Replies

1. 
   carobanano | Aug 14, 2004 10:43pm | #1

   What kind of garment is this? If you could give a few more details about where the seams and darts are, I may be able to help. By "straight central dart," do you mean waist dart?

1. 
   Simcha | Aug 15, 2004 02:10pm | #2

   Thank you for your quick response. I'm new to this forum as I have been living abroad for 35 years{in Israel] and just recently have discovered Threads.

   I am talking about a dress pattern with a front dart. I would like to be able to eliminate it and move the dart to the side seam. It would probably make the dress slighty a-line but that's okay.

   Thanks aagain for you help

1. 
   carobanano | Aug 24, 2004 06:58am | #3

   Sorry for the not-so-quick reply. -.- This took a bit of thinking!

   I think the best thing to do would be to measure the darts' widths at various points, then transfer these width measurements to the side seams. Make sure this new part of the side seams is parallel to the darts. Smooth out the line into a curve (if you replicated it exactly, the side seam would just have an angle) and you're done!

   I hope that made sense. And Israel! Wow! It's great that you can get your hands on Threads when you're so far away.

2. 
   SewNancy | Sep 17, 2004 03:54pm | #4

   It is easy to move a dart.  To see how it can be done first and to give you some confidence, I'd make a quarter scale shape of the dress to just below the dart, you don't have to use the whole front.  Find the bust dart and draw a line to the apex, ( the bust point) which is often marked on the pattern front and draw the legs of the dart so that they continue to the point.  Draw a line to the side seam fron the apex and where you want the new dart.  Cut out the dart.  Cut the new line just to the bust point and close the old dart and the new one will  open up and drop down and form the exact size shaping that you are replacing.  If you have a large bust and need more than one dart you can do this in 2 or more places and split the amount between them.  However, f you have a large bust, you will look better with the dart shaping coming up from the bottom because the front hangs from the bust point and will make you look heavier.  You can also only close the bottom dart partially to spread the dart take up between the two locations for a more refined fit.   Fit for Real people has a very good chapter on this with good pictures.  It is easy.

   Nancy

   Edited 9/17/2004 9:53 am ET by Nancy