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Dart Manipulation Techniques For Flat Patterns

Darts are used to shape fabric to the body by providing fullness at curves. There are several dart manipulation techniques used in patternmaking to create new designs, including relocating darts or converting them into design elements like gathers or pleats. The document describes methods like pivot transfers, slash and spread transfers, and using dart equivalents. It provides examples of straight, curved and double pointed dart styles, and demonstrates how to manipulate darts asymmetrically or change them into gathers through a step-by-step process.

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10K views

Dart Manipulation Techniques For Flat Patterns

Darts are used to shape fabric to the body by providing fullness at curves. There are several dart manipulation techniques used in patternmaking to create new designs, including relocating darts or converting them into design elements like gathers or pleats. The document describes methods like pivot transfers, slash and spread transfers, and using dart equivalents. It provides examples of straight, curved and double pointed dart styles, and demonstrates how to manipulate darts asymmetrically or change them into gathers through a step-by-step process.

Uploaded by

Shoaib
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Dart Manipulation Techniques for Flat Patterns

byJahanara Enam-11:11 AM
Darts:
Darts help in shaping the fabric to fit the body and thus provide comfort to the wearer. They provide
fullness to natural body curves. Darts are very rarely used for decorative purposes like providing a
design line. The fitting, marking, stitching and pressing of darts should be done accurately.

To create new designs for garments, it is specially used for ladies garments. It save fabric wastage
and also use to remove excess fabric. Darts are needed to turn two-dimensional shapes into three-
dimensional shapes and to fit clothes closely to the body.

Fig-1: Darts in flat patterns (Image: http://www.threadsmagazine.com)


Applying Dart Manipulation—Introduction to design patterns
The technique is applied when the dart of working patterns (bodice, skirt, sleeve, or any working
pattern) are relocated in the process of creating design patterns. To create a design pattern, the
design is analyzed first to identify the location of the dart or equivalent before manipulating the
pattern.

The following design projects illustrate the beginning of pattern manipulation, and each process
should be completed in the order given because each will help to prepare the pattern maker or
designer for more advanced work. Both artistic and technical skills are required to successfully create
design patterns.
Different dart locations:
Darts can be located in a number of different places on a bodice to alter its style.

Fig-2: Different dart locations 


Dart manipulation techniques:
Dart manipulation is one of the most important techniques when it comes to pattern drafting. Fashion
designer must identify the location of the dart before manipulating the pattern and how manipulate the
dart. Dart manipulation mainly starts with a basic sloper, which they then convert into their stylish
designs. Darts become princess seams, gathers, tucks or cowls. New style lines are added or moved,
necklines are reshaped.

Their are three dart manipulating techniques in flat patterns. These are suitable for manipulate dart to
any location. The slash & spread or pivot method mostly use to transfer darts to the bust, neck,
armhole or anywhere you want!
1. Pin and pivotal dart transfer technique.
2. Slash-spread transfer and overlap technique
3. Dart equivalent technique
1. Pin and Pivotal dart rotation technique:
Pattern designers use pivoting methods to make fashion changes. They move darts or add fullness
by anchoring the basic pattern with a pin and moving the pattern in, out, and around. The pattern
swings back and forth like the pendulum on a grandfather clock. Use this pivoting motion to change
the pattern width.
Fig-3: Pin and pivotal dart transfer technique
In this method does not require the working be slashed in order to change its original shape into
design pattern. It is a transfer method and with experience, it is preferred.

2. Slash-spread dart rotation and overlap technique:


Pattern graders use the slide motion to change pattern sizes. They slide patterns up, down, and to
the side to gradually increase or decrease from one size to the next. Use this sliding motion to add or
subtract length.
Fig-4: Slash-spread transfer and overlap technique
Pivot and slide techniques combine these two motions to fit a pattern simply, yet accurately. You
make all of the changes on a worksheet (pattern paper or tissue paper), keeping the original pattern
intact—no more cutting and taping! By changing the pattern equally on both sides of the grain, the
seam and the design lines are kept in proportion to the original pattern. Best of all, each change is
easy.

3. Dart equivalents technique:


Pleats or gathers in the fabric can be used as for the same purpose as a normal stitched dart. These
are called dart equivalents. Darts can also be worked into style lines. The dart excess can be used to
create a wide variety of other design features such as, tucks, gathers, pleats, and even cowls.
Essentially, the dart or its equivalent is always present somewhere in the pattern. The dart or its
equivalent will always radiate from the pivot point.

Different types of darts:


The different types of darts are discussed below:
1. Straight dart
2. Curved outward dart
3. Curved inward dart
4. Neckline dart
5. Double pointed dart 
6. Dart in interfacing
1. Straight dart: 
It is a straight line of stitching from the point to the seam line (Fig-5). This can be noticed in the
underarm of the front bodice, back skirt, shoulder, elbow and back neckline.
Fig-5: Straight dart
2. Curved outward dart:
The stitch line curves outward along the path from the point to the seam line (Fig-6). This gives a
snugger fit to the garment. This is sometimes used on a bodice front to make a mid-body fit snug.

Fig-6: Curved outward dart


3. Curved inward dart:
The stitch line curves inward from the point to the seam line. This facilitates a better fit along the body
curve (Fig-7). It is frequently used in pant and skirt fronts.

Fig-7: Curved inward dart


4. Neckline dart:
This is usually a solid line marking on the back neckline indicating a straight dart of 1/8″ (Fig-8).

Fig-8: Neckline dart


5. Double pointed dart:
This dart is unique as it tapers in a straight line from the middle to both the ends (Fig-9) and is clipped
at the widest part. It is usually made from the waistline (widest point). It finds application in princess
and A-line dresses, over blouses and jackets.

Fig-9: Double pointed dart


6. Dart in interfacing:
In this case, a slash is made on the fold line. Then the cut ends are lapped along the line of stitching
and zigzagged to keep in place (Fig-10).
Fig-10: Dart in interfacing
Basic dart manipulation process:
The diagram above shows different dart locations. You can practice these dart manipulations as an
exercise using either full size or half-scale blocks. By moving these darts around the bust point, you
will begin to understand the method.

Fig-11: Women’s shirt with dart


Follow the step-by-step basic dart manipulation exercise
below:
The basic bodice has two darts. Start by consolidating the two darts into one side seam dart.

1. Trace off the front bodice; here the bodice block is made from card, making tracing easier and
more accurate.
Fig-12: Basic dart step-1
2. Cut up the front waist dart and the side seam dart.

Fig-13: Basic dart step-2


3. Close the waist dart, and the side seam dart opens. (Remember not to cut right through; keep a
small amount of paper attached to act as a hinge.)
Fig-14: Basic dart step-3
To continue this exercise, trace off the front bodice block onto paper. Draw in the lines to the bust
point as shown on the diagram. To manipulate the darts, simply slash to the apex each time, and then
close and open the darts in different locations.

Asymmetric darts manipulation:

Fig-15: Asymmetric darts
1. To create asymmetric darts, trace off the bodice block fronts, joining the right and left sides at the
CF(center front). The full bodice is traced off because the right and left sides are to be different.
 Fig-16: Asymmetric darts step-1
2. Cut up both waist and side darts to the apexes. Close the bust dart until its edges meet. The waist
darts will open. 

Fig-17: Asymmetric darts step-2


3. Draw in the new dart lines. 
Fig-18: Asymmetric darts step-3
4. First cut along the long line that passes from left to right. 

Fig-19: Asymmetric darts step-4


5. Close the right-hand waist dart, and the long dart opens. 

Fig-20: Asymmetric darts step-5


6. Cut up the shorter dart and close the left-hand waist dart. The short dart opens. 
Fig-21: Asymmetric darts step-6
7. The pattern development is complete. Trace in new darts and back away from the apex by 4cm
(11⁄2in). This is now your pattern plan. Trace this off onto a clean sheet of pattern tracing paper. Now
you can add your seam allowance, notches and grain lines. 

Fig-22: Asymmetric darts step-7


Changing darts into gathers:
Fig-23: Gather dart
Measure the right-hand dart from A to B. Including the dart, the measurement will be longer from A to
C; gather the excess fullness between the notches to match the shorter side as shown.

Fig-24: Gather dart
This style has gathering located under the bust instead of the dart. First, repeat the first six steps from
‘Asymmetric darts’, above.

References:
1. Pattern Fitting with Confidence by Nancy Zieman
2. Patternmaking for Fashion Design, Fifth Edition by Helen Joseph-Armstrong
3. Pattern Cutting and Making UP-The Professional Approach by Martin Shoben and Janet Ward
4. Apparel Manufacturing Technology by T. Karthik, P. Ganesan, D. Gopalakrishnan
5. http://blog.elewa.co.uk/dart-manipulation-part-1/
6. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/2008/11/02/the-merits-of-a-basic-fitting-pattern

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