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As you may have guessed from my brilliant visual pun, today's confession is about darts. (Okay, maybe not so brilliant... It's been a looong week...)
So, I always finish my darts the same way - I press them to one side. I've been aware for a while of another technique - slashing them and pressing them open.
Recently I read about another technique in one of my sewing reference books - stitching a second piece of fabric to the dart. Then, apparently, you press the "real" dart to one side and the additional fabric flap to the other side. (I'll try to get a diagram or picture up next Thursday.)
I guess it has a similar effect to slashing the dart and pressing it open - the "bulk" is evenly distributed and your garment isn't lopsided in this area.
Have you heard of this technique? Have you tried it? How do you finish your darts? If it depends, what does it depend on?
Photo credit: Some random website
10 comments:
Yes, I do know of the "padding" technique, it is shown in Claire Schaeffer's couture book, too. How I finish the dart depends on the garment and fabric. For lightweight stuff, I press to the side. For heavier weight fabrics, such as a wool coating or something that has been underlined and now has extra thickness, I'll clip and press open.
I have yet to sew a garment I was picky enough about to try padding (or balancing, as some texts call it) darts. It may come...I won't say I won't do it; just haven't needed to yet. Good enough is good enough. Mostly, darts get pressed to the side, although,like Summerset, I have slashed-and-pressed-flat a few really large and bulky darts.
I have heard of these techniques but don't use them.
I just press to one side, usually the centre of a garment, not sure why but I'm sure the instructions keep saying towards the centre.
I may have slashed and pressed a dart once, on a bag with heavy interfacing.
I usually press to one side. I've done the slash and spread on a few items.
I've read about the padded method in Claire Schaeffer's book but never felt the need to use it.
I have heard of, but never used, that fabric piece method. I'm really not that picky.
i've never used that padding technique. i almost always press to one side (press flat first, then to the side, over a ham). i know i've slashed and pressed a dart open, but i could probably count on one hand the number of times i've done it, and only on heavy fabrics.
ha, my word verification is trianges -- almost triangles, which is what a stitched dart looks like to me. :)
I've read about the padding technique but have never encountered a situation where I would want to go to all that fuss. I usually press flat. When pressing curved darts I will sometimes clip the center of the curve at an angle. On heavier fabrics, and hip darts, I slash to the point then press open. Kenneth King will use a wooden toothpick or skewer to press the very point of the slashed dart and I want to try that.
The only dart I've ever slashed was just recently, on a Marcy Tilton top (Vogue 8671). It's meant to be slashed! But that doesn't mean I liked it. LOL.
I was taught to do this in a couture sewing school 30 years ago. The instructor called it "the double dart", and he said it was a couture method for balancing darts in medium to heavier weight fabrics. You don't end up with the impression of a dart at the waistline of a skirt if you do it. Of course, I don't. Not that fussy.
I think that maybe I did the slash-and-press once. But I'm not entirely certain. I'm usually just a press to one side kind of girl. Never heard of that other technique, but I may have to look into it!
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