Ice Cream Social - Interfacing, the Button Loop and the Yoke

Interfacing, Button Loop and the Yoke.

How are we doing? Has everyone managed to keep up? I've seen so many wonderful fabric combinations, tracing and cutting and even the world's most organized sewist in the flickr group. They are among those in the running for the next round of giveaways! Thank you to everyone participating and a HUGE thank you to everyone who bas been offering advice in the discussion forums. Those posting questions, answers and generally participating are also in the running!


So today we're onto the yoke! It's time to break out our irons and sewing machines. Our minigoal for this session is the button loop, interfacing and creating the yoke. We'll be working on these through July 23rd. I know many of you have zoomed ahead. I LOVE all of the inspiration in the flickr group.

Now we before we start sewing, I want to remind everyone that there are more than one way to do things. How I do things might not be the best way for you and that's that's ok! If you've got a faster, easier or better way to do something, we'd love for you to share with everyone. Now, off we go!

Button Loops.
Lucky for us, the button loop is fairly straightforward. It's been cut on the bias, but that's the only tricky bit to this step. I opted for version 2 because I don't own a loop turner. I also jump at any excuse I can to use my edgestitching foot. My tip, I find a bit of spray starch with the iron helps the the fabric hold it's shape as I move it from the iron to the sewing machine.

Interfacing
We need to attached interfacing to the outside yoke panel. If you've never used interfacing before it's worth mentioning why we're adding it. Interfacing can add both stability and structure depending on the weight of interfacing that you use. You can learn more about interfacing at the Oliver+S forums.

In this case we want to add stability to keep our buttons from ripping out. We'll also get a little bit of structure to the back panel of our dress, but we're not after much. We don't want stiff scratchy back panels. Ideally you want to choose an interfacing suited to your fabric. For lightweight cottons, you'll want a lightweight interfacing. A fusible one will give you the cleanest finish to your project because it doesn't need sewn in.


I used whatever lightweight interfacing my local store has on hand at the time. One side is shiny and the other is dull. Make sure you put the shiny side towards the fabric. Lightly iron the interfacing in place on just the outside yoke piece.



Assembling the Yoke
Don't worry we'll come back to the pockets later. I haven't forgotten them. First make sure you've transferred the V marking dots to your yoke.


Follow along the directions fold the edges of the outside yoke up by 1/2". Ignore my very dodgy notches. We are only folding one yoke piece, the outside one with the interfacing.


Following along the directions, baste your button loop into place at the center back. Be careful not to put it too high up as it will accidentally get sewn into the 1/2" seam margin.

In this picture, I've placed it just almost too high! Living on the edge and cutting it close.


Next up, we need to align the yoke and lining. Stitch the sides, center back edges and around the neckline with a 1/2" seam. If you don't have a 1/2" seam guide, use a post-it note or washi tape to mark your sewing line. Be sure to use a 1/2" seam when you sew. If you skimp and sew with a 1/4" seam, your garment may not fit over the intended's head and neck.

On a similar note, some people have larger heads. My husband has an enormous head... huge... like a bowling ball... Please don't tell him I said that. If I were making a garment for him, I would need to enlarge the head and neck opening. Similarly, if your child has been blessed with a larger head, you may need to sew slightly larger than the 1/2" seam inside the neck area. If you're unsure, then I suggest trying a muslin (test with cheap calico fabric) before diving into your expensive fabric.

When you get to the V marking; make sure your needle is in the down position, lift the presser foot and rotate your fabric. (If you've read the instructions for the pockets and are wondering, I've had better luck omitting the parallel stitch at the bottom of the V. Your mileage may vary)


Before proceeding, double check that you're button loop is free and hasn't been caught in your stitching.


Check that you've sewn everything correcty. If you've made a mistake remember to use your seam ripper towards the lining side of the your yoke. Aim the pointy end towards the seam allowance. If you slip with the seam ripper, it's a much better option to stab into the seam allowance or the inner lining. You don't want to put a rip or stab into a visible piece of fabric.

After ensuring you've sewed everything correctly, clip your seam allowance. Trim the corners and cut notches around the the neck line to help create smooth curves at the yoke. I use pair of pinking shears too help with notching around curves. You'll need to cut a very deep V into the neck area to get the V to turn right side out. Be very careful not to clip your stitching line.



Turn your yoke right side out and make sure everything sits smoothly. If you have any awkward bunching, you may need to add another notch in the area to smooth things out.

Sometimes it takes me two or three turns before I have a smooth neckline. Take your time with this step. If you clip your seams too small the fabric could fray. I find it helps me to run my finger just inside the seam line to smooth it out before I iron.

Use a turning tool or a laquered chopstick to make sure the corners of the back center yoke are all fully turned.



Tack the back center yoke together.


Relax as we're done for this section of the sewalong!


While we'll talking about the yoke though, I thought it was a good time to mention Oliver+S's boutique sewists program. If you plan to sell your garments, you should obtain a license from Oliver+S. In doing so, they will provide you with a licensing tag which can be added into the yoke. I'd rather not get into a debate with anyone about the legal, moral and ethical philosophy behind the boutique licensing agreements. Instead, I'm just bring it to your attention. I've ordered a dozen plus licenses for my garments.

I'd love to see how you go with the yoke! Don't forget to post your process photos to the flickr group. If you're stuck or confused, do ask questions at the flickr group! We have so many talented sewists there who've worked a number of Oliver+S patterns happy to help out.