Good afternoon, today’s article will be devoted to TRANSFER OF A DOTTER. We will move the dart from the place where it is on the pattern (that is, from the shoulder seam) to its classic place (on the side seam). All tailors perform a similar manipulation after constructing a basic pattern, unless, of course, this dart is transferred somewhere else, following the designer’s design intent. You may have questions... Why do you need to move this dart at all, is it necessary? Is it possible to immediately draw a chest dart on the side seam, so that you don’t have to move it there every time? I will be happy to answer.

First of all, we will need your basic dress pattern. Just in case, I remind you that you can easily create your basic dress pattern using our program: just enter your measurements into the form and click the “generate” button. The program itself will perform all the necessary constructions and calculations. Online generator of a basic dress pattern here:

Why move the dart?

The dart is moved to the side seam (5-7 cm below the armpit) so that it is not as noticeable as it would be if the designer had decided to leave it on the shoulder. If you open your closet with blouses and dresses, you will see that all the chest darts on classic models are located in this very side seam, where they, covered with a hand, do not catch the eye and do not interfere with the designer’s imagination.

Is it possible to immediately draw a dart where it should be - on the side seam?

The fact is that creating a pattern for a specific dress initially involves changing the Basic pattern IN STRICT ACCORDANCE WITH THE SILHOUETTE OF THE DRESS, ITS STYLE AND OTHER CUT ELEMENTS. The tuck is one of these very “cutting elements”. And in different dresses this undercut is moved to different places. Most often (in the classic version) its location is 5-7 cm below the armpit. But there are dresses (and we will sew them with you) where the chest dart is transferred to the waist, neckline, armhole, etc. In each specific case, when modeling a particular style of dress, we will each time move the dart to the place where it is provided for by the laws of cutting this particular dress.

In our article today we will look in detail at transferring the dart to the side seam, because... in the vast majority of dress styles our tuck that's where it's located. So let's get started...

How to transfer a dart to a side seam

This is a very simple process - and it will take you no more than 2-3 minutes.

This is what our pattern looks like with darts on the shoulder seam. (Have you already ordered your basic pattern on our service? Here: link) If you leave this dart here and close it, it will create the bulge we need for our chest, BUT on our dress there will be a not very attractive seam in the center of each shoulder. We don't need this, so we we will move the dart to a less accessible place - to the side seam.

Take a pencil and a ruler. On the pattern from the bottom edge of the armhole down measure 5-7 cm - put a dot in this place.

Now we find the top of our chest dart - here it is. And we draw a line connecting the top of the chest dart with the point that we measured on the side line of the pattern.​

​ We take scissors and along this line make a cut WITHOUT REACHING 2 CM to the top of the dart.​

now we manually close the dart on the shoulder and a new dart automatically opens in the very place where we just made the cut. That's all - all that remains is to seal the old dart with tape (so that it does not open back).

So we have a new dart on the side seam under the armpit. As you can see in the photo below, this new dart performs its function remarkably well - that is, exactly the same as the old one, it creates a voluminous bulge for your breasts.

And now you can continue cutting your dress, with full confidence that the new dart will fit perfectly into the shape of your bust, and the bodice of your dress will fit you well.

As you can see, the whole point of transferring a dart (no matter to what place) comes down to the following: we make a cut in the place where we want to move the dart, close the old dart, and we automatically create a new dart (by pushing apart the cut parts of the pattern). Using exactly the same principle, we will transfer the darts to any place planned by the cut. We will encounter the transfer of a dart more than once when modeling different styles of dresses, and each time I will tell you in detail and show you step by step the entire process of transferring a dart to a new place.

Happy sewing!

Fashion moves forward day after day, the style and style of women's dresses changes. The new designs are a bit embellished, but the basic pattern remains the same.

Nowadays, it is quite difficult to look irresistible and have in your wardrobe that thing that only you will have, since the stores are overflowing with monotonous styles of dresses. But there is a way out of this situation - sew your own favorite model from the fabric you like. And this thing will be in a single copy, that is, you will definitely not meet a girl in the same dress anywhere and will not find yourself in an awkward situation.

Many are sure that this is impossible, but this opinion is wrong. There is no difficulty in creating your own wardrobe, and, accordingly, saving a lot of money spent on exclusive fashion items.

Dress patterns are known only in two versions - simple and complex models. For beginners, it is best to start sewing with simple things. First of all, they can be worn both everyday and for any celebration. Secondly, they will never go out of style. Simple dress patterns for beginners can be found in our article.

Rules for taking measurements

When starting to create a pattern, you need to take measurements from the model.

1. Half neck circumference. It is necessary to measure the base of the neck and write down the size of half the measured measurement. That is, if you get 36 cm, then you need to write down 18 cm.
2. Half bust. We measure along the protruding parts of the shoulder blades and the high part of the chest. This measurement is responsible for the size of your figure. You also need to write down half.
3. Waist, half girth. You need to measure the narrowest point at the waist, and also write down half the resulting size.
4. Hips, half girth. We measure at the protruding buttock points. It is worth considering the bulge of the abdomen. The measurement is also recorded as half of the result obtained.
5. We measure the height of the back to the waist line. We start measuring from the seventh cervical vertebra, it is noticeable along the protrusion, to the waist line. In this case, the measurement is recorded in full.
6. Back width. Using the protruding points of the shoulder blades, we measure the width of the back, from one axillary area to the other. Half of the result obtained is recorded as a measurement.
7. Measure the front height to the waist line. Along the protruding point of the chest, starting from the base of the neck at the shoulder, to the waist line. The measurement is recorded in full size.
8. Chest height. We place the edge of the measuring tape at the base of the neck and measure the height to the high point of the chest. We write down the measurement completely.
9. Center point of the chest. Measure horizontally between the two highest points of the chest. The measurement is recorded as half of the result obtained.
10. Determine the length of the shoulder. Measure from the base of the neck to the shoulder joint. Write down the measurement in full.
11. Arm circumference. It is necessary to measure the circumference of the arm near the armpit. The measure is taken into account completely.
12. Wrist circumference. The wrist joint is measured around the circumference. The measure is fully used.
13. We measure the length of the sleeve to the elbow. Measure from the joint at the shoulder and down to the elbow. We write down the measurement in full.
14. The length of the sleeve. It is necessary to measure, also starting from the joint on the shoulder and going down to the hand. The measure is fully used.
15. Determine the length of the product. It is necessary to measure from the seventh cervical vertebra to the required finished length. The measure is also fully used.
16. Increases for a loose fit:

• Chest line - 5 cm.
• Waist - 1 cm.
• Hips - 2 cm.

Constructing a pattern

To create dress patterns for beginners, you need to use a large sheet of paper. If this is not the case, then you can take unnecessary remnants of wallpaper.

On the left, set aside the length of your dress; for ease of work, step back a couple of centimeters from the edge. Mark the delayed length with points A (top) and H (bottom). To the right of points A and H, draw perpendicular lines.

Determine the width of the dress pattern

To do this, you need to put off the “half chest girth” measurement from point A to the right side plus an increase in the chest line of 5 cm, put point B. We put the same measurement from point H towards the right and get point H1, connect points B and H1 with a straight line . As a result, you should end up with a rectangle.

We measure the length of the back to the waist

It is necessary to measure from point A downwards the size to the waist of the back length, adding half a centimeter, and mark with point T. From the resulting point to the right, draw a perpendicular to line B and H1 and mark the intersection with point T1.

Determining the hip line

We measure from point T downward half the measurement “to the waist of the back length” and mark it with point B. Also from the resulting point we draw a perpendicular to the right to line B and H1, marking the intersection point as B1.

Determining the width of the back

From point A towards the right, measure the “back width” + an increase along the back line of 1.5 centimeters and place point A1. From it downwards we draw a perpendicular line of arbitrary length.

We measure the width of the armhole

It is necessary to divide the “half chest girth” measurement into 4 parts + 0.5 cm, put the resulting result to the right of point A1 and place point A2. From point A2 downwards we draw a perpendicular line of arbitrary length.

Determine the neckline cut from the back side

Divide the “half-circumference of the neck” measurement into three parts and add half a centimeter, put the resulting result from point A to the right, mark it with point A3. Next, we divide the “half neck girth” measurement into 10 parts plus 0.8 cm and measure the resulting result from point A3 upwards, we get point A4. The resulting angle at point A3 must be divided in half by a straight line and the result plotted on it: divide the half-circumference of the neck by 10 and minus 0.3 cm, we get point A5. Next, we connect the resulting points A4, A5 and A with a smooth line.

Building a shoulder section

For high shoulders, it is necessary to set aside 1.5 cm from point A1, for normal - 2.5 cm, for sloping shoulders - 3.5 cm, mark with point P. Connect points A4 and P. The length of the shoulder plus the dart is set aside 2 cm from point A4, put point P1. On the resulting segment A4P1, we set aside 4 cm from point A4 and mark it with point O. From the resulting point in the downward direction we measure 8 cm and mark it with point O1 and to the right of point O 2 cm, mark it with point O2. Connect points O1 and O2. Through point O2 we set aside from point O1 a size equal to the length of the segment OO1 - 8 cm, mark point O3. This is necessary so that the darts on the dress are equal. We connect points O3 and P1 with a straight line.

Determining the depth of the armhole

We divide the half-circumference of the chest into 4 parts plus 7 cm, measure the resulting result from point P downwards, mark it with point G. Through this point we draw a horizontal line to the right and left sides. At the intersection with line B and H1 we mark point G3, with the armhole line - G2, and at the intersection with line A and H we put point G1.

Back, armhole cut

Divide the distance from point P to G into three parts plus 2 cm, measure the resulting result from point G in the upward direction, and mark it with point P2. Divide the “armhole width” measurement by 10 and +1.5 cm, put the resulting result away from point G, dividing the angle in half, mark point P3. We divide the segment GG2 into 2 parts and mark it with point G4. Next, connect points P1, P2, P3, G4 with a curved line.

Armhole, front half cut

Divide the “half chest girth” measurement into 4 parts plus 5 cm, put the resulting result from point G2 upward and mark it with point P4. We divide the half-circumference of the chest by 10, put the result obtained from point P4 towards the left and mark it with point P5. We divide the segment G2P4 by 3 and measure the result from point G2 upward. We connect points P5 and P6, divide them into two parts and, in the direction to the right, observing a right angle, measure 1 cm and mark point 1. Divide the angle from point G2 in half and measure a line equal to a tenth of the armhole width measurement +0.8 cm, mark with point P7. We connect the resulting points P5, 1, P6, P7, G4 with a curved line.

Front neck cut

Divide the “half chest girth” measurement in half +1.5 cm, mark on the pattern from point G3 upwards and mark with point B1. We measure exactly the same distance from point G2 in the upward direction and mark point B2. Connect the resulting points B1, B2 to each other. Divide the “half-circumference of the neck” measurement into three and +0.5 cm, measure from point B1 in the direction to the left and mark with point B3. Divide the same “half-circumference of the neck” measurement into three and +2 cm, measure from point B1 in a downward direction and mark point B4. We connect the resulting points and divide the segment into 2 parts. We again take the “half-circumference of the neck” measurement +1 cm and draw a straight line along the dividing point of the segments B3 and B4 from the central point B1, we get point B5. We connect points B3, B5, B4 with a curved line, we get the neckline of the front pattern.

Bust center and height

We use the size of the center of the chest, measure it from point G3 towards the left, we get point G6. From the resulting point we draw a line intersecting with line B1B2. At the intersection we get point B6. From it, in a downward direction, we measure the height of the chest, we get point G7.

Construction of darts, types

Shoulder cut and bust dart. Why are darts necessary on the chest of the product? The thing is that the darts on the chest on the dress are placed so that the dress has a shape in the place of the convex chest, which is why they began to be called breast darts. They can originate from the side cut, shoulder cut, neckline or armhole. The place where they begin depends on the chosen dress model and, naturally, on the volume of the chest. Their direction is always only towards the center of the chest, this should be taken into account when creating a pattern.

We measure 1 cm from point B6 downward and mark it with point B7. We connect B3 and B7. We connect B7 and P5 with a dotted line. Having measured the segment B7B3 minus 0.3 cm, we measure the resulting result from P5 towards the right and get point B8.

We measure the segment B7G7 from point G7 through the resulting point B8 and put B9. Connect P5 and B9.

Side seam, define the line

To the right, measure from G the third part of the armhole width measurement, mark it with point G5. And draw a vertical line through it. When crossing, mark point P on the armhole line, point T2 on the waist line, B2 on the hip line, and H2 on the bottom line.

Darts on the dress on the back along the waistline

We are building further. The darts located at the waist of the dress are called waist darts. They are necessary to create a tight fit of the dress at the waist. They can be located either on a whole part of the back or front, or on individual stitched parts; in these cases they are cut-off, in addition, darts can be located on the cut line of the armhole. Many people use darts on waist items, be it a skirt or trousers; they are also classified as waist darts.

Measure “half + 1 cm for freedom of fit minus the width of the dress (in our case this is line TT1) - this will give us the width of the dart on the dress.

Hip line

To measure “half the circumference of the hips” +2 cm for freedom of fit minus the width of the dress along the hips B1B. The result obtained is divided into 2 parts, one of which is used on the front half, the second on the back of the product. Measures to the right and left the result obtained from point B2 and marks with points B3 and B4. We mark the same distance from point T2 in two directions along a horizontal line and place points T3, T4. Point P should be connected to T4 and T3. We connect T3, B4, and B3, T4 with a dotted line. To the side of dividing the points, measure half a centimeter and connect with a curved line and points T4, B3 and the second side B4, T3.

Waist line on the front half

Add 0.5 cm to the “front waist length” measurement and plot the result from point B1 downwards, we get point T5. We connect points T4, T5 with a curved line. Measure the segment T5 T1 and set it aside from point B1 in a downward direction, we get point B5. We connect point B5 and point B3 with a curved line.

Darts on the back

Divide the segment G1G in half and mark the middle of the segment with a point G8. From there, lower the perpendicular downwards and place point B6 at the intersection with the hip line, and T6 at the waist line. From point T6, it is necessary to set aside half the width of the back dart to the right and left, marking with points T7, T8. After this, measure 1 cm downwards from point G8 and connect to point T7, measure 3 cm upwards from point B6 and connect to point T8.

Darts on the front half

Draw a straight vertical line from point G6 down to the hip line. The point on the waist line where the vertical line intersects it is designated as T9, and on the hip line as B7. We set aside half the width of the front dart from point T9 and mark it with points T10, T11. From B7 in the upward direction we measure 4 cm and connect this point with T11, and from G7 down 4 cm and connect the resulting point with T10.

Bottom line of the front half

From points B4 and B3 from the hip line we draw perpendicular lines to the bottom line and mark them with points H4, H3. Remember: if your dress widens towards the bottom, from the resulting points you need to set aside segments to the right and left, equal to 3 cm to 7 cm, and connect them to B4, B3. From point H1 downwards we measure the length of the segment T5T1 and mark it with point H5. It remains to connect the resulting points H5 and H3.

This is just building the basis of a simple dress, thanks to which you can model your exclusive model. Darts will become assistants. How to make darts on a dress? Let's look at them in more detail.

A variety of darts on a dress

A dart is that part of the fabric that needs to be removed to emphasize the figure and smooth transition from one convex area to another.

Darts on dresses come in two main types. The first option is darts with one vertex, which have the shape of a triangle, while their shape will never change, only the size and depth can be changed. The wide base of the dart triangle is always located on a convex area, for example, a woman’s chest or a convex hip line. The second option is darts with two peaks. They look like two folded triangles, with one vertex. Two peaks are used in cases with solid parts of the back and front of the product, located at the waist line.

Relief darts on the dress will perfectly highlight the bust. They support it from below; the best option for using them in clothing is thick fabric. A larger bust means more convexity needs to be given to the dart. Towards the center of the chest, the pattern should be the most convex part. Relief types of darts on a dress are located both vertically on the product and can be made from the armpit. This will give your breasts fullness and neatness.

The side dart on a dress is called a bust dart or chest dart. It is most often located on the waist in the front and back of the product - the dress. There are also models with darts starting from the side seam. Place the darts on the dress at the same distance from the center of the front of the dress and two from the center of the back of the product.

How to make darts on a finished dress?

If the dress you bought does not fit you well or you want to further emphasize your figure, then you can make auxiliary darts on the finished product. To do this, put on your dress, look in front of the mirror where exactly you want to remove excess fabric, and mark the dart area with soap on the wrong side. Maintain symmetry: if you remove excess on the right, then on the left you need to remove the same amount of fabric in the dart.

Baste the intended darts and try on the product. Didn't work the first time? Try it several times and then you will find the exact places where there is excess fabric. If you don’t have the desire or ability to redo it yourself, seek help from a clothing repair shop.

A bodice with side darts is very popular among craftswomen due to the ease of modeling and sewing the product. This method of modeling can be successfully used where complex shapes are not needed, because due to the minimum of seams on the bodice, you can very advantageously show, for example, an original print or fabric texture. This design option can be used when sewing dresses, blouses, and shirts.

Advice! Before you start modeling, draw and determine the angle of inclination of the side dart. It can be positioned at different angles relative to the top of the bust dart, depending on the model.

Modeling a dress pattern with side darts

To model darts, use one, which we hope you already have in your arsenal. If you do not have a basic dress pattern and are not yet ready to build it yourself, we offer you. From five life-size sizes, choose the one that fits your measurements best.

From the bottom point of the armhole, set aside 5-6 cm down the side (the value is not constant and may vary depending on the model of the product). On the pattern, mark the point C.G. (center of the chest) and extend the chest dart by connecting the extreme points of the dart with the center of the chest point (new top of the chest dart). From point 5-6, draw a segment to the top of the bust dart (C.G. - center of the chest). Cut the pattern along the modeling line. Close the chest dart and shorten the opened side dart by 2 cm (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Modeling a dress pattern with a side dart

IMPORTANT! When moving the chest dart to the side line, you can not shift the top of the dart to the Center of the chest point, in this case the modeling will look like in Fig. 2 and 3.

From the bottom point of the bodice armhole, set aside 3-5 cm (the value is not constant and may vary depending on the model of the product). Connect point 3-5 to the Center of the chest point and make a cut from the side to the point C.G.

Rice. 2. Transferring the dart to the side line

Next, cut the chest dart along one side and close it. To do this, you need to cut the pattern along one of the sides of the chest dart to the C.G. point and, aligning the sides of the dart, glue it together. The side dart opens automatically to the desired depth.

Then shorten the opened bust dart by 1.5-2 cm so that its top moves to the left of the center of the bust.

What is it for? A slightly shorter dart will smoothly fit the contours of the bust and will not create sharp angles.

The finished bodice pattern is shown in Fig. 2b. The bodice is cut with a fold along the middle front line.

Rice. 3. Bodice with side dart

You will find even more original patterns and interesting ideas for creativity on the website of Anastasia Korfiati’s Sewing School. Subscribe for free and be the first to receive new lessons!

It is known that darts serve to ensure that the modeled product “fits” the figure. Note that the darts on the model can take any position, but the standards for their translation remain the same.

Video for the article

Exists two ways to transfer darts- graphic and pattern method. The graphic method is performed using the method of arcs and serifs. It is quite labor-intensive, so when modeling they mainly use the translation of darts using the template method (later, we will consider the graphical method). That is, they transfer the base pattern onto paper and use the cuts to model the darts.
Transfer of grooves on the shoulder base

On the shoulder base, darts can be directed from the shoulder, side seams, from the armhole or neckline, from the waistline or from the middle seam of the part. The main thing is to follow three rules:

1. The tuck solution must be preserved.
2. The top of the new dart should point toward the center of the bulge.
3. If a tuck is transferred to the location of another tuck, then the tuck solutions are summed up.

(1). We take the template for the shoulder base - it is the upper part of the constructed pattern for the base of the dress.

(2). It has a chest dart - the color of the lines is red, a waist dart - the color of the lines is blue and the center of the bulge is a green circle.

(3). Let us dwell in more detail on the translation of the chest dart into the side line.

We determine the location of the new dart line on the template - the blue line. We make sure that the second rule of transferring darts is observed.

(4). We cut the template along this line, we get two parts.

(5). Part 2 remains stationary, part 1 is moved, closing the chest dart and at the same time opening the dart in the side line.

(6). We outline a new contour and get a product with a dart in the side seam.

(7). Similarly, you can transfer the chest dart into the neck line,

(8). In the armhole line,

(9). Using the previously described method, you can remove all the darts in the neckline. When translating, remember the rules for translating darts.

(10). During further sewing, we can create folds or gathers on the neckline; for this we will draw a new contour of the neckline.

(eleven). We can also remove the waist darts to the side. To do this, we need to set aside the size of the dart opening from the side line and draw a new side line.

Thus, on the shoulder base, you can transfer darts to any seam, the main thing is to follow the translation rules.

Partial translation

Also, we can completely get rid of the chest dart by partially transferring it to the neckline, shoulder line and armhole. You just need to remember that such a pattern without a chest dart is used when cutting a loose-fitting product. Women with a large size always need darts so that the item does not look like a bag.

First, let's measure the tuck solution. Draw cut lines to the neckline and armhole line.

We reduce the chest dart opening to 1.0 - 1.5 cm. On the neckline, we move the template along the cut line by 1.0 - 1.5 cm, and transfer the entire remaining breast dart opening to the armhole line.

(2). As a result, we get a new pattern outline.

Transfer of darts based on trousers and skirts

Most often in these products, if the silhouette is planned to be tight-fitting, it is not possible to completely get rid of darts. Darts are converted into shaped lines.

The exception is the jeans pattern. The cut of jeans differs significantly from regular trousers in that they are more tight-fitting, so some changes are made to the pattern of the base of the trousers. As a rule, there is a dart on the front half of the trousers; there should not be one on jeans. To do this, we partially transfer the dart to the middle and side seams.

REMEMBER: if the dart is moved only to the middle seam, a bubble will form at the end of the zipper. This happens because the middle seam line is strongly deviated from the vertical. At the same time, if you remove the entire dart into the side seam, then a strong narrowing occurs along the side line. Therefore, the recess solution is divided in half (red and blue lines).

We've covered the basics translation of darts. Their further modeling depends on imagination, the main thing is to follow the rules for translating darts.

One of the main structural elements of women's clothing is the dart, which is necessary to give the product the correct appearance, i.e. desired shape. To a greater extent, this applies to light women's dresses, where the volume of the chest is formed exclusively due to breast darts. These darts can be moved on the bodice in any direction, in accordance with the style of the product : to the middle of the front, on the waistline, in the side seam, in the armhole, in the neckline, in the yoke, in reliefs, in drapery, in undercuts, etc. With skillful use of this technique, you can develop a huge number of different models of women's clothing.
Main– no matter in which direction you move the dart, its center should always be directed towards the highest point of the chest. In our drawing it is indicated by point G7.
Before you start designing, you must copy the drawing of the base of the dress onto a sheet of paper, or rather the part of it that you are going to change.

Let's start simple.

Moving the dart to the side line(in the side seam).
To do this, copy the upper part of the shelf from the pattern of the base of the dress onto a sheet of paper.

Rice. 2

We move the chest dart on the base pattern closer to the armhole line by 3 cm and deepen it by 2 cm. To do this, from point B7, continuing the shoulder line, set aside 3 cm and place point 3.

Rice. 3

Draw a vertical line from it down, extending it 2 cm below the level of point G7 and place point 2.

Rice. 4

From point B9 along the shoulder line we set aside 3 cm, we get point 31.

Rice. 5

From point 2 through point 31 we draw a straight line. From point 2 as from the center through point 3 we draw an arc until it intersects with a straight line. We denote the intersection point as 32. We connect points P5 and 32.

Fig.6

We divide the T4P lateral line into three equal parts. We designate the upper division point as 33 and connect it to point 2.

Rice. 7

We cut the shelf along the marked line and move it apart, while closing the chest dart.

Rice. 8

The dart along the waist line can be moved 3 - 4 cm towards the side line.
We correct the shoulder seam with a straight line.

Rice. 9

That's it, you have a new style of dress bodice.

Rice. 10

An important rule - there are no hard and fast rules! As with anything, if you want to succeed, don't be afraid to experiment. Success is achieved by those who go beyond generally accepted boundaries, those who are not afraid to go beyond conventions. We offer one of many options as an example only to give you an idea of ​​​​the principles of modeling. So that you can use them in the future or, conversely, ignore them and surprise yourself and your environment with a new masterpiece. Good luck!

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