How to add a yoke to a bodice pattern
Yokes are a great way to add simple style lines to a garment.
A yoke holds the shape of a bodice across the shoulders and around the neckline, the rest of the garment hangs from the yoke. A yoke shouldn’t go past any dart points, but darts can be incorporated into a yoke seam. If you want to learn more about darts, have a look at our Pattern Cutting Series
Yokes can be used on the front and back of a garment and we are going to show you how to add a yoke to a bodice shape.
How to add a yoke seam
What you’ll need:
- Pattern paper
- Scissors
- Pattern master or straight ruler
- Sharp pencil
Using your original garment or a toile, decide how far down from the centre front neck you would like your yoke seam to be. A good rule of thumb is roughly half the distance from the neckline to your bust line. On your pattern, draw on the seam allowances around the neckline of your bodice.
Mark the position of the new yoke seam, measuring from the seam line at the neckline down to the new position. Square across the front of the bodice at that point, making sure that the new seam line is at right angles to the centre front line. 
Add a balance mark through the seam around a third of the way across.
This will help ensure that both pieces, the yoke and the bodice, match up correctly when you make up the garment. Trace off the new yoke piece and the bottom half of the bodice as separate pieces. Add the seam allowance on to both pieces across the new yoke seam line. 
Follow the same steps to create a back yoke. Check the position of the yoke seam is not too low - past your shoulder blades, as this could hamper movement.
You now have the new pattern pieces to create a separate yoke to your bodice. This seam can be used to define the style lines of the yoke with piping, inserting lace or with a frill. 
To make the frill version
To make enough frill for both the yoke and the sleeves, cut 2 strips of fabric across the width of the fabric by whatever depth you want your frill to be, remember to add seam allowance. We cut 4cm strips which includes a 1cm seam allowance to insert it into the bodice but no seam allowance on the lower edge as we are going to use the overlocker and do a rolled hem.
Finish the lower edge of the frill, we used a rolled hem on the overlocker but you could do a small pin hem. 
Gather the upper edge of the frill, by either sewing two rows of gathering stitches and pulling to form soft gathers or use the overlocker on its gathering setting to make a really quick gathered frill.
For help with your overlocker, check out our Love Your Overlocker Course available to you in the Sewing Studio!
Pin the wrong side of the frill to the right side of the lower bodice. Stitch just inside the seam allowance. 
Pin the upper bodice yoke to the lower bodice (right sides together), matching up the notches along the yoke seam and ensuring the frill is between the two layers. Stitch, finish the seam and press the seam upwards the yoke. 
To make the frill for the sleeve head, make up the frill as before, you will need approx 26cm -30cm of gathered frill for each sleeve. Pin the right side of the frill to the right side of the bodice, starting in the middle of the frill to the shoulder seam and working your way down either side, tapering to nothing and finishing approx 2.5cm away from the yoke seam and 2.5cm away from the double notches. Machine baste in place within the seam allowance. 
Insert the sleeve as per the Celia instruction booklet, ensuring your frill is between the two layers. Finish the seam and press the seam towards the bodice so the frill lies flatter.
