A dart turns flat fabric into a three-dimensional shape. A tapered wedge is folded out and stitched to contour a garment around the bust, waist, hip, or shoulder without adding a separate seam in that area.
Anatomy of a dart
Two dart legs on the pattern piece mark the amount to be taken up. They taper toward the dart point, while a centre line may indicate where to fold. The fabric enclosed between the legs is called the dart intake and sits on the wrong side after sewing.
A bust dart intentionally ends before the bust apex. If it runs all the way to the fullest point, it can create an unwanted point in the finished garment. Double-pointed waist darts taper at both ends and can shape the waist in relation to both bust and hip.
Marking, stitching, and pressing
Transfer the legs and point accurately from the sewing pattern during cutting. Fold with right sides together and align the legs. Stitch from the wide end toward the point, gradually running off the folded edge. Backstitching at the point may add a small lump, so the thread tails are often tied instead.
Press the dart in the direction specified by the sewing instructions. A tailor’s ham supports the curved shape more accurately than a flat ironing surface.
Moving and fitting darts
In patternmaking, dart intake can be rotated around a shaping point or divided among several darts without changing the total fullness removed. A fitting alteration must therefore consider position, length, and intake together. A dart is not simply a pleat: its stitching normally tapers smoothly to nothing so the shaping blends into the surrounding fabric.