Exploring dart manipulation in dressmaking 

Darts are my favourite way to create shape, structure and unique style lines in all kinds of garments. For dressmakers, understanding dart manipulation is essential to creating the tailored look of well-fitted garments. Beyond simply sewing standard darts, dart manipulation techniques allow you to adjust and reconfigure darts to match any style, fit, or body type. This post dives into advanced dart manipulation techniques, covering the basics and exploring creative ways to incorporate them into your designs.

What are darts? 

Darts are folds sewn into fabric that add shape and dimension, allowing a flat piece of fabric to contour to the body’s curves. They’re most often found in areas that need shaping, such as the bust, waist, and hips. Darts can vary in length, width, and placement, depending on the garment and fit.

The most common types of darts include:

 • Single-pointed darts: These are the basic darts with one end that tapers off, typically found at the waist or bust.

 • Double-pointed darts: These have two tapered ends and are often used to shape both the front and back of fitted garments, mainly dresses and backs of shirts.

Why do they matter? 

Dart manipulation is about moving, splitting, or combining darts to better control fabric shaping and design. It’s the tool we use to customise patterns, allowing you to make adjustments to fit individual bodies or create unique designs.

The basics of dart manipulation 

Here are some fundamental methods of dart manipulation:

 1. Pivoting 

 • Pivoting is a common technique for moving a dart to a new location. By keeping the original dart’s shape and size, you can change its placement while keeping the garment’s fit. Pivoting can be especially helpful when altering a pattern to add style lines or combine darts.

 • How to pivot: Trace your pattern onto another sheet of paper, mark the dart’s location and decide where you want the new dart to be. Keeping the original dart point as the pivot point, swing the paper to align the dart along the new position and retrace the pattern with the new dart.

 2. Slash and spread 

 • This technique involves slashing the fabric along the dart and spreading or closing sections to redistribute fullness. Slash-and-spread is commonly used to turn a standard dart into gathers, pleats, or princess seams.

 • How to slash and spread: Draw the new lines for where you want the dart to open, cut along these lines, and adjust the fabric to add or reduce fullness in the desired area.

 3. Pattern redesign 

 • Pattern redesign goes beyond just moving darts and involves reshaping or even eliminating darts by adding seams, princess lines, or other design features. This method is ideal for creating dramatic design changes without sacrificing fit. You can use a pattern for one garment and then turn it into something else or you could just create a pattern from scratch using blocks.

 • How to redesign patterns: Consider the shape and style of the garment, then plan the new style lines and add them to your pattern, making sure to account for seam allowances and other adjustments. This is the absolute simplest way to explain this process but it gives you an understanding, hopefully.

Advanced dart manipulation techniques 

Once you understand basic dart manipulation, you can begin experimenting with advanced techniques. Here are some more ways to use dart manipulation to enhance your designs:

 1. Turning one large dart into multiple smaller darts 

 • If you have one large dart in an area where it would cause a lot of fabric bunching or if your fabric is very thick, make your original dart half the size and then add two smaller darts on either side.

 • Example: This is great for fitted bodices or jackets where multiple darts can create a softer yet structured look.

 2. Dart conversion to style lines 

 • Instead of sewing darts, convert them into seams like princess seams or style lines. These lines create the same shaping effect but you can add in colour block panels, adjusted grainlines and different fabrics.

 • Example: Princess seams, which run from the shoulder or armhole down to the hem, are a common way to shape a garment without traditional darts.

 3. Creating dart tucks or pleats 

 • For a softer, more textured look, convert darts into tucks or pleats. This technique adds volume, particularly around the bust or waist areas. This can also allow for more range of movement in an otherwise restricted garment.

 • Example: Transforming darts into pleats around the waistline can add a softer, gathered effect to skirts or dresses.

 4. Turning darts into gathers 

 • Gathers provide a more casual look than darts and can be placed along necklines, waistlines, or even at the shoulder seams. This technique works well for loose-fitting or bohemian-style garments.

 • Example: Converting waist double sided darts at the waistline into gathers with an elastic or shirring can create an entirely new design with the same original pattern.

 5. Adding curves with a dart 

 • Dart legs (seams) don’t need to have straight lines, they can be curved to follow the body curve. This is a great way to have a dart be tighter in one area and flared in another

 • Example: A bust dart looks more sleek and form fitting when the legs are curved to follow the contour of a bust.

 6. Eliminating Darts for Sleek Lines 

 • In some cases, darts can be eliminated entirely by transferring their shaping function to seams or using bias-cut fabric for natural shaping.

 • Example: Bias-cut garments often mold naturally to the body without the need for darts, making this method great for elegant, understated designs. When someone looks at a slinky dress and it seems to be a simple design, this usually means that the design is cut on the bias and flows over the body in a simple yet complicated way.

Common problems and some ideas for you 

 • Distorted shape after dart movement: A dart is originally created in the position it is because it works with the fabric grainline and the fit of the original fit model for the pattern. Make sure the grainlines still work and if the dart in the new position works properly on the fit model.

 • Gaps: When converting darts to gathers or pleats, ensure the fullness is distributed evenly. Adjust the placement of your pleats or gathers to avoid gaps.

 • Extra bulk in heavier fabrics: When working with thick or heavy materials, combining or rotating darts can add unwanted bulk. Consider reducing dart width or adding seams instead.

Tips for practicing dart manipulation 

 1. Use calico/muslin for mock ups: Before applying changes to your final fabric, create a mock up. This will give you the chance to test out the dart changes and see if they will work before using you final fabric.

 2. Basting: Before sewing, baste the dart in its new position. Try the garment on to check for fit and make any adjustments before final stitching.

 3. Press for best results: After sewing darts, press them in place to help maintain their shape.

Final Thoughts 

Dart manipulation offers nearly endless possibilities for tailoring garments to fit unique body shapes and designing all kinds of garments. There really is an endless amount of adjustments and alterations you can make with darts to create some truly unique garments. When my students ask me how they can turn their blocks into patterns, learning about dart manipulation is the next step to learn.

If you would like to learn how to make your own blocks, check out Your Custom Pattern Library here.