Darts - Transferring Markings
In this video we are transferring the dart marking to the fabric using the tailors tack method.
Plus Only
SewHayleyJane
Premium Content
This video is premium content for Plus Members only.
For less than the price of a sewing magazine, you get an entire video library, access to all live events, the monthly spotlight, and the knowledge you're supporting something real.
Darts are a really lovely way to add some shaping to your garments. Most commonly, you will find darts around the bust or the waist, possibly on the back as well.
And the most common type of dart, the one that you're most likely to come up against especially if you're beginning is this type of dart this is a bust dart where we've got the legs that start at the raw edge of your garment and then come into a point.
So I'm going to show you how to mark your dart on your fabric and then how to sew the dart as well. I'm going to show you two different ways to transfer your dart markings onto your fabric. The first way is with a Tailor's tack, and this way is really good if you are putting the markings through two layers of fabric. A Taylor's tack will do both at the same time. So that's really useful, but it is a little more fiddly. So the first thing I'm gonna do is I'm just gonna cut a notch in the very end of the dart legs into the fabric. And then I'm going to take a contrasting colour of thread. It's easier if you make it a nice bright colour because then it's gonna show up nice and clearly when you come to sew it later. So take some thread and put it through a hand sewing needle. Then you want to make sure that you are doubling up the thread. So pull it all the way through so that you've got two lengths of thread to work with. So the tip of your dart on your pattern is usually shown by a little circle marking, and what we're going to do is with my needle, I'm just going to open up that circle marking, just kind of tear the paper basically, and then I'm going to take my needle and I'm going to pick up a little piece of the fabric, like that. Pull the needle through, leaving a tail there, and then we're gonna go around and we're gonna do that again. So we're gonna loop, we're gonna create a loop of thread Pull that through again, and you want to leave this loop here. Then you can snip off the needle. Next, you want to take out some of the pins that are holding your pattern in place so that you can lift up the fabric. So we can fold the pattern piece out of the way, gently making sure that all those thread tails are pulled through the paper. And then lift up the top layer of fabric and very gently pull through that loop of thread, and then you can snip in between, and that is how you create a tail's tack. So those threads are going to stay in there until you have finished sewing what you need to sew, and then you can just pull them straight out. So you've got the thread tails on this side, the cut threads on that side, and on this side, you will be able to see just a tiny little dot of thread there as well.
So, as I said, this method means that you have marked your dart on both pieces of fabric, and then when you come to sew it, you will just match up those notches that you created, pinch where that
Tailor's tack is, and then you'll be able to sew all the way along. We'll get to that in a minute.
And the most common type of dart, the one that you're most likely to come up against especially if you're beginning is this type of dart this is a bust dart where we've got the legs that start at the raw edge of your garment and then come into a point.
So I'm going to show you how to mark your dart on your fabric and then how to sew the dart as well. I'm going to show you two different ways to transfer your dart markings onto your fabric. The first way is with a Tailor's tack, and this way is really good if you are putting the markings through two layers of fabric. A Taylor's tack will do both at the same time. So that's really useful, but it is a little more fiddly. So the first thing I'm gonna do is I'm just gonna cut a notch in the very end of the dart legs into the fabric. And then I'm going to take a contrasting colour of thread. It's easier if you make it a nice bright colour because then it's gonna show up nice and clearly when you come to sew it later. So take some thread and put it through a hand sewing needle. Then you want to make sure that you are doubling up the thread. So pull it all the way through so that you've got two lengths of thread to work with. So the tip of your dart on your pattern is usually shown by a little circle marking, and what we're going to do is with my needle, I'm just going to open up that circle marking, just kind of tear the paper basically, and then I'm going to take my needle and I'm going to pick up a little piece of the fabric, like that. Pull the needle through, leaving a tail there, and then we're gonna go around and we're gonna do that again. So we're gonna loop, we're gonna create a loop of thread Pull that through again, and you want to leave this loop here. Then you can snip off the needle. Next, you want to take out some of the pins that are holding your pattern in place so that you can lift up the fabric. So we can fold the pattern piece out of the way, gently making sure that all those thread tails are pulled through the paper. And then lift up the top layer of fabric and very gently pull through that loop of thread, and then you can snip in between, and that is how you create a tail's tack. So those threads are going to stay in there until you have finished sewing what you need to sew, and then you can just pull them straight out. So you've got the thread tails on this side, the cut threads on that side, and on this side, you will be able to see just a tiny little dot of thread there as well.
So, as I said, this method means that you have marked your dart on both pieces of fabric, and then when you come to sew it, you will just match up those notches that you created, pinch where that
Tailor's tack is, and then you'll be able to sew all the way along. We'll get to that in a minute.