Yoke Dress pattern draft tutorial

This dress will replicate the Tea yoke dress

This is my first tutorial so please be gentle :-)

I started off with 2 patterns, a basic peasant dress (Carla C Portrait Peasant, which is one of my all time favorite patterns), and a basic round neck t-shirt, I happened to have Farbenmix Imke on the table in the correct size so I used that.

To make the yoke pattern I laid the T-shirt back pattern down and laid tissue paper on top, trace the neckline and shoulder (and remember to add seam allowances if you need to on your particular pattern). I am making size 92cm (age 3), and made the shoulder line 3” , you

will want to increase this in larger sizes, but not by much. Then I marked out a parallel line 3” away from the first. This completes the back yoke piece.

The front piece takes a little more “guestimation”. I again laid tissue over the front piece of my t-shirt, and traced the shoulder seam (again 3”, so it would match the back shoulder seam). Then taking in to consideration of where the neckline was originally, I drew a straight line at 90° to the fold line where I wanted the yoke to end.

I then played around to draw lines from the shoulder line to the “bottom of yoke line”. Widen this piece as you get to the line (if I made this dress again I think I might put a slight curve on the neck edge). Don't forget seam allowances!

That completes the front yoke.

The bottom of the dress is very simple to adapt from a basic peasant dress. I increased the size I would normally use from an age 3 to and age 5 since I wanted the dress to sit at a lower point on the chest.

I took the front piece and cut 1inch off the top, to shorten the armpit length.

I then drew another line 1” from the top to help make the notched front. Along this new line I marked 1.5” in from the armpit (I don't think these measurement will change very much even on larger sizes). I then drew a diagonal line from the armpit side to the mark, and then another for my seam allowance)

The skirt of my dress I just eyeballed and flared out from the bodice.

The back dress piece increase the armpit length by about 1/2”. Make a mark about 1.5” down at the center fold and then draw a curving line to join the two points. The line should mimic the yoke piece but will be longer and more sweeping because it will be gathered.

The sleeves were made by tracing the armpit shape from the front and the back of the dress. I did this on 2 separate sleeve pieces then taped them together. Draw a line between the front armpit length and the back armpit length. I also reduced the width of the sleeve by about 1”, since I had gone up 2 sizes and didn't want the cuff to be huge.

Pfew. If you got that far, the rest is easy!!

I used interlock for the yoke, and a cotton/poly blend jersey for the skirt. The interlock made the yoke nice and sturdy.Cut:-2 yoke backs, on fold, one of yoke, one for yoke lining4 yoke fronts, two for yoke, 2 for yoke lining1 dress front1 dress back2 sleeves

To sew together -place one yoke back right sides together with one yoke piece (check to make sure that the pieces angle in towards the middle of the chest.

-place the other yoke piece on the other shoulder

-repeat with the lining yoke pieces

-press seams

-lay the yoke on top of the yoke lining, right sides together. Pin and sew around the neck edge (shortest side)

-clip curves , turn and press again

-place right side on top of left and baste together inside seam allowances. Cut of “extra bits as shown in pic below.

-using a zig zag sew clear elastic to front flat section of dress skirt. (or gather with 2 rows of long straight stitches) elastic should be as long the the bottom of the yoke

-sew sleeves onto front and back sections of skirt, right sides together.

-mark center back and center of sleeve tops

-gather from sleeve front seam all the way around the back and across the other sleeve, but not on front piece

-mark center back of yoke (you could also base the yoke pieces together if you want, but I didn't)also make ¼ points between shoulder seam and center back

-match center back of skirt with center back of yoke (right sides together).-match the front sleeve seams with the top of the “notch triangle”-match shoulder seam on yoke with center of sleeves-match back sleeve seam with ¼ point marked on yoke

-pull gathering to fit and pin in place. Arrange gathering so that all the gathers on the sleeve at at the center point. Back is gathered even. (A pleat would look really nice in the back too)

-pin flat front pieces together too

-start at the bottom and sew all the way over the sleeve around the back and down the other sleeve. Then sew across the front flat part. I sewed mine with a regular sewing machine, and then serged the raw edges.

-sew side seams and hem sleeves and bottom.

DONE!!

Made by Rebecca Billingtonhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/rbillington