Center Back Hiking Up – With Yoke

Have you ever seen the issue when the Center-Back hem hikes up too much? When you look at the bottom hem from the side profile view, you notice the center back is hiking up and does not level with the sides/front.

This post will show an easy fix if you have a yoke or want to add one and give it nicer shaping. Yokes are absolutely wonderful for fit. We should always try to work in some shaping into them to get the full fit usage out of them.

1. Cut along the yoke at the center back (or if you have no yoke, cut where you want to add the yoke). Stop cutting when you get to the armholes.
2. Allow the back to hang down until the hem is even.
3. Tape it in place and measure the distance.
4. On the center-back yoke seam of your body panel, add the amount you cut/taped open.
5. Once you do this, the body yoke seam automatically becomes a little longer. This means you will need to add the difference back to the yoke to be sure the pattern pieces go together.

Yokes for tops and pants are a life-saver when it comes to getting the perfect fit. You can build in so much specific shaping for the curves of your body. In this case, the yoke can offer perfect movement for the shoulder blades and give a more level hem.

This information and more can be found in The Fitting Book. Order your book today through the link below.