This is #3 in a series of blog posts on bodice fitting. You can read this post in French on the Deer&Doe blog here. For all posts in the series click here.
So far in this series we have discussed how darts create shapes to accommodate the curves of the body or the design in any given pattern. Because of our unique bodies and curves, the differences between body parts will vary. A dart will often become wider if it’s longer or the volume or curve it needs to contour is more pronounced. In contrast, darts will be narrower if they are short and the curve they contour around is flatter or the volume is small. The beautiful thing about darts is that in addition to being rotated and moved, they can also be split into smaller darts, and in this post, we will focus on dart division!
Why You May Need to Divide Your Darts
Keep in mind that pattern alterations change the width and length of a garment, and darts may become wider as a result (ie. when you make a full bust adjustment). As the angle of a dart gets wider (~35°), it becomes harder to sew and press correctly, and the fabric becomes skewed. If the darts in a garment become so wide that they are hard to press, the darts look skewed, or you start to see a bias pull on one side of the dart. In this instance, we recommend dividing the dart into two or more narrower darts. Dart rotation and division combined are great for large busts, as they help split and distribute the volume needed in a less dramatic way. Finally, multiple darts can create a unique look to the design of a garment, so you may want to split darts for aesthetic reasons.
How to Divide Darts
Dart division is very similar to dart rotation, in that a new dart location is initiated, but instead of closing one dart and opening the other, the spread of the dart is distributed between two or more dart darts. To divide a dart we recommend the slashing and reducing technique. Here is how to do it:
- Trace a line from the center of the current dart to the apex.
- Then trace a line where you want your other dart to be. If you've made a muslin, you can draw this line on your toile before transferring it to the pattern piece.
- Extend the dart to the apex by retracing the dart legs from the seam allowance to the apex.
- Slash along one leg of the dart and slash along your new dart line, stopping just a smidge before the apex so that the cut-out piece can pivot around this point.
- Reduce the old dart by bringing the dart legs closer and spread the new dart by bringing the darts apart.
- Trace new dart lines at the center of each dart.
- Trace the new dart point starting 1”-2” from the apex (as previously discussed).
- Trace the new dart legs between the dart point and the seam allowance.
- True your darts by folding them on your pattern piece and tracing new seam and seam allowances with a tracing wheel.
If you want to keep with the design intent of the garment but simply want to split a wide dart into two or more, a dart can also be divided into darts that start at the same seam line.
If you find that the dart points are too close together, move the apex of the dart slightly by up to 1” to each side from the initial dart center line.
For Elodie, for example, we drafted three waist pleats following the principle outlined above.
You may now realize that by combining two darts in certain locations, you’ll be able to create the start of a princess seam. This is exactly what we will discuss in our upcoming blog post in this series. We hope you feel empowered to have fun playing around and tackle your darts to make your garment fit exactly as you want! See you next week!
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