Ten Pocket Options for my Sixties Dresses.

For my floral patterned dress:

1. Gathered, oversized pockets. With a flat top so things don't jump out. Double stitched trim on the flat top. This is hard to do textually—imagine a drawstring bag but with a structured top. I like the idea of them but am concerned I will look like I have an arse of both sides of my body.
2. Internal pockets on the side seams. Easy to do and they don't create the pattern clash that any surface pocket is going to create, but they have the floppy-factor and that is probably enough to make them no-go. I dislike that they wander around inside your clothing of their own volition.
3. Straight slit pocket with a facing. Internal but in the body of the dress; vertical. Easier to find than the ones on the side as they are in the place you expect pockets to be. Sides always seem to gravitate towards backs. There is still the internal movement issue here.
4. Central pouch—like on an apron. Easy to do, no fiddly bits. Easy to find. Definite possibilities of pattern clashes unless you have lots of spare fabric and an exacting eye—I believe I could get close to close. They may not hold a lot but I do like this idea most of all.
5. Large flower appliqué with an open top. This is meta-pocketing. Or is it meta-patterning. Fiddly option.

For my B&W spotted dress:

6. A ric-rac cross down the centre of the dress with the horizontal at pocket level. The actual pockets are then sewn into the seam of the ric-rac on the horizontal. It's visually 60's which I like, but there is something about ric-rac that makes me think of clothing I was forced to wear as a child.
7. Circle appliqués with a semi-circle cut out for your hands to get into. Meta-circling. I like.
8. Exact square, placed on a diamond angle. This makes a play on the spottiness of the dress which is already like one of those optical illusions. When you shake it the dots dance. I have no idea what it will do to people's vision as I walk towards them in the bright sunshine. I hope everyone has sunnies on.
9. This will take some explaining: centre seam; from the seam attach two triangular pouches. They will have a fold in the middle that can be secured with a button. A wordy mess but they look nice visually.
10. Pouch bag, attached to side seam by a ribbon. This pocket swings free. And needs constant reminders to not overload. It will catch on everything and get in the way. but it has my preferred level of quirk.

P.S: Ran out of time and went to Europe sans-pockets. It would have been better to make pockets than to think about what pockets to make. Maybe.

Ten Items I Would Like to Sew or Knit at Work Instead of Reading Intentions or A Thousand Plateaus.

1. My two swinging sixties dresses in bold geometric patterns—with pockets—for the Beatnik Bifurcating Britain with a Beaver tour. I know you purists are saying Beatniks just wear black. My twains are meeting. I'll have black-with-contrasts, and Beatniks are also supposed to be straight up and down and wear tight clothes—I'm no Audrey Hepburn so I'll hide the curves.
2. The leg warmers in B——'s borrowed knitting book. They look so cute; so unlike leg warmers in the eighties. Who am I kidding? But I could wear them over my hiking boots so that it looks like I have sixties knee high boots on from a distance, if you're in the distance and squinting a lot.
3. My cloud quilt—so boldly started and now in arrested development. Bloody thesis. Stimmeys all creativity except itself. It's like a tapeworm.
4. Red quilted lining for my Sherlock Holmes cloak. If I can't be a detective/sleuth/spy,at least I could look the part a little. Or, just look weird maybe.
5. Wild, funky exciting scarves for [Name cannot be disclosed due to pending copyright issues] Pty Ltd.
6. Wild, funky, unusual sleevies for [Name cannot be disclosed due to pending copyright issues] Pty Ltd.
7. Nightmare on Elm Street jumper in original orange and green, and in original, pre-burned condition. This is a favour for someone in case anyone who knows me is suddenly struggling with what they thought they actually did know about me—I would never wear orange and green together.
8. Refashioning op-shop clothing into things of unique beauty. I have such amazing ideas.i just wish they weren't in my sub-conscious so I could see what they are.
9. Vintage Vogue pattern I have had for fourteen years, for the tailed skirt with tassels.
10. An outfit or two a month like I pledged in my list of one hundred and one things to do before I die.