Sewing Darts : 15 Dart Placements & Tips For Sewing Them - Sew Guide

A Dart is a fabric manipulation technique that gives the fabric a three-dimensional contour by folding the fabric and stitching it to a point, giving shape to a garment. It accentuates the curves of a body and gives clothes the correct fit.

Darts take in the fabric at a section of the garment and narrows down to a point at another, creating fullness at the narrowed section.

There are sections of the body that are more full than other parts – like the derriere/hip and bust. This fullness is given on clothes with strategic placements of darts. The dart is drawn as triangular sections, which taper to nothing.

The most important thing you should take into consideration when designing darts is the length and position.

The more curves in the figure, the more darts are necessary to give a good fit. The larger the person, the deeper the darts have to be.

Types of darts according to shape

Checkout the post on takingEssential Body Measurements for Sewing

Darts are of two categories : One category is based on its direction. The other category is based on its shape. As per this second category, the types of darts are single pointed darts and double pointed darts.

1. Single-pointed dart

Single pointed dart is wide at one end and tapered at the other. It is V shaped. It is used on skirts, pants etc and located at shoulders, bust, neckline, and armhole.

2. Double-pointed Dart

Double pointed dart is tapered at both ends with width at the center; It is also called a body dart. It is used to for the fabric to follow the body’s shape naturally. You will find this dart at the waist, both on the front bodice and back bodice.

Design your darts so that the darts on the right and left sides ofthe garment have the same placement and length. A deviation in this symmetry can make your garment lopsided.

You should take the correct length of the most important points in your body – shoulder to bust; shoulder to waistline; shoulder to hip line or waist to hip length; bust point to bust point; bust line to waistline etc. This is different for different people and hence would make all the difference in the way the dart is placed.

• Types of darts according to shape
• Types of darts according to Location
• Where to place darts on a dress
• Types of darts according to purpose
• How are darts added to a pattern

Types of darts according to Location

Where to place darts on a dress

(15 Different Dart placements)

Darts come in many sizes and placements. Some darts are double-pointed, extending to either side, while others point in one direction. The main sections where they are placed are Bust, shoulder, neckline, and waist.

Let us see all the different places that darts are used, more in detail.

1. Mid shoulder dart

The shoulder dart generally begins at a point slightly closer to the neck than halfway on the shoulder seam and slants slightly toward the center front, ending on the point of the bust. The distance this dart extends depends on the style of the garment. Generally, it ends at a point halfway down the armscy.

2. Shoulder tip dart

3 .Mid Armhole dart

4. Mid neckline dart

5. Centre front neck dart

6. Standard waist dart

This is the dart that starts from the waist and goes up to the bust. This creates a fitting bodice along the waist, emphasizing a shapely bust.

The waist dart is calculated as a measure of a bust measurement minus waist measurement. So if the waist measurement is bigger than the bust, obviously, there will be no need for the waist dart.

And if the difference between waist measurement from bust measurement is less than 4 inches also, the waist dart can be avoided – it makes not much differ.

If the difference between bust measurement and waist measurement ( B -W) is 4 to 5 inches one of the 2 waist darts should be 1/2 inch wide; If it is 6 inches to 7 1/2 inches the dart size should be 3/4 inch; If it is 8 inches to 9 1/2 inches the dart size should be 1 inch; If it is 10 inches to 11 1/2 inches the dart size should be 1 1/4 inches; If it is 12 inches to 13 1/2 inches the dart size should be 1 1/5 inches

7. Center front waist dart

8. Double waist dart

These are those long darts that you see in dresses that shape the waist. They extend both above and below the waistline, are wider in the center and taper to points at both ends

Vertical darts from the waist down may be necessary to take care of a protruding abdomen.

9. Center front bust dart

10. Bust dart or Side straight dart / under the arm– This is the bust dart you see on the side seam of the bodice, the dart point moving towards the bust point.

Usually the under-arm dart is placed two inches below the armscyeand points toward the bust.

For bust size of 30 1/2 to 32 inches you can make a bust dart of 1/2 inch; for 32 1/2 -34 inches dart size is 3/4 inch; for 34 1/2 -36 inches dart size is 1 inch ; for 36 1/2 -38 inches dart size is 1 1/2 inches; for 38 1/2 -40 inches dart size is 1 3/4 inches; for 40 1/2 -42 inches dart size is 2 inches; for 42 1/2 -44 inches dart size is 2 1/4 inches

11. Side angled dart (french dart)

Another bust dart starting from the waistline/hipline to bust in an angled cut. This is a long curved dart. As it is difficult to sew, you cannot fold and sew the dart. The pattern is cut along the dart and then sewn.

12. Elbow Dart

Darts at the elbow are necessary to make a sleeve fit closely.

13. Sleeve hem darts

A vertical dart running from the little finger at the wrist toward the elbow will make the sleeve fit snugly at the lower arm.

14 Skirt /pant darts

These are darts starting at the waist and going towards the hip to create a fullness there. They are placed in the back of a skirt to givea smooth fit from the waist and over the hips. You can cut the yoke such that the darts are unnecessary.

Types of darts according to purpose

Fisheye dart

This is a dart used to eliminate the sagging portion under the derriere in pants . It is a horizontal double pointed dart

Small darts at the back of the neckline take care of rounded shoulders or a pad of flesh across the back of the neck. 

French dart

Angled dart from waist/hip to bust; often cut and sewn like a seam.

How are darts added to a pattern

When you add dart to a pattern extra width that will be sewn up has to be added to the pattern. This dart is then sewn up to provide fullness.

Darts are added so that it points to the high point of the curve. The tip of the dart should not reach this point however – atleast 1/2 inch short of the point is best

As to the length of the dart – this is a formula that I have noted down in my sewing book copied from where I do not remember

When a dart width is 3/4 inch, the dart length should be 3-1/2 inch; for 1-inch dart width, 4-1/2 inch length; for 1-1/4 inch dart width, 5-1/2 inch length; for 1-1/2 inch dart width, 6-inch length, and for 2-inch dart width, a 6-1/2 inch length.

The width of the dart at the wide part depends on the fullness you want near the tip of the dart. If you have a big derriere you would want to add a wider dart in the waist tapering to the hip, so that you get that much fullness there.

• Draw the bodice on a piece of paper

• Draw the dart where you want shaping
• Cut along that line
• Cut out the dart to the width you intend to take in ( include the seam allowance as well. Tape it up.

• Now redraw the pattern with this taken in width added. This is your pattern with the dart added. Checkout more details on this in the sundress pattern

Related post : Tailoring lessons for beginners

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