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Help – attaching yoke to skirt

Audball | Posted in General Sewing Info on

Help! I’m making a yoked skirt, New Look #6345 (labeled “easy” <g>). What’s the best way to attach the yoke to the skirt? I’ve tried it twice on muslin, matching the skirt and yoke edges as closely as possible (after lining up seams and notches). I’ve used a zillion pins; tried sewing with the yoke on top (following the continuous curve of the yoke); and with the yoke on bottom (skirt draped over the free arm and sewing a more-or-less straight line). Either way, in the end there seems to be more yoke than skirt. On the muslin, the top layer “creeps” which makes it worse. The actual skirt is in a printed denim.

I’ve got the whole thing pinned up right now but decided to quit for the night (and see if I could get some help). I checked the archives and Threads website, nothing I could see. I’m a novice when it comes to making garments, so please be kind and use small words. 🙂

thanks! audrey

Replies

  1. FitnessNut | | #1

    I'm not familiar with the yoke design on this skirt, but the first thing that comes to mind is to check the pattern pieces to ensure that the seamlines are the same length. You would be surprised how often they aren't when they should be (no easing, which they're shouldn't be on a skirt anyway). You may have to draw on the seamlines if your pattern doesn't include them. This is always a good step when things aren't going as they should.

    1. SewNancy | | #6

      Dear Sandy,

      YOu always give the best advice!  I am having trouble with the back yoke on a jeans style pair of pants and have altered it quite a bit so I will check the seam lengths. 

      Nancy

      1. FitnessNut | | #7

        Thanks a bunch! You've made my day :-)

  2. SewTruTerry | | #2

    I am not familiar with that particular pattern but it may be that you are missing a step by not stay stitching around the top of the skirt.  you may be suprised at how much this area can stretch no matter how careful you are with it.  Also keep in mind that the muslin is much looser woven than the the denim even if you are going to use a light denim.  the muslin may be causing more fits for you than the denim will.

  3. Elisabeth | | #3

    Cute skirt. Which veiw are you making? It could very well be the pattern's fault so do check and see if the seam measurements match up on the paper. Then check and see if your cut out fabric pieces are still the same size as the pattern pieces. Denim can grow and shrink over and over with wash/drying and steam ironing or even getting sewn and taken apart. For example, did the yoke get more/less steaming in the construction process than the skirt part? The yoke looks like it might have a bit of a bias edge where it joins the skrit, that would make it stretch and staystitching would help (just make sure the fabric piece matches the pattern piece as it was originally cut before you staystitch). Are your vertical seams sewn exactly 5/8"? Especially if you are making the view with many seams a few seams 1/8" off plus a tad in where the cutting line actually ended up can add up to a lot.

    If it all seems to match up then I would suggest hand basting the pieces together and then sewing it on the machine. It will hold the pieces togther much better than the pins. Hand basting is a beautiful tool on the right occasion so try not to feel it is a party pooper when you are on a roll with your cool machine and just want to SEW.

    1. Audball | | #4

      Hi everyone,

      Let's see... there weren't any seamlines on the pattern, now that you mention it; this is the first New Look I've tried and I thought it looked different!

      The only place the pattern calls for staystitching is around the top of the yoke, where it will eventually join the facing. Should I also staystitch around the bottom where it will join the skirt? or the top of the skirt where it will join the yoke? (the yoke is the piece that seems longer) Can I still staystitch after I've joined the pieces together?

      I'm making view D right now; if it works out I also plan to make view C (without the piping). I probably should have started with C, as the pockets and carriers in the denim are also adding a lot of thick areas to deal with in the yoke/skirt seam! The center back/front of the yoke is on the grain, so I guess that puts the curved areas on a bias. I'll check the seams and pattern pieces; I'm working from a copy so I might have gained/lost fractions in the translation. Hand basting sounds like a good idea!

      thanks! audrey

    2. Audball | | #5

      hi Elisabeth,

      >>Cute skirt.

      I tried one on at Express that was just like it (without pockets/flaps) and loved it. Only it looked so simple, I didn't want to pay $40 for it! Now if I can just learn to master the whole art of sewing flat pieces to fit curved bodies...!

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