Tutorial: How to Sew the Bust Darts for Nico Pattern
This tutorial is to support the dart instructions in the Nico Pattern booklet found on page 23.
Transfer the dot markings from the Front (Piece A) to your fabric using your preferred method. This tutorial uses small red dots with a fabric pen.
Fold the upper strap down to align the dart edges with wrong sides together. Pin or clip in place.
Sew the dart legs together using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Begin from the side seam edge and sew towards the bust. Continue sewing with a 1/4″ seam allowance until you reach the end of the fabric. Backstitch or tie threads in a knot to secure.
Note: Do not sew to the dot marking yet. Just sew a 1/4″ seam in this step.
This is how your first seam will look on the other side. Note how far away the stitching line is still from the dot marking.
To complete the French Seam bust dart, fold the dart right sides together enclosing the raw edges of your seam allowance in the fold and aligning with the pattern marking. Press.
Sew with a 3/8″ seam allowance ending at the dot marking.
To avoid pointy darts, there are two options: 1) Curve the last few stitches towards the fold of the fabric near the dart point. Use a gentle inwards curve. Or 2) When you reach the dart marking, sew a few stitches past it right along the edge of the fold.
That’s it! Be sure to press your dart over a curved surface like a tailors ham or a rolled-up towel.
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4 Comments
Lauren Linen
This comment was emailed through to us from Campodifiamme:
A little tip from sewing class years ago
Pull thread up from the bobbin and reverse thread the needle, take-up and tension etcetera. Making sure you have enough thread to sew the length of the dart
Start sewing at the point/tip of the dart, no backstitching is needed at the point, no dangling threads to show in sheer fabrics
Kelly Singh
Thank you. Very, very helpful. I struggled tremendously with these when I made the Nico. I was getting back into sewing after many years and I’d never even heard of a French dart.
Sophie Hamilton
The more helpful tutorial would be how to Lower these darts, so they sit more towards the waist like a French Dart should, and not so high and directly under your armpits which looks ridiculous.
SUZANNE HUTCHINSON
I’m with Sophie Hamilton – I would like to know how to lower the dart as it is too high. Even in the pictures shown at the beginning of the blog post, the dart point is positioned too high on the person.