How to Make a Dart While Sewing

The clothing tailor you use to alter or fine fit your dresses, skirts or slacks probably mentions just "taking a little dart here and maybe one there." It would be great to know how to sew one of those "darts" yourself. Use the following steps to learn how to make a dart while sewing your own garments or just to make a few quick alternations.

Things You'll Need

• Basic sewing skills
• Sewing machine
• Tracing paper and fabric marker
• Scissors and thread

Instructions

1. Measure the skirt, pants or dress that you need to sew a dart. If your skirt is about 4 inches too wide or too large, you will need to make one large dart, 4 inches wide, in the center back or two darts that are 2 inches in the back hip areas.

2. Make a paper pattern for the size dart that you need to make by using tracing paper or tissue paper. Your pattern will have a "V" shape to it, with a line directly down the center of the "V" from middle top to the point at the bottom. That line will be your fabric fold. Cut out the pattern you have made.

3. Turn your garment inside out. Place your dart pattern where you want to sew the dart on the wrong side of the garment. Pin the pattern into place. If you are making more than one dart, pin both patterns into place. Use a fabric marker if you prefer to draw the dart pattern onto the fabric or use pins to mark the lines of the dart. Remove the paper pattern to reveal your pinned line to stitch or the drawn line to stitch to complete the dart.

4. Fold the garment with the right sides together. Your drawn pattern or pinned pattern should be clearly visible. Check to make sure you have the sides of the darts one directly under the other and your straight line should be the very edge of the fabric.

5. Use your sewing machine to stitch the dart starting at the top and sewing down to the point of the dart. Use a straight stitch that is set to make average to small stitch sizes.

6. Examine your dart and the stitching. If the dart is exactly how you wanted it, stitch the dart line again to secure the fabric so that it does not pull out when worn.

7. Put on your garment and admire your sewing skills. You've sewn a dart.

Tips & Warnings

• You can hand sew a dart if you do not have a sewing machine available. However, be sure to make snug stitches that are evenly spaced.

• If the pleat made by stitching the dart is thick and will cause a bulky look in your garment, trim the inner portion of the dart, but not too close to your stitching.