You are continually impressing the hell out of me. In one hour, you covered dart manipulation more succinctly and in depth than the weeks I spent on it in fashion school. So very well done.
I agree! I spent three years in school and we didn't use draping, only hardcore constructing, and thanks to your video I understand manipulating darts so much better than I did after school.
*pause at around 16:28 * "When you are sewing a dart, you need to come down probably at least 5/8ths to an inch and a half away from your apex. The larger the bust and the larger the apex zone, the farther away from it you need to make your darts. I think the general recommendation is 5/8ths of an inch. I go for an inch and a quarter away from my apex for my darts, personally" THIS IS GOLD. The block I drafted fit okay enough, but there was a little bloop area right at the apex. It looked ridiculous with my modern bra and my husband started giggling that I had "1950's boobs". I essentially made the bullet bra silhouette. I've been trying to figure out how the heck I messed up and those few sentences have given me a clue. My drafting instructions did tell me to use HALF an inch away from the apex on the side bust dart and one inch from the waist dart, but I'm a DDD. No WONDER I was getting a pointy bust cone! Trial and error indeed! *goes back to watching* *pause at **27:30* YOU CAN DO THAT?! I've been terrified to cut away my darts (I've only gotten so far as to make a handful of muslin mock ups to get the fit right) and have been S T R U G G L I N G with my bust dart getting in the way of other seams. This was a revelation. I'm taking notes! *more watching* That whole last section with the asymmetric bodice gathering thing... MAGIC. I love it. Thank you, lady, this was a very timely video for me!
Thanks Jessica! I'm glad it was helpful! I always recommend people fit things over the style of bra they plan to wear to help with this issue. I wear more pointy vintage-ish bras and I still need 1 1/4" away from the apex!
@@TheClosetHistorian I was doing that, and I was so confused when it wasn't working out the way I thought it should. When the instructions tell me 1/2 an inch and it really should be 1 1/2 (for me) from the apex, without telling me that the distance of the apex to the dart is the variable I needed to consider, I was getting very frustrated! I'm so happy for the timeliness of your video! It showed me that I DIDN'T completely mess up - I just needed a slight tweak of a couple of lines. You're an angel! Now I can get on with making my dress with a fun chicken pattern! 🥰
Wow. Just wow. That last gathered top reminds me of an unfinished piece that was in my grandmother's closet when we emptied it after she died. Instead of gathers, it had diagonal pleats. She'd been sewing most of her life, having finagled her way into classes when she was young during the Depression. She'd go into New York, take classes, then go dancing at the Savoy. She used those skills her whole life, both to feed her family and have fun.
What an incredible story. Your grandmother sounded like she was an amazing seamstress. Yes, sewing is what people did to feed their families. I have known several women throughout my life who used their sewing skills to pay the bills and feed their families; they altered as well as made garments for clients often wealthy ones. It is a trade that is incredibly useful and will never go out of style. Thank you for sharing your grandmother's life with us!
This was much better than the pattern drafting class I paid a fortune for some years ago. Thank you Thank you Thank you Darling Bianca! Armhole Princess had me laughing when I should be sleeping...
I’ve always thought of flat drafting as some kind of brilliant spatial witchcraft, but the more I watch you do it, the more I feel like it is, in fact, intuitive and makes sense. As though it were a thing I could actually do! ❤️
Holy crap I GET IT!! 😆 Ive been attempting to teach myself to sew with commercial patterns but the fit is always wrong and commercial patterns are....well, the literal worst. Pattern drafting seemed a really intimidating but necessary alternative. This video gave me a huge lightbulb moment of understanding. THANK YOU!! 🙌
Are you fricken kidding me YOU COVERED everything from A to Z in darts. Your AMAZING. Not only are you a master of your skills but also have a bad ass look totally amazing lady.
The way you explain technical bits of sewing is so lovely, because your tone and nonchalance make it all seem very approachable. Shirts and yokes were very intimidating to me, before. But you make it seem like something everyone can figure out with some trial and error. Thank you very much!
Bianca, that was by far the best sewing tutorial I have watched so far - from anyone. You are so clear and relaxed you make the whole process seem natural and obvious somehow. Thank you so much.
I've been sewing for 46 years. Made all my clothes and my children's' clothes. After my husband and I broke up, all I brought with me, when I left, was my sewing machine and my iron. I worked two jobs and also sewed clothes for several families. I charged two dollars a seam plus material and 6$ for hems. Well, I just stumbled upon your channel. I soaked this in as if I was 20. I'm redoing my whole wardrobe! The styles I will create! OMG! Thank you so so so much!! l fell in love. I got this 100%.You are my hero!! Ba-Bye store patterns!
You've likely already thought of this, but as you seem to be doing a series of "how to" videos, I'd love to see some more info on sleeves - how to properly sew one in, and different ways to make them - with or without poof, gathered near the hem, etc.... As always, this video was amazing. I don't know what it is, but I always understand your explanations even when the topic has previously confused me. Thank you so much for giving us this content!
This was absolutely the best dart lesson anyone could ever give. As always, you give so much knowledge and I end up smiling because I get it, and I feel that - yes, I can do it! Bianca, you are amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I'm sure most of this information is in one of my home sewing books, but having not only the visuals, but also seeing how the material actually moves when constructed is so incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for going over so many different ways to place darts since it's easy to say 'you can put them anywhere and it'll still fit just fine', but it's so incredibly helpful to see it in action. Most importantly, thank you for sharing how to analyze patterns for better flat patterning. I'm much more comfortable with flat patterning than draping, and it's very discouraging to be told 'just drape it' when I want to make something more adventurous than a pre-made pattern
You know that you’ve hit a home run when someone with no interest in pattern drafting watches your entire video! I’d love to hang out and just watch you work your magic! Very impressed indeed!!!👍🏽
This video has literally CHANGED MY LIFE!!! Darts was a huge wall I’ve been up against but I’m literally making a celebratory dinner tonight in your honor 😂❤ You are a fantastic teacher and are so so good at explaining things that even beginners like me will understand. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Thanks to you, I have caught myself looking at clothing catalogs, ads, and runway-show content, and visualizing where the darts would be on various designs, instead of thinking about buying those things or even looking for sewing patterns to duplicate them. You are really good at explaining these concepts in a clear and concise way. Although I use the word "concise", I must say that I really appreciate your willingness to take the time to demonstrate and explain things thoroughly. I think there are some RUclipsrs who might do a great job at explaining things, but they are too worried about making their videos too long. The fact is that people will watch if the content is engaging and they are interested in the topic. I think you do a good job of speeding through the "boring" or repetitive bits and slowing down for the parts where more attention is needed. Even the speeded-up parts are informative; I get a feel for the process as a whole.
Great video. You found the perfect way to explain darts ! As someone who sews, I always struggle with explaining dart manipulation to someone who is new to sewing . I'm going to use this video as a perfect teaching tool. I bow to the seamstress goddess. 👏👏👏❤💋
This was absolutely gold. I cannot stress enough how helpful this was. You just handed us keys to a candy store. The specific information about how far to make the dart tip away from the apex was something I really needed at this moment. I actually ran into a pointy dart issue on a camisole I'm making. I BET I need to move the dart point farther from the Apex (I'm also larger busted.)
Absolutely worth waiting up for! It's 2am here in the UK but finally I understand dart manipulation 😃 Thankyou! Also that last asymmetric design on you ❤
Thank you so much! I finished making my first ever sloper last night (using your videos for direction) and I feel so empowered! I can finally tackle my big sewing ideas knowing that they will actually fit me properly.
“Take a shot every time I say the fit doesn’t change” omg 😂 I would be drunk before the end of this video. Lol This is such a great tutorial Bianca! Thank you. :)
Excellent!!!! I have been sewing for many years. I kept reinventing the wheel when it came to things like this. I wish i had known then what I now know. You explained it and demonstrated it all very well. Thank you for your time and effort.
Brilliant!! I didn't have any real questions about darts, but my understanding of them and how they work has now gone through the roof. Thank you so much!!
The fact that you went to three different fashion schools and neither of them thought it important to teach y'all to design for an actual person is kinda wild to me. (Amazing video and playlist, I'm learning so so much! Thank you
THANK YOU. This is the BEST video on RUclips that I have ever watched about dart manipulation. I loved all of your examples side by side it made all the explanations so clear.
Omgggg. I was like am I mentally ready to watch a 50 minute video about darts, but ten minutes in I’m glad I did! 😂 this is so helpful, especially about the dart placement; The visual with the cone was so helpful!
Brilliant! What a wonderful example of your humour making learning such fun. You just do this so well. Thank you for walking us through the process so it all makes such sense.
This is so interesting! ! Lessons in sewing with humor! I love it. I understood everything you said. So there are a lot of us who understand it better with visuals!! You definitely deliver!! Thank you so much.
This is the most helpful and useful tutorial on darts that I've ever seen. And that includes courses and classes and books. Something just made click inside my brain today. Massive thank you!! I'm becoming a patron after watching this!!
This is the best video on understanding darts and their manipulation.. Thanks a million for giving insight into the subject in less than an hour where oters have failed to do it in years.
Thanks for this Bianca. I had a pretty good idea about how to do a lot of this from your other videos, but this really condenses all that into one handy reference. Also that last example has my brain humming with ideas. :D
Only watched half so far, but have to pause to say this is probably the best informative sewing video I've ever watched. My god, I feel like a whole new space has opened up in my brain haha
As someone majoring in maths I always feel a little bad when I hear people being scared of maths. To me patterndrafting seems so interesting and fun, and I look forward to it once I some day manage to make my own bodice block. First time in years I wish I had a fuller bust to have more dartfullnes to work with :D
I thought this was just me...I’m a B cup and usually love that I don’t have a lot to deal with in that department but today I was thinking ‘man I wish I had more dart fullness to play with!’ 😂😂
I think for some people, like myself, maths is easier when you can see it being applied in a useful, visual, practical way - like with pattern drafting, I found when maths was taught in school in a more abstract way, my brain would tend to tune out. It didn't help that the teacher I had for algebra would expect you to just come up with an answer straight away and if he couldn't, he wasn't interested, he was terrifying. Yet, with art I'm often drawn to geometric shapes and designs can draw complex 3d shapes freehand.
I wonder if 3Blue1Brown (or one of the other math popularizers) would talk about the math of 3D to flat patterns. They could also do it in sheet metal for, e.g., getting ducts neatly around corners, or changing their sizes. And carpenters have algorithms for doing curves and more with a carpenter's square.
I am DD, and my breast shape is less dense on top than bottom. Plenty to intimidate! I have been watching some sewing videos, but I still need practice in the basics (Like threading the machine). Beginner is hardly the appropriate description. Ambition to become a beginner is closer!
That was the best dart manipulation explanation I've seen by a country mile! I've been taught by the kind youtube sewing community and enjoy it very much. I'll never been a designer, but if I can make garments that my wife and me like - that's good enough for me. Thank you so much.
This is really helpful! I have seen this in books but it made me kind of cross-eyed trying to picture how it all worked. Seeing the pattern plus the mockup makes it much more understandable. Going beyond basic darts to gathering and pleating was great too.
I don’t ever leave comments in videos, but this was so instructive and well done that I really want to say thank you beyond a thumbs up! Brilliant class!!!
Oh, it's geometry alright and you are fabulous at explaining how it all works. Whenever I draft a pattern, my old high school geometry teaching is laughing at me somewhere from beyond the grave because I swore to him that I would never use those math skills again! Well, little did I know that I would love making garments so much. This was a great lesson and I learned so much. Thank you!
This is the best explanation/lesson on darts and how to make a paper pattern from a design made on a mannequin. Fantastic! Thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge with us.
I am just learning to sew clothes. With no training at all, except for RUclips and reading. This video was THE BEST! at explaining darts and bodice manipulation that I have ever seen. I finally "get it!". Thanks you so much for making the video and for being so patient explaining how things work.
I LOVED this video!! It made sense of some things I feel like was hard to find someone really explain like this! Really needed this, and now I'm so hyped to begin drafting stuff. I love your channel, if you have time one day it would be insanely amazing if you could teach us how to create a pant block - I'm struggling to make it work like I want to, and musselin-garment after musselin garment it gets better, but I just feel like you would have some really good explanations for why we do this or that to the block!
Hi, Thank you so much for this Ms. Historian. As usual I don't really understand a whole lot, as it's way outside my day to day life, and as usual I don't really care. One thing I've noticed is that the things you explain, doesn't seem so intimidating anymore to me. You are a very good pedagog in my opinion. Should I ever find myself in a situation where my life depend on making dart manipulations, I will remember this video and probably survive, given the time and materials to make enough toiles, of course. Yours, Ann
Outstanding! I’ve been sewing since I was 12 years old. I’m now 72 yrs old. Using commercial pattern, there was always a little something about them that I was quiet not happy but didn’t know what and how to change it especially the bodice. I will now make a bodice block( cheating way)AND know how to change by dart manipulation! Well done! Thank you so much
You have completely demystified the art of dart drafting! This was a real eye opener for me and I am so grateful to you for all the time and effort you put into this thoroughly comprehensive demonstration. I feel empowered!
Oooohhh this is SO useful. I knew darts, and that I put them into existing garments to make the chest fit WAY better, but now... The options are ENDLESS. Now I can alter patterns to fit me better: not only move the darts around for aesthetic reasons, but also to make the whole thing fit different. If the darts are at the top, the shoulders wil be more narrow. If I put the darts at the waist, that will be more narrow (which will work wonders for me, since I have quite an hourglass figure). If I don't want to alter the waist and shoulders much, I can put them at the armpits (what I've done so far for dresses that don't quite fit me). It all makes SEEEENSE!
I'm nearly seventy, newly retired and have started dabbling in garment sewing which has always interested me but only academically as I never had the time before. After months of journeying down the RUclips rabbithole, I've finally found you, someone whose content and teaching style are fantastic and suit my needs ++++. Congratulations and thank you. I'm now binging your videos, starting to draft a pattern for my large-framed torso (which meant that growing up nothing was ever made to fit me: think Twiggy and Mary Quant, so lost interest in clothes and fashion and concentrated on academe) but have now found a whole new world of aesthetics and useful learning. Thank you again. I so look forward to your videos.
I already understood how changing darts worked but still seeing you show all the differences was really just a good thing to see. A you are a great teacher and explainer. Winter project is to make my own blocks so I don't have to drool over vintage styles that I see and can't find the patterns for. What fun!
Thank you for this video! It was super helpful. I appreciated you showing the comparisons of the different finished bodice muslins as the video went on. I didn't think it was possible, but I'm even MORE excited to finish fitting my bodice block so I can dive into recreating vintage looks just from the illustrations and pictures.
Haha! I got an ad for actual darts, the kind you throw 🎯 , and I got recommended a video on how to stand to throw darts. But this was a great way to explain darts! NOW I get it.
This is an excellent teaching video. The best of the 5 I have watched. I think anyone could watch this an finally understand how and why we use darts for style choices. The asymmetrical one blew my mind but also solidified the previous lessons.
In case you don't hear it enough, you are a wonderful human and an amazing teacher. The more I watch your videos the more confident I feel in starting to make my own clothes. I have not been brave enough to try since I was in high school (looking at you darts) because I grew up with quilters. Thank you so much for making home clothes sewing so approachable!
I am finding this frickin' fascinating! I've never really seen this information presented in such a creative way, and this is probably the first time I've just thought I could try it myself.
Excellent! Thank you thank you thank you! You've explained and shown every step in multiple ways, and don't assume that we already know anything. Thanks for explaining sloper vs block. You say that you don't add 'much' ease. Where/why do you add ease? My patterns are so restricting that I can't twist, bend over, or bend and raise my arms. Your garments look smooth, not tight. Thanks for explaining that moving the darts DOES NOT change the fit! The examples are so helpful; I understand all of it. Love love love the asymmetric example - makes perfect sense. Thanks for saying that it's more about 'origami' than math. That takes such a weight off my shoulders! Your way is much better. Question - What is an external dart (17:15)? How is it used in 1950s fashion? I did a search but couldn't find it. Sounds interesting.
Thank you Amy! I don't actually add any ease to my pattern 99% of the time, because I like my clothes tight 😅 I am not a good resource for learning about ease, as I just don't know much about adding it, since I don't eek! And external dart is just sewing the dart on the outside instead of inside of the garment, a bit like this neckline perhaps www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499399685468/ I used them on my leopard dress most recently ruclips.net/video/OI9k1tj9o5Q/видео.html
Thank you. I am a novice sewing and I really wanted to understand what a dart was and the proper way to use this device. I watched several RUclips tutorials. Your tutorial really gave me the background to fully comprehend what darts are and how they are used. Thank you.
Hey Bianca, thanks for the comprehensive tutorial! But I have a kind of different dart question. How do I draft darts if I want to make my bodice fit close to my body from the waist to the under bust and then have fullness for my bust? With regular waist/bust darts the bodice has a lot of empty space in the underboob area and doesn't cup my breast.
You can either do something that has an empire (just under the bust) seam of some kind yes, like say these sort of '30s/'40s designs www.pinterest.com/pin/79798224627307942/ or you can go for a princess seam instead of darts, as the princess seam can be cut as close to the body under the bust as desired really. I will be showing how to make view B from this catalog page soon here on the channel, which will explain how to make the midriff sections of these styles in detail! i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/7a/41/8c7a41df36498bb3a79657434ba5c4f1.jpg
Look up some patterns for corsets or corset tops (like for wedding gowns). That will give you an idea, how the panels need to be shaped. Although it gets harder to do that, the larger your breasts are. At some point, cups or gores are kind of a must, because you'll be dealing with rather awkwardly curvy pieces, otherwise. But again, looking at historical corset patterns from different decades (just do a google picture search) will give you plenty of ideas on how to achieve a tight fit.
Look up 'contour darts' and 'contour bodice block'. A contour block represents the bust as a circle around the apex, with the darts being drafted at a different size inside and outside the circle and curved to connect the difference (this is how corsets and strapless bodices are drafted, as Rara Avis describes). Basically, the darts need to be sewn in a curve in order to remove more or less fabric from certain areas. Look at the curve on the side seam between the hip and waist of a skirt block. This is actually a dart; we just don't call it a dart because it's in a seam. If that all sounds too complicated, I would just make a mockup of a basic bodice block with a dart from waist to bust, pinch out whatever excess fabric is below the bust, trace the new dart line, and transfer that to your block. Curved darts are also helpful if you have a full tummy and need a bit more space in the front, while still bringing in the fabric from hip to waist.
@@TheClosetHistorian I am excited to see this! The style reminds me of a swiss waist except it's built into the dress instead of worn over it like a belt.
FINALLY!!! Someone shows the real reason for darts, how they work and how to transfer to a paper pattern. All the others whitter on about bust and above bust measurements. Ok, but if you don't know how a body curve and fabric relate, that is pointless. Thank you so very much!
Those were some spectacular demonstrations, thank you! Although I've always been a math person, geometry was my least favourite section of math class. When I'm doing pattern drafting, it doesn't feel like math to me either. I understand the geometry in a practical and tactile way that I only need to translate into clothes, not into formulas. I'll stick to algebra and calculus when I want some formula entertainment.
It’s been said more than a few times but, Bianca you are a genius. I’ve always just accepted that darts can be moved around, now I understand the how and why. Thank you. Despite what you might think, you are a great teacher, you are patient and your explanations are clear. You have a way of saying the same thing in slightly different ways during the video so, at some point during it, the penny drops.
Also kinda stupid, but I fell asleep listening to this last night (I had a long day) and I dreamt about making body blocks and darts and pretty dresses. Honestly? Some of the most pleasant dreams I've had recently.
Wow... I have seen so many teachers show how to move bust dart volume around, but I was always missing the underlying concept, which was the 'fitting the cone' idea. I always got especially hung up on the armhole and neckline areas. But to finally see it shown from the draping aspect, and also seeing all the different iterations was a total revelation. Thanks sooo much for making this video!
Teachers have a tendency to skip over the basic concept of things they are teaching. Both because when you know it, it's obvious to you. But also, it's the hardest to explain and put in to words. My mum is a special ed techer specialized in early reading. And the thing that often is her job with the youngest ones is getting the concept of reading to click. You can explain how a sounds like a, and how a letter looks until you're blue in the face. If they don't understand that sounds connected to letters built in to words and in to sentences is a thing and concept, and grasp that part of it, it will always be an uphill battle. This seems like a similar situation to me. You can get by and understand and even become good at reading or sewing or whatever, but the moment something really clicks makes it all just so much easier!
That final toile looks bomb! I can't wait to get to the point where I have the skill to look at a garment feature, visualise it as a pattern piece, draft it out and construct it.
You are continually impressing the hell out of me. In one hour, you covered dart manipulation more succinctly and in depth than the weeks I spent on it in fashion school. So very well done.
Thank you Richard!
Thanks to this comment I am going to sub. I have not seen the video yet.
word
I agree! I spent three years in school and we didn't use draping, only hardcore constructing, and thanks to your video I understand manipulating darts so much better than I did after school.
Just discovered this. Excellent teaching. I am now so informed.
I'm going to forever think of sewing a bodices now as making a party hat for my boobs, and I'm eternally grateful for it.
LOL YES
Me too... 😂😂😂🎉🎉🥂🍾... Party!
YASSS. Party Boobs!
It's always a party in the sewing room 🎉🎊✨
🤣🤣🤣
*pause at around 16:28 *
"When you are sewing a dart, you need to come down probably at least 5/8ths to an inch and a half away from your apex. The larger the bust and the larger the apex zone, the farther away from it you need to make your darts. I think the general recommendation is 5/8ths of an inch. I go for an inch and a quarter away from my apex for my darts, personally"
THIS IS GOLD. The block I drafted fit okay enough, but there was a little bloop area right at the apex. It looked ridiculous with my modern bra and my husband started giggling that I had "1950's boobs". I essentially made the bullet bra silhouette. I've been trying to figure out how the heck I messed up and those few sentences have given me a clue. My drafting instructions did tell me to use HALF an inch away from the apex on the side bust dart and one inch from the waist dart, but I'm a DDD. No WONDER I was getting a pointy bust cone! Trial and error indeed!
*goes back to watching*
*pause at **27:30*
YOU CAN DO THAT?! I've been terrified to cut away my darts (I've only gotten so far as to make a handful of muslin mock ups to get the fit right) and have been S T R U G G L I N G with my bust dart getting in the way of other seams. This was a revelation. I'm taking notes!
*more watching*
That whole last section with the asymmetric bodice gathering thing... MAGIC.
I love it.
Thank you, lady, this was a very timely video for me!
Thanks Jessica! I'm glad it was helpful! I always recommend people fit things over the style of bra they plan to wear to help with this issue. I wear more pointy vintage-ish bras and I still need 1 1/4" away from the apex!
@@TheClosetHistorian I was doing that, and I was so confused when it wasn't working out the way I thought it should. When the instructions tell me 1/2 an inch and it really should be 1 1/2 (for me) from the apex, without telling me that the distance of the apex to the dart is the variable I needed to consider, I was getting very frustrated!
I'm so happy for the timeliness of your video! It showed me that I DIDN'T completely mess up - I just needed a slight tweak of a couple of lines. You're an angel!
Now I can get on with making my dress with a fun chicken pattern! 🥰
@@jessicaw8941 Chickens! We need more chickens
@@maryblaylock6545 I could share progress pix?
🤯The whole video was mind-blowing
This is legit the most helpful sewing video on RUclips.
Thank you Charlie!
Wow. Just wow. That last gathered top reminds me of an unfinished piece that was in my grandmother's closet when we emptied it after she died. Instead of gathers, it had diagonal pleats. She'd been sewing most of her life, having finagled her way into classes when she was young during the Depression. She'd go into New York, take classes, then go dancing at the Savoy. She used those skills her whole life, both to feed her family and have fun.
What an incredible story. Your grandmother sounded like she was an amazing seamstress. Yes, sewing is what people did to feed their families. I have known several women throughout my life who used their sewing skills to pay the bills and feed their families; they altered as well as made garments for clients often wealthy ones. It is a trade that is incredibly useful and will never go out of style. Thank you for sharing your grandmother's life with us!
She sounds fabulous! I would sure love to attend those classes, I bet they were excellent ✨🧵
This was much better than the pattern drafting class I paid a fortune for some years ago. Thank you Thank you Thank you Darling Bianca! Armhole Princess had me laughing when I should be sleeping...
Thank you!
did i just watch an entire masterclass??? this is GOLD. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
and PS: the way you visualized with the cone and then on the block was brilliant and helped so much! @theclosethistorian
Thank you Leah!
If genius is simplicity, you've nailed it my dear.
I’ve always thought of flat drafting as some kind of brilliant spatial witchcraft, but the more I watch you do it, the more I feel like it is, in fact, intuitive and makes sense. As though it were a thing I could actually do! ❤️
Thank you! You /can/ do it!! ❤
Holy crap I GET IT!! 😆 Ive been attempting to teach myself to sew with commercial patterns but the fit is always wrong and commercial patterns are....well, the literal worst. Pattern drafting seemed a really intimidating but necessary alternative. This video gave me a huge lightbulb moment of understanding. THANK YOU!! 🙌
Are you fricken kidding me YOU COVERED everything from A to Z in darts. Your AMAZING. Not only are you a master of your skills but also have a bad ass look totally amazing lady.
Thank you Jeffery!
Are u curving off the tip of faric on theend of dart or onto the fabric .more ???
The way you explain technical bits of sewing is so lovely, because your tone and nonchalance make it all seem very approachable. Shirts and yokes were very intimidating to me, before. But you make it seem like something everyone can figure out with some trial and error. Thank you very much!
I'm quite impatient and sorta feel like if I can do it anyone can 😂❤️
Bianca, that was by far the best sewing tutorial I have watched so far - from anyone. You are so clear and relaxed you make the whole process seem natural and obvious somehow. Thank you so much.
Thank you!
“People tend to get offended if you pin right into them” made me laugh so hard. Damn people and their tender bodies.
LOL!
My partner was in the kitchen and even giggled at that line!
Never mind tender..... just to add insult to injury, they LEAK if you puncture them!!!!!!
@@catzkeet4860 How bloody dare they?!
@@catzkeet4860 which tends to make a bloody mess of the fabric, and who wants to deal with that?
ma’am you are changing my sewing life
I've been sewing for 46 years. Made all my clothes and my children's' clothes. After my husband and I broke up, all I brought with me, when I left, was my sewing machine and my iron. I worked two jobs and also sewed clothes for several families. I charged two dollars a seam plus material and 6$ for hems. Well, I just stumbled upon your channel. I soaked this in as if I was 20. I'm redoing my whole wardrobe! The styles I will create! OMG! Thank you so so so much!! l fell in love. I got this 100%.You are my hero!! Ba-Bye store patterns!
Thank you Teresa! ❤🧵
You've likely already thought of this, but as you seem to be doing a series of "how to" videos, I'd love to see some more info on sleeves - how to properly sew one in, and different ways to make them - with or without poof, gathered near the hem, etc.... As always, this video was amazing. I don't know what it is, but I always understand your explanations even when the topic has previously confused me. Thank you so much for giving us this content!
Thank you!
On the drapery bodice, when you scrunched everything and you could tell the fit was the same, that was AMAZING
This was absolutely the best dart lesson anyone could ever give.
As always, you give so much knowledge and I end up smiling because I get it, and I feel that - yes, I can do it!
Bianca, you are amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Thank you Emma!
I come back and reference this video a lot... even years later, when i need a refresh, im always back at your channel! Agesless and amazing advise
This is the type of video I have to listen to over and over. Or watch once with a note book. So indepth.
Thank you Gia!
Girl….. this was the absolute best explanation on the use of darts! I almost melted when I seen you using the actual dress form! It makes more since!!
I'm sure most of this information is in one of my home sewing books, but having not only the visuals, but also seeing how the material actually moves when constructed is so incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for going over so many different ways to place darts since it's easy to say 'you can put them anywhere and it'll still fit just fine', but it's so incredibly helpful to see it in action.
Most importantly, thank you for sharing how to analyze patterns for better flat patterning. I'm much more comfortable with flat patterning than draping, and it's very discouraging to be told 'just drape it' when I want to make something more adventurous than a pre-made pattern
May I just say I love your name GigglepantsIII
Thank you! I'm glad it was useful ❤
B
As a person that’s just fumbling my way through trial and error and RUclips, i was searching and searching for a video like this!!! Thank you!
You know that you’ve hit a home run when someone with no interest in pattern drafting watches your entire video! I’d love to hang out and just watch you work your magic! Very impressed indeed!!!👍🏽
Thank you!
This video has literally CHANGED MY LIFE!!! Darts was a huge wall I’ve been up against but I’m literally making a celebratory dinner tonight in your honor 😂❤
You are a fantastic teacher and are so so good at explaining things that even beginners like me will understand.
Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Thank you Logan!! I'm so glad you found it helpful ❤
Thanks to you, I have caught myself looking at clothing catalogs, ads, and runway-show content, and visualizing where the darts would be on various designs, instead of thinking about buying those things or even looking for sewing patterns to duplicate them. You are really good at explaining these concepts in a clear and concise way.
Although I use the word "concise", I must say that I really appreciate your willingness to take the time to demonstrate and explain things thoroughly. I think there are some RUclipsrs who might do a great job at explaining things, but they are too worried about making their videos too long. The fact is that people will watch if the content is engaging and they are interested in the topic. I think you do a good job of speeding through the "boring" or repetitive bits and slowing down for the parts where more attention is needed. Even the speeded-up parts are informative; I get a feel for the process as a whole.
Very well put! I couldn't have said that any better! Thank you.🐧🤗
Thank you! ❤ A while ago I sorta gave up on caring how long my videos came out 😂 Alas they're as long as it takes me to explain!
Great video. You found the perfect way to explain darts ! As someone who sews, I always struggle with explaining dart manipulation to someone who is new to sewing . I'm going to use this video as a perfect teaching tool. I bow to the seamstress goddess. 👏👏👏❤💋
Thank you Violet!
This was absolutely gold. I cannot stress enough how helpful this was. You just handed us keys to a candy store.
The specific information about how far to make the dart tip away from the apex was something I really needed at this moment. I actually ran into a pointy dart issue on a camisole I'm making. I BET I need to move the dart point farther from the Apex (I'm also larger busted.)
Thank you Amy! I'm glad you found it helpful ❤
That tucked mock-up was INSANE.
Like sis, bless!
Thank you! ✨
Absolutely worth waiting up for! It's 2am here in the UK but finally I understand dart manipulation 😃 Thankyou! Also that last asymmetric design on you ❤
Thank you! Get some rest! ✨
2 years later and I still rewatch this video if I'm unsure of darts. I learned so much from your content Bianca.
Thank you!! ❤
Fascinating and clear! You’re an excellent teacher!
Thank you Diane!
WOW, after watching countless of videos on darting and fabric manipulation, THIS has been the BEST tutorial by far!!
Thank you so much! I finished making my first ever sloper last night (using your videos for direction) and I feel so empowered! I can finally tackle my big sewing ideas knowing that they will actually fit me properly.
Hell yeah!! Good luck 🍀 🎉🎉
The asymmetrical one is mind-blowing, but it makes sense the way you explain it! Awesome!
Literally a master class in pattern drafting.
Thank you Adam!
That was absolutely the best lesson on darts I have seen online. Thank you!
Thank you Elizabeth!
“Take a shot every time I say the fit doesn’t change” omg 😂 I would be drunk before the end of this video. Lol
This is such a great tutorial Bianca! Thank you. :)
I'm such a lightweight that I'd be passed out on the floor. 🤣 I agree that this is one of the best demonstrations of darts I have ever seen.
Thank you Colette! A shot of...water! 😂
Darts have escaped me for years! This was a concise lesson in how to accomplish a clean dart. I’m so happy I found your channel!
Excellent!!!! I have been sewing for many years. I kept reinventing the wheel when it came to things like this. I wish i had known then what I now know. You explained it and demonstrated it all very well. Thank you for your time and effort.
Thank you!
Brilliant!! I didn't have any real questions about darts, but my understanding of them and how they work has now gone through the roof. Thank you so much!!
Thank you for this in depth understanding of "Why darts". And yay for getting out and catching up with a friend.
I wholeheartedly agree with all that you said! Friendships need to be nurtured.
The fact that you went to three different fashion schools and neither of them thought it important to teach y'all to design for an actual person is kinda wild to me.
(Amazing video and playlist, I'm learning so so much! Thank you
They expect people to go work in a big corporate place like GAP and end up choosing colors for next seasons t-shirt range....sadly 😅
THANK YOU. This is the BEST video on RUclips that I have ever watched about dart manipulation. I loved all of your examples side by side it made all the explanations so clear.
Thank you Jane!
I feel like I just watch a magician work for an hour. Just phenomenal
Thank you!
l don't really sew much anymore, but l find this fascinating and your explanation very accessable, understandable, clear. Great job!!
Thank you Susan!
Omgggg. I was like am I mentally ready to watch a 50 minute video about darts, but ten minutes in I’m glad I did! 😂 this is so helpful, especially about the dart placement; The visual with the cone was so helpful!
Thank you Diana!
Brilliant! What a wonderful example of your humour making learning such fun. You just do this so well. Thank you for walking us through the process so it all makes such sense.
Thank you Kaytie!
i'm getting into sewing a cosplay as an absolute begginer so this was the best tutorial for a bodice i could get!! super comprehensible and simple!
This is so interesting! ! Lessons in sewing with humor! I love it. I understood everything you said. So there are a lot of us who understand it better with visuals!! You definitely deliver!! Thank you so much.
Thank you Sarah!
I love the green dart in your bangs!
This is the most helpful and useful tutorial on darts that I've ever seen. And that includes courses and classes and books. Something just made click inside my brain today. Massive thank you!! I'm becoming a patron after watching this!!
Thank you Sonia! ❤
This is the best video on understanding darts and their manipulation.. Thanks a million for giving insight into the subject in less than an hour where oters have failed to do it in years.
Thank you!
Thanks for this Bianca. I had a pretty good idea about how to do a lot of this from your other videos, but this really condenses all that into one handy reference. Also that last example has my brain humming with ideas. :D
Thank you Shannon! ❤
I’m currently taking lessons on pattern drafting and I have learned more in 10 minutes here than 8hrs of lessons
this now makes perfect sense but it's also absolutely wild lol
Only watched half so far, but have to pause to say this is probably the best informative sewing video I've ever watched. My god, I feel like a whole new space has opened up in my brain haha
I'm so glad!!
As someone majoring in maths I always feel a little bad when I hear people being scared of maths. To me patterndrafting seems so interesting and fun, and I look forward to it once I some day manage to make my own bodice block. First time in years I wish I had a fuller bust to have more dartfullnes to work with :D
I thought this was just me...I’m a B cup and usually love that I don’t have a lot to deal with in that department but today I was thinking ‘man I wish I had more dart fullness to play with!’ 😂😂
I think for some people, like myself, maths is easier when you can see it being applied in a useful, visual, practical way - like with pattern drafting, I found when maths was taught in school in a more abstract way, my brain would tend to tune out. It didn't help that the teacher I had for algebra would expect you to just come up with an answer straight away and if he couldn't, he wasn't interested, he was terrifying. Yet, with art I'm often drawn to geometric shapes and designs can draw complex 3d shapes freehand.
I wonder if 3Blue1Brown (or one of the other math popularizers) would talk about the math of 3D to flat patterns. They could also do it in sheet metal for, e.g., getting ducts neatly around corners, or changing their sizes. And carpenters have algorithms for doing curves and more with a carpenter's square.
I am DD, and my breast shape is less dense on top than bottom. Plenty to intimidate!
I have been watching some sewing videos, but I still need practice in the basics (Like threading the machine).
Beginner is hardly the appropriate description. Ambition to become a beginner is closer!
That was the best dart manipulation explanation I've seen by a country mile! I've been taught by the kind youtube sewing community and enjoy it very much. I'll never been a designer, but if I can make garments that my wife and me like - that's good enough for me. Thank you so much.
Thank you Colin!
This is really helpful! I have seen this in books but it made me kind of cross-eyed trying to picture how it all worked. Seeing the pattern plus the mockup makes it much more understandable. Going beyond basic darts to gathering and pleating was great too.
Thank you April! I'm glad it was helpful!
Wow! Thanks so much for the cone description. I’ve been mystified by the idea of moving or changing darts, until now.❤
Brilliant! Thank you Bianca. Every video I watch of yours gives me more and more confidence in my sewing.
Thank you Vanessa!
I don’t ever leave comments in videos, but this was so instructive and well done that I really want to say thank you beyond a thumbs up! Brilliant class!!!
Thank you so much!
I made my first darts just yesterday, so I’m so excited for this!!! 🙌 I love how you bring what seem like difficult topics to life.
Thank you Maggie!
Oh, it's geometry alright and you are fabulous at explaining how it all works. Whenever I draft a pattern, my old high school geometry teaching is laughing at me somewhere from beyond the grave because I swore to him that I would never use those math skills again! Well, little did I know that I would love making garments so much. This was a great lesson and I learned so much. Thank you!
Exactly what I was thinking 🤣 sorry to my geometry teacher!
This is amazing! The visual examples helped explain the whys and hows of darts and dart manipulation to infinite and beyond!
Thank you!
This is the best explanation/lesson on darts and how to make a paper pattern from a design made on a mannequin. Fantastic! Thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge with us.
Thank you Jeannie!
I almost didn't watch b/c I've seen so many of these; but your explanation is the best I've seen. Well done!
Thank you!
I am just learning to sew clothes. With no training at all, except for RUclips and reading. This video was THE BEST! at explaining darts and bodice manipulation that I have ever seen. I finally "get it!".
Thanks you so much for making the video and for being so patient explaining how things work.
Thank you Pamela!
Well, are you making progress, I just started learning too on youtube and wonder of it will be enough for me to learn how to sew
I LOVED this video!! It made sense of some things I feel like was hard to find someone really explain like this! Really needed this, and now I'm so hyped to begin drafting stuff. I love your channel, if you have time one day it would be insanely amazing if you could teach us how to create a pant block - I'm struggling to make it work like I want to, and musselin-garment after musselin garment it gets better, but I just feel like you would have some really good explanations for why we do this or that to the block!
This is absolutely brilliant! I am so thrilled that I found your channel. You have a fan forever.
Thank you Marie! ❤
Hi, Thank you so much for this Ms. Historian. As usual I don't really understand a whole lot, as it's way outside my day to day life, and as usual I don't really care. One thing I've noticed is that the things you explain, doesn't seem so intimidating anymore to me. You are a very good pedagog in my opinion. Should I ever find myself in a situation where my life depend on making dart manipulations, I will remember this video and probably survive, given the time and materials to make enough toiles, of course. Yours, Ann
Thank you Ann!
Outstanding! I’ve been sewing since I was 12 years old. I’m now 72 yrs old. Using commercial pattern, there was always a little something about them that I was quiet not happy but didn’t know what and how to change it especially the bodice. I will now make a bodice block( cheating way)AND know how to change by dart manipulation! Well done! Thank you so much
This is an incredible video. Once I've made my block I really feel like I could draft nearly anything now!
Thank you Emma! ❤
You have completely demystified the art of dart drafting! This was a real eye opener for me and I am so grateful to you for all the time and effort you put into this thoroughly comprehensive demonstration. I feel empowered!
Great way to explain the job of the dart. Very easy to understand.
Thank you!
Oooohhh this is SO useful. I knew darts, and that I put them into existing garments to make the chest fit WAY better, but now... The options are ENDLESS. Now I can alter patterns to fit me better: not only move the darts around for aesthetic reasons, but also to make the whole thing fit different. If the darts are at the top, the shoulders wil be more narrow. If I put the darts at the waist, that will be more narrow (which will work wonders for me, since I have quite an hourglass figure). If I don't want to alter the waist and shoulders much, I can put them at the armpits (what I've done so far for dresses that don't quite fit me). It all makes SEEEENSE!
Loved this video. I have saved it to my favorites. So informative. Thanks so much.
What connie said!! ^^^
Loved this, saved it, you did this so well I will definitely be referring to it a lot, and THANK YOU! 🤩❤️
Thank you Connie!
I'm nearly seventy, newly retired and have started dabbling in garment sewing which has always interested me but only academically as I never had the time before. After months of journeying down the RUclips rabbithole, I've finally found you, someone whose content and teaching style are fantastic and suit my needs ++++. Congratulations and thank you. I'm now binging your videos, starting to draft a pattern for my large-framed torso (which meant that growing up nothing was ever made to fit me: think Twiggy and Mary Quant, so lost interest in clothes and fashion and concentrated on academe) but have now found a whole new world of aesthetics and useful learning. Thank you again. I so look forward to your videos.
Thank you Andrea!
I already understood how changing darts worked but still seeing you show all the differences was really just a good thing to see. A you are a great teacher and explainer. Winter project is to make my own blocks so I don't have to drool over vintage styles that I see and can't find the patterns for. What fun!
Thank you Cindy!
There is no teachers who teach clearly better than you maam.....love u from North East India❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏
Thank you!!
Thank you for this video! It was super helpful. I appreciated you showing the comparisons of the different finished bodice muslins as the video went on. I didn't think it was possible, but I'm even MORE excited to finish fitting my bodice block so I can dive into recreating vintage looks just from the illustrations and pictures.
Haha! I got an ad for actual darts, the kind you throw 🎯 , and I got recommended a video on how to stand to throw darts.
But this was a great way to explain darts! NOW I get it.
Ha! I've tapped into a different market...
This is an excellent teaching video. The best of the 5 I have watched. I think anyone could watch this an finally understand how and why we use darts for style choices. The asymmetrical one blew my mind but also solidified the previous lessons.
Thank you!
In case you don't hear it enough, you are a wonderful human and an amazing teacher. The more I watch your videos the more confident I feel in starting to make my own clothes. I have not been brave enough to try since I was in high school (looking at you darts) because I grew up with quilters.
Thank you so much for making home clothes sewing so approachable!
This is definitely the best explanation of this I've ever seen! So useful, thanks so much for taking the time to explain all of this
Thank you Victoria!
I am finding this frickin' fascinating! I've never really seen this information presented in such a creative way, and this is probably the first time I've just thought I could try it myself.
Thank you!
Excellent! Thank you thank you thank you! You've explained and shown every step in multiple ways, and don't assume that we already know anything. Thanks for explaining sloper vs block. You say that you don't add 'much' ease. Where/why do you add ease? My patterns are so restricting that I can't twist, bend over, or bend and raise my arms. Your garments look smooth, not tight. Thanks for explaining that moving the darts DOES NOT change the fit! The examples are so helpful; I understand all of it. Love love love the asymmetric example - makes perfect sense. Thanks for saying that it's more about 'origami' than math. That takes such a weight off my shoulders! Your way is much better. Question - What is an external dart (17:15)? How is it used in 1950s fashion? I did a search but couldn't find it. Sounds interesting.
Thank you Amy! I don't actually add any ease to my pattern 99% of the time, because I like my clothes tight 😅 I am not a good resource for learning about ease, as I just don't know much about adding it, since I don't eek! And external dart is just sewing the dart on the outside instead of inside of the garment, a bit like this neckline perhaps www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499399685468/ I used them on my leopard dress most recently ruclips.net/video/OI9k1tj9o5Q/видео.html
Thank you. I am a novice sewing and I really wanted to understand what a dart was and the proper way to use this device. I watched several RUclips tutorials. Your tutorial really gave me the background to fully comprehend what darts are and how they are used. Thank you.
Thank you Latasha!
Hey Bianca, thanks for the comprehensive tutorial! But I have a kind of different dart question. How do I draft darts if I want to make my bodice fit close to my body from the waist to the under bust and then have fullness for my bust? With regular waist/bust darts the bodice has a lot of empty space in the underboob area and doesn't cup my breast.
You can either do something that has an empire (just under the bust) seam of some kind yes, like say these sort of '30s/'40s designs www.pinterest.com/pin/79798224627307942/ or you can go for a princess seam instead of darts, as the princess seam can be cut as close to the body under the bust as desired really. I will be showing how to make view B from this catalog page soon here on the channel, which will explain how to make the midriff sections of these styles in detail! i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/7a/41/8c7a41df36498bb3a79657434ba5c4f1.jpg
Look up some patterns for corsets or corset tops (like for wedding gowns). That will give you an idea, how the panels need to be shaped.
Although it gets harder to do that, the larger your breasts are. At some point, cups or gores are kind of a must, because you'll be dealing with rather awkwardly curvy pieces, otherwise. But again, looking at historical corset patterns from different decades (just do a google picture search) will give you plenty of ideas on how to achieve a tight fit.
Look up 'contour darts' and 'contour bodice block'. A contour block represents the bust as a circle around the apex, with the darts being drafted at a different size inside and outside the circle and curved to connect the difference (this is how corsets and strapless bodices are drafted, as Rara Avis describes). Basically, the darts need to be sewn in a curve in order to remove more or less fabric from certain areas. Look at the curve on the side seam between the hip and waist of a skirt block. This is actually a dart; we just don't call it a dart because it's in a seam.
If that all sounds too complicated, I would just make a mockup of a basic bodice block with a dart from waist to bust, pinch out whatever excess fabric is below the bust, trace the new dart line, and transfer that to your block.
Curved darts are also helpful if you have a full tummy and need a bit more space in the front, while still bringing in the fabric from hip to waist.
Yes I have been trying to achieve the same thing myself. I’m very excited for the upcoming videos and following some of these suggestions. Thanks!
@@TheClosetHistorian I am excited to see this! The style reminds me of a swiss waist except it's built into the dress instead of worn over it like a belt.
FINALLY!!! Someone shows the real reason for darts, how they work and how to transfer to a paper pattern. All the others whitter on about bust and above bust measurements. Ok, but if you don't know how a body curve and fabric relate, that is pointless. Thank you so very much!
Those were some spectacular demonstrations, thank you! Although I've always been a math person, geometry was my least favourite section of math class. When I'm doing pattern drafting, it doesn't feel like math to me either. I understand the geometry in a practical and tactile way that I only need to translate into clothes, not into formulas. I'll stick to algebra and calculus when I want some formula entertainment.
Thank you Tina!
It’s been said more than a few times but, Bianca you are a genius. I’ve always just accepted that darts can be moved around, now I understand the how and why. Thank you. Despite what you might think, you are a great teacher, you are patient and your explanations are clear. You have a way of saying the same thing in slightly different ways during the video so, at some point during it, the penny drops.
Also kinda stupid, but I fell asleep listening to this last night (I had a long day) and I dreamt about making body blocks and darts and pretty dresses. Honestly? Some of the most pleasant dreams I've had recently.
Wow... I have seen so many teachers show how to move bust dart volume around, but I was always missing the underlying concept, which was the 'fitting the cone' idea. I always got especially hung up on the armhole and neckline areas. But to finally see it shown from the draping aspect, and also seeing all the different iterations was a total revelation. Thanks sooo much for making this video!
Thank you! I'm so glad it was helpful!
Teachers have a tendency to skip over the basic concept of things they are teaching. Both because when you know it, it's obvious to you. But also, it's the hardest to explain and put in to words. My mum is a special ed techer specialized in early reading. And the thing that often is her job with the youngest ones is getting the concept of reading to click. You can explain how a sounds like a, and how a letter looks until you're blue in the face. If they don't understand that sounds connected to letters built in to words and in to sentences is a thing and concept, and grasp that part of it, it will always be an uphill battle. This seems like a similar situation to me. You can get by and understand and even become good at reading or sewing or whatever, but the moment something really clicks makes it all just so much easier!
This is incredible. I dont have boobs but i can make clothes for those who do now!
Wow! That last bodice blew my mind!
I am a self taught fashion deisgner and this video is so extremely helpful! Thank you so so much! It doesnt seem as daunting anymore.
That final toile looks bomb! I can't wait to get to the point where I have the skill to look at a garment feature, visualise it as a pattern piece, draft it out and construct it.