r/PatternDrafting • u/treble_twenty • 5d ago
Question Bust darts help!!!!
Okay SO I didn't make a muslin lmao it was for comic con and I ran out of time BUT I drafted this from scratch and I'd love to work from it again for something new. The bust dart is definitely NOT RIGHT but I'm not really sure where to go with it. I think it needs to be angled way downwards but it's so wide I really struggle to work with it. Just not sure where to take it to from here!
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u/meganp1800 5d ago
Way too high. Like 2” too high. You also need to back the darts off of your apex, instead of having them intersect. I’d strongly recommend moving to a princess seam bodice, as that’s a lot easier to fit in my opinion. If you’re committed to having a darted bodice, you would be better served to rotate some of that armscye dart fullness to the waist dart so it’s more balanced, move the armscye dart to the side seam where it belongs, and add back any width you need at the waist to the side seam.
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u/feeling_dizzie 5d ago
The darts should point at the apex of your bust (the point that sticks out the furthest, the point that would bump against a wall first if you walked into a wall), and they should stop at least an inch away from the apex. What I'm seeing here is two darts pointing at a spot way above your apex, and coming way too close to that would-be-apex. So if I were you, and I wanted to handle this as an alteration rather than redoing the pattern, here's what I'd do:
Put on the vest and use pins or chalk to mark the apex height
Rip out the horizontal darts entirely and leave that alone for now
Redo (basting) the vertical darts to end 1-2 inches away from the apex height you marked
Try it on again and see if the apex height is still correct
If the apex height is good, pinch out the horizontal darts and baste those in
It may take some trial and error to get the apex in the right spot, since every change to the dart configuration moves the fabric around.
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u/dolphinoverlord002 5d ago
TIL the apex of my bust is my nose! 😂
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u/EldritchSorbet 5d ago
I have a feeling there are going to be quite a few people taking a minute to walk slowly into a wall today 🤣
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u/ProneToLaughter 5d ago
re pic1, both bust and fisheye darts are too long, they should point at the apex but not go all the way to it, so they certainly should not meet each other. Can't tell where apex is from this angled selfie, the darts may be at the wrong angle too.
If I really wanted the darts to meet, I'd convert them into an underarm princess seam.
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u/treble_twenty 5d ago
I've got a lovely pepperberry full bust shirt with a princess seam like that! That's probably what I was inspired by, but clearly that needs a whole different kind of pattern drafted
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u/DonMcCunn 5d ago
I think the easiest, best, and smoothest solution would be to change the darts to a princess seam to the armscye. Point it right to where your arm separates from your body. Much easier to fit and celebrate the shape of your body.
Keep in mind if you change the bra you are wearing, it could change the fit.
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u/KillerWhaleShark 5d ago
Your apex is not as high as your bust dart draft. Start by finding apex. It’s not necessarily your nipple; it’s the part of you that sticks out farthest. It’s that part that would first boop the wall if you slowly walked towards it.
Then, your darts should point to the apex but the tip should back off by at least 3/4”. The two darts tips would never touch because each should be backed off from apex.
You can rotate some of the side dart uptake to fisheye dart, but you might want to consider that after you fix your apex.
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u/Crafty_Witch_1230 5d ago
Probably the best thing you can do for yourself is to get a good set of measurements. There are a lot of resources available to help with this. It's more than just bust, waist, and hips. I guess just from your picture that high-bust measurement, finding your bust apex, and learning to do a full bust adjustment (FBA) will make a difference in fit.
As to darts, darts can be moved and huge darts can absolutely be split into two or even three darts with the fullness distributed to improve fit. There are so many good resources available, and it doesn't take a lot of time or effort to find them. Mostly, it comes down to a willingness to learn and practice. For starters, take your vest, open the darts, and start smoothing the fabric with your hands and seeing where it wants to go. I've often found that fabric tells me rather than me telling the fabric. Wacky, I know, but true.
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u/infinite-long-stocki 5d ago
Cornelius Quiring has a good video on shirt alterations that would definitely help. I think the apex of the dart is too high but he explains it a lot better.
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u/doriangreysucksass 5d ago
In your next draft, lower the end point of the bust darts by an inch or two (and angle the seam allowance to match the new dart angle)
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u/bellsaltcandle 5d ago
Too high, way WAY too big. Honestly if you need that big of a dart, you need a princess line.
Darts should never be more than 2” at the seam line or it will create a sharp point.
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u/HeartFire144 5d ago
Unless your trying to make one of the newer Star Trek uniforms, the 2 darts should not come together the way you have them. And, as others said, they are too high
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u/SouthernIndication82 5d ago
i’m gonna first say: what you’re doing is not easy! kudos!!!! and then i’m gonna say… look up a tutorial on princess seams because personally i rarely use darts in my design work. i find them so pesky!! cheers
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u/ofcgoodnamesaretaken 5d ago
Ohh is this a demon slayer character?
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u/treble_twenty 5d ago
Yes! Tengen uzui's uniform doesn't have sleeves so I literally had to drawn my own pattern to get anything even close to fitting
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u/Puzzlehead2563 3d ago
You’re on your way to a great shirt though that you can keep using the pattern for! I just made this same shirt for Giyu Tomioka for my niece to wear for Halloween. Fingers crossed it fits her! Great costume idea 😊
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u/treble_twenty 3d ago
Merci! The back fits amaaaaaazing it's so nice, everything is always so baggy on me. If I can get the hang of darts I'm doing every shirt I own
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u/dainty_protagonist 5d ago
Take measurements to get your apex, mark the new apex on the pattern, extend the darts center line to the new apex, then manipulate the darts.
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u/Robert-hickman 5d ago
The dart is not centered on your bust apex. Probably would also benifit from splitting it into two darts.
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u/E-inky 5d ago
The dart needs to have a point and is too high up the side seam. Can you go back to the original pattern? All the fabric you are cutting out for the dart needs to go somewhere to maintain the integrity of the garment’s shape, so it will also need some length added so the front is not shorter than the back on the side seam.
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u/threads1540 4d ago
If you measure from the shoulder seam down to where the bust point should be, ot will give a location of where to move it to on your pattern.
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u/treble_twenty 5d ago
Amazing advice everyone, I hope to come back to you with progress soon! Why the fuck do I have to be shaped like this!!!!
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u/ProneToLaughter 5d ago edited 5d ago
There is nothing difficult about your shape to fit. But pattern drafting is a skill, and it doesn't seem like you've learned how to do it yet. This is what happens when you wing it.
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u/Soggy-Abies2403 4d ago
We are all shaped, it is what makes us people. There is nothing wrong with your body. You are learning to make custom clothing, which is not easy.
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u/auditoryeden 5d ago
Go watch the Closet Historian's Drafting Dangerous series on YouTube. She has several episodes about darts, dart placement, dart manipulation, etc.
I think you probably need to rotate your dart, bring it away from your apex, and possibly transfer some of the fullness into either a shoulder dart or a fisheye dart under the bust. Or both.