around bottom of the heart between the marks to secure the pocket to the dress, connecting your stitches to the ones you sewed on the top portion between the marks.
- Finally, sew a bartack at the marked points, connecting the 1/8″ stitching line and the 1/4″ stitching line. This will reinforce the attachment of the pockets so tugging hands don’t accidentally tear the pocket off. If your sewing machine does not have a pre-programmed bartack stitch, use a close zig-zag similar to that on a buttonhole. Enjoy your heart pocket!
We hope you have loved seeing our Alice-inspired dresses in Wonderland and the free heart shaped pocket tutorial as much as we loved sewing them!
[edited to remove giveaway information since the giveaway is closed]
Thank you for the heart pocket tutorial, I always think things look so easy until I try them out on my own, tutorials are lifesavers.
Your little model looks like she had a great time in the photo shoot. Those are great photos!
Love it! The tutorial and the fabric.
Thanks for the chance!
Thank you for the great pocket tutorial. I can’t wait to add some hearts to my next projects!
Great photos and inspiration, as always!
Oh my goodness! How sweet are these little pockets! I can’t wait to try them on my next project!!!
I ADORE this fabric collection! I have the Pinafore pattern and it’s about time to put it to good use! 🙂 I really appreciate the heart pocket tutorial -what a sweet little touch it will be on our dresses and tops!
Love it!
I love everything about this blog post…it’s so dreamy! 😍 I especially love the little heart pockets 💕
Thanks for all your fab ideas and the chance to win!
So adorable! Love the fabric and the creations…and I can’t wait to try the heart pockets on my next project!
Such adorable patterns and fabric! Love the heart pockets!
Super duper cute dress and model! I like your new blog!
Thank you for the tutorial! Beautiful fabric! I love the new blog, very easy to follow and find what I’m looking for! Thanks again!
Great heart pocket tutorial. Your model is adorable.
Love the pocket tutorial! Can’t wait to try it! The new blog is very easy to read on my phone too!
Love the Alice in wonderland blog.
What a darling dress and love love the heart shaped pockets. Very clear tutorial and thank you.
Love it!! The heart pockets are so cute!
Such a classy and sassy little ensemble! Love the fabric grouping, great post! Blog looks beautiful!
My toddler loves pockets and she loves hearts, so these heart pockets are so perfect for her! Thank you.
I love this!!! I love Alice – but I think I will use those heart pockets for LOTS of things 🙂
Wow Loving this. Think this a a great dress and the fabrics used are stunning. Think my niece would look super cute in these dresses and wouldn’t want to take them off x
I cannot wait to use that adorable pocket…my girls will squeal when they see one on one of their outfits!
Love the Alice Dress
So cute! And that IS the perfect heart shape. 🙂
I LOVE these Alice inspired dresses! My 3 yr. old grandgirl Charlotte is all about “Alice at Wunnerland” these days! And that sweet heart pocket tutorial is perfect for my 16 mo. old grandgirl Hartley aka SweetHart <3
Adorable, as always! Thank you for the creative ideas & tutorial– I always feel so energized & excited to create things after I visit your blog! 😃
It’s all so precious! There’s nothing more perfect than Alice in Wonderland!
I’ll have to plan a cute little dress just for that heart pocket 😉💙 love it! And I would love to win that fabric too!
Love the new blog!!! Looks great!!!
Love your new blog format. Great mix of text and adorable images! Many thanks for the perfect heart pocket tutorial. Can’t wait to use it on a sweet little dress!
Oh my goodness this blog post is exactly what I needed! In less than 4 months my little lady is turning one and we are doing an Alice in ONE-derland theme and her name is Hartlee so the heart shaped pocket is perfect for us!
The new blog looks awesome, Jen!
I love this fabric and Tie Dye Diva!
This is adorable! And my pants-hating daughter has just told me that she will “let” me make her pants if they have heart-shaped pockets, so thank you so much for the tutorial!
Super cute use of these fabrics! Thank you for the tutorial!
Everything about this blog post is just dreamy! The model, the patterns used, the fabrics!! Cannot wait to put the heart pocket tutorial to use! Thank you!
Such a lovely Alice!
So cute! The heart pockets are adorable!!
Oh my! I have a set of twins who would love an Alice in wonderland dress…..I can’t wait to add the heart pockets to their next set of dresses
I love this Alice in Wonderland dress! Thank you so much for the heart pattern!
Love the fabric and the the dress.
Well done Jen – what a joy it is to read your new blog. With seven grandchildren to sew for, I find that time after time it’s TDD that I turn to. Last week I sent three of your designs as a birthday gift to a granddaughter who lives interstate and it’s her young sister’s birthday next month, so that heart pocket tutorial is all the inspiration I need. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the tutorial! Can’t wait to try it!
What little girl doesn’t love pockets (or big girls for that matter) ?? Thanks for a new shape to add to my pockets patterns !
Love the new blog! So easy to access and read. The heart pockets are adorable too 🙂
Such a cute Alice! Love those heart shaped pockets! I think my next outfit needs one…or two…
Love the heart pockets. Thanks for the download. I like your new blog, it loads quickly and doesn’t bog my computer down with ads.
Thank You for the tutorial. Been a follower on Instagram and saw the post earlier today. I took a screenshot to remember to come and check out the new blog. I love seeing your posts. 😍😍
I love the new blog! Love the way pictures look. And oh boy that fabric! Alice in wonderland is my weakness (named my daughter Alice as second name due to this). Thanks ks for the tutorials!
I love the new blog look and the heart shaped pockets are just what I needed to finish off a few tdd dresses! Thank you!
Love the blog!! Love the patterns!! And would love to win the fabrics!! ❤❤❤Thank you.
That Alice combo is just perfect!! I’m sure the girls ar just as crazy about pockets as my boys are!!
A great tutorial thank you, and the dresses are just divine.
So cute! I’m loving the fabric.
This is absolutely adorable! I have a couple of little girls that’ll love it. Thanks for sharing <3 Also, it's very refreshing to come to a site and not me bombarded with ads and clickies!
This is the first time I have visited the blog (I am a newbie from Australia!) and I love it. The Wonderland ideas look fantastic and I can’t wait to try them out!
Love the heart pockets.
Super cute!
Absolutely love your patterns!!
I thought it looked great pics loaded well, very interesting
So exciting! Love the patterns!!
I love your blog and the tutorial! I can’t wait to see heart pockets for my girls.
I love the tutorial! My little girl is into pockets right now so I see myself using them in the very near future. The fabric is adorable!
Love the fabrics and adore the love eart pockets!! Might have to give them a go 🙂
LOVE the Alice look and the Wonderland collection is fab! I can’t wait to add the heart pockets to the back of a pair of trousers!
I love what you did with the fabrics!! Too cute!
I’m going to put heart pockets on #allthethings. ;l
So sweet! Thank you for the heart pocket tutorial!
Love this set! I can’t wait to use the heart pocket on some valentine’s day stuff!
Thank you for the tutorial! I am excited to try for my little!
Those heart pockets are super cute! Cannot wait to make some!
So cute! Love the fabric!
Love the pockets. Love the fabric. My daughter’s birthday is September 12th and she will be turning 2! It would be awesome to win some fabric to make her amazing outfits using TDD patterns!!!
I love these outfits and fabrics! Thanks for the chance to win!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful work with us! I can’t wait to learn how to sew and come up with all these pretties using all the awesome patterns you have created! & this fabric is awesome!!
I’m super excited about a new pocket! I love pockets on everything!! (Love the new blog!)
Thanks! This all looks great!
Now I most definitely have to go make a dress to put those heart pockets on, I love them!
Love the fabric!!
The heart shaped pocket looks easy and adorable. Thanks for the tutorial!
Adorable pockets! Thanks for the tutorial. This fabric is so cute!
So sew sew sew adorable I love it. The dress, the pinafore. And especially the fabrics.
I simply adore the Alice in Wonderland inspired dress! Well done. What fun and fancy material.
Love this pinafore, my daughter has 2, I was going to make her another one but I can’t wait to get started on the dress. Such a lovely pattern and my first sewing project ever thanks to your step by step tutorial. Im more confident and no longer use my machine to only take up trousers 🙂
Precious pocket!! Love the fabric choices!
Gorgeous 😍❤️
I can not even stand the cuteness! Love
Such adorable dresses! Can’t wait to try the heart pocket out for my granddaughters. Thanks for the great tutorial!
Thank you for the tutorial!
So sweet! I ordered my first patterns this week and can’t wait to get started!!! 🙂
Love the heart pockets !!!!!!thank you for the tutorial … Definitely see these hearts being used in the near future !!!!!!
Love the tutorials and thank you for a chance to win that beautiful fabric..
Love your Blog and the heart pocket tutorial!!! 🙂
Absolutely love that Alice fabric!! These heart pockets are perfect too! Thank you for a great inspiring tutorial!
Beautiful!
Thanks! What a giving heart u have!
So gorgeous! Love wonderland theme
Love the Pinafore dress. Have not made it myself but totally will if I happen to win.
Thanks for your awesome patterns!
That fabric is adorable!!!!
Thanks for the tutorial and the give away – what a cute Alice!
The very first play I costumed for an adult theater group was “Alice in Wonderland.” I have loved everything about it, ever since. This fabric is adorable and the trip down the rabbit hole one more time was most enjoyable, too. I feel I’m late late late for making something else Alice, soon!
Darling dress and pinafore! Love the heart pocket tutorial – thank you!
Would love to make a set for my daughters! Thanks for the chance!
So cute! Love it!
What beautiful photos! And thanks for the tutorial 😊
The tutorials are great, am going to attempt the crossover pinafore, it’s so sweet, great for our summer. Alice us simply adorable.
Oh wow! I need to get cracking and make these! Thanks again Jen for the awesome patterns (and giveaway)! Good luck everyone.
Love everything–dress, pinafore, heart pockets, and fabric!
Love the Alice dress and pocket tutorial!
The fabric collection is beautiful and so is the outfit you made using it. Thanks for the chance to win.
love the photos! got to try that heart pocket tutorial x
Thank you Thank you Thank you for the heart pocket tutorial! My granddaughter falls in love with anything with heart pockets! This will make it so much easier to just transform some of her current clothing into “I must wear that” items!!!! Did I say Thank you??? 🙂
So cute, Love it!
Such a beauty! I love the dresses, so funny and girly at the same time. Great tutorial also
Love the fabric and the patterns. I will have to add the heart pockets to the next dress I sew!
Love the tutorial and especially the cute little girls in her Alice dress. Great collection
The whimsy of this outfit is totally gorgeous!
Thank you for the pocket tutorial. I’ve tried to do this on my own before…it wasn’t successful 😕 I’m sure I’ll have a win with yours!! ☺
Holy rabbits! That little girl was born to be Alice.
Your pinafore is darling. Thanks for the tutorial for the heart pocket.
Love the up cycle idea!! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely adorable little girl dress!! Thanks for the heart tutorial!!!
I love your pinafore-I made one for my daughter when Holly Hobby was the rage!
What a sweet dress. Love the heart pockets!
Soo lovely! And the heart pockets are so cute! Thanks for sharing!
The dresses are inspired! This fabric line is going to do well.