
Creating Style Darts, Using Slash and Spread Technique
Updated: Jan 5
In this mini lesson we'll go over how to use darts as style enhancements. Although we may be more familiar with them being used just for fit, they can be very effective for creating interesting lines of design.

There are at least 9 types of darts
This diagram depicts the various places of darts can be applied. Each having its own name.
Center Front Neck
Mid Neck
Mid Shoulder
Shoulder
Mid armhole
Straight
French
Center Waist
Center Front Bust
For the sake of this demonstration, we will create a center front waist dart, using the slash and spread technique.
Material required;
1/2 Pattern blocks
Pattern paper or tracing paper
Pencil
Eraser
Tape
Ruler (clear grid ruler)
(Optional but helpful)
Awl
Muslin 1/2 a yard
Colored pencil
Scissors (paper and fabric)
Glue stick
French curve
Dressmaking pins
Pattern weights
To start I will use a 1/2 scale "working pattern" ( a working pattern is what is used as a base to trace the base pattern pattern shape, it is not used to cut into but instead saved for future uses)

Design Analysis; Identifying where the dart is located. The waist dart is located to the center front waist.
Figure 1
Trace the charted pattern. Mark the center front waist dart.Label legs A & B.
Draw a slash line from center waist to bust point.

Figure 2
Slash pattern from center front to waist (make sure you do not cut into the waist point)

Figure 3
Close dart legs A & B. Tape
Place pattern on paper. Retrace.
Center dart point 5/8 inches from bust point (1/4 on the 1/2 scale dress form)
Draw dart legs to dart point

Figure 4
Add seams to pattern or muslin as shown
Complete pattern using general pattern information
Test fit (using muslin, cut on fold adding 1 inch extension at front)
Seam allowance for 1/2 scale dress form; in place of 1/2 = 1/4. in place of 1/4 neckline= 1/8
1/8 seam allowance in new dart.
