BULLSEYE - DARTS: and how to do them!
- reynaldorobinson
- Jan 31
- 4 min read
Dart instructions, particularly french ones, often have a way of making some confident sewers pause for thought, reread the instructions, and then reconsider how the process should be carried out step by step. Darts look advanced, feel intimidating, and somehow carry a lot of emotional weight for two stitched triangles. But if you’ve tackled matching notches on seams and/or curved necklines, you’re more than ready. This blog is about demystifying darts, sewing them without fear, and ultimately getting that magical, bespoke fit. In the studio darts are used, generally, to add 3D shape to the body of a dress. Beyond dresses, darts add 3D shape to the waist of garments, bust, shoulder and elbow - particularly on more vintage style patterns.
Let's look at three types of darts, which you'll see in our patterns and so many other dress patterns: (a) Plain Darts, (b) Contour Darts and (c) French Darts.
A. Plain Darts
The plain dart is seen in most non-stretchy garments requiring some form of shaping.
They are formed from stitching a triangular shape at either side of a central line or rather a fold line. See diagram below.
NB. BEFORE YOU BEGIN - Trace Dart Markings - relevant for Plain, Contour & French Darts
Having cut out pattern piece, before removing it from fabric, trace dart markings onto wrong side of fabric. In the studio we usually do this with very sharp tailor's chalk (A) - using pins pinned through fabric as guidance. If the fabric allows: it accommodates tiny pin pricks without ruining its weave, and you are not too precious about your paper pattern pieces you could use a tracing wheel (B) to transfer dart markings to fabric. Some people use tailor's tacks (C) - see STEP 1 diagram below - or very loose tacks through pattern piece and layers of fabric. Then they gently tease layers apart and snip threads so that layers can be separated - leaving tufts of the thread visible and more importantly intact and visible on wrong side of fabric pieces.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Right sides together fold down fold line. match and pin stitch lines. Tack/baste down these stitch lines then remove tailor's tacks if you've used them.
Step 3
Start from widest part of dart stitch towards point. Close to point, make sure stitching is parallel to and a thread's width from fold. Cut thread, leaving a good 10 cm at ends.
Step 4
Knot thread ends together (do not pull too tightly): put a pin through knot, then pin point into point of dart. Tighten dart, letting pin point guide knot to dart point.
Step 5
Press dart flat - do not iron: you don't want it to be stretched. Press towards the point. Try not to go beyond - this could form a crease in garment.
Step 6
With dart wrong side up, place it over a tailor's ham. Press (do not iron - you need to avoid stretching) according to direction it will take in finished garment - being careful not to crease garment.
B. Contour Darts
These type of darts are perhaps the most common in dresses. They provide great shape and if executed properly lie flat and un-puckered. They are long single darts, which fit at the waistline then taper off usually up to the bust point and down to the fullest part of the hip (front contour dart). The back contour dart fits at the waistline then tapers up to the fullest part of the back and down to the fullest part of the hip.
The formation of these darts is generally done by stitching a 'squashed' diamond shape at either side of a straight line.
Let's look at how to create the contour dart - step by step...
Step 1
Transfer all dart markings from paper pattern piece onto wrong sides of fabric pieces: mark stitching lines, centre line and all corresponding matching points. See Trace Dart Markings section above - considering options A and B.
NB (option C) Interestingly, I often put pins through matching points, mark matching points onto wrong side of fabric with sharp tailor's chalk. Then I draw dart stitching lines into place using a straight edge or if slightly curved - a french curve.
Step 2
Right sides together, fold dart along centre line. Match matching points and stitching lines, starting from waist, then out towards points. Tack just inside of stitching line. Remove pins after tacking.
Step 3
The contour dart is stitched in two separate parts. Both times beginning from the waist and stitching towards the point. Start first line of stitching at waist to point - leave about 10 cm at ends. Start second line of stitching by overlapping first line to secure both lines. Once again leave ends long - about 10 cm. Knot thread at both ends - being careful not to tie knot too tightly.
Step 4
Remove tacking. If preferred/if necessary - to relieve fullness and ease strain, clip middle of dart to within 3 mm of stitching line. Press dart flat, toward centre of garment - do not iron - this could stretch your dart.
C. French Darts
The French Dart only appears on the front of a garment. It extends diagonally from the side seam around the hip area up to the bust. Its seams can be shaped or slightly curved.
Step 1
Transfer all dart markings from paper pattern piece onto wrong sides of fabric pieces. Stay stitch 3 mm in from stitching line. Start stay stitching from the seam line end of dart and taper stay stitching line to meet about 2.5 cm from point of dart.
Step 2
Slash through centre of dart to point where stay stitching rows intersect. This will not be necessary if pattern piece has middle section already cut away.
Step 3
Right sides together, match and pin stitching lines. On some darts, if curve is more pronounced, it may be necessary to ease lower edge onto upper edge in order to get points to match accurately. Tack/baste along stitching line then remove pins.
Step 4
Stitch dart from seam line end - you can back stitch here, before you stitch toward point. Leave thread ends long about 10 cm then knot. Remove tacking. If required clip seam allowances to relieve strain of curve enabling dart to curve smoothly. Press flat, then press dart downwards over a tailor's ham to accentuate and smooth dart's curve.
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