Resources

Darts are one of the most basic structural elements in dressmaking and garment construction. They are folds of fabric used for shaping and removing excess volume for a better fit.

The female body is not a simple flat cylinder, it has all kinds of curves, dipping valleys and rising hills. In order to make a fitted garment, you need darts to sculpt your fabric around the contours of your body. In other words, darts transform a flat pattern into a three dimensional shape that hugs your curves in all the right places.

Some fabrics have prints where every image on the fabric is oriented the same way. For example, if a floral print has all the flowers pointing one way, that is a directional print. If the flowers are facing every which way, it’s not a directional print. When using fabrics with directional prints, be sure to be mindful of what direction the pattern pieces are laying and cut mirrored pieces so the fabric images are oriented correctly on your garment.