Stafford Jacket Sew Along Part Five: Sewing the Back

​Welcome to the Stafford Sew Along Part Five. Today we will be working on sewing with the Back, Side Back and Back Yoke pieces. If you are just joining us, be sure to read through Part One: Cutting and Marking, Part Two: Topstitching Tips, Part Three: Sewing the Front, and Part 4: Sewing the Pockets. Let's get sewing!

Use a chalk marker to draw a line between the two dots on the Back. Machine sew basting stitches along the line. Leave long thread tails for gathering.

 On the Side Back piece, staystitch the "V" shape along the underam seamline, pivoting at the dot. 

With right sides together, matching notches, sew the Side Back to the Back. Finish the seam. If you are using Fusi-Web, apply it now. When finished, press the seam towards the Back.

On the face of the garment, topstitch along the seam. 

With right sides together, machine baste one Back Yoke to the Back, matching the dots to each seam. Pull the bobbin thread to gather the Back between the dots on the Back Yoke.

With right side of second Back Yoke to wrong side of Back, sew the yoke seam over the previous basting stitches. Trim the seam and grade. You can grade a seam in one step by using large shears, angled (almost flat) as you cut. This cuts each raw edge at a slightly different width. Press the Back Yokes away from Back, sandwiching the seam. Below you can see the inside Back Yoke pressed away from the back, before the outside Back Yoke is pressed up.

​In this image, both Back Yokes are pressed away from the Back, wrong sides together. Machine baste the Back Yokes together at the shoulder seams. Staystitch around the neckline. 

On the right side of the garment, topstitch along the seam across the Back Yoke.

 Using the Pressing with Templates method, press the bottom hem in place to make a 1⅝"-wide finished hem. The hem will be stitched later.