Early Access // This Week's Video
I managed to (finally, this took me days!) get the next volume of Drafting Dangerous finished up for publication this week! So here is a first look at the amount of snark questions about curved darts can stir up in me...
Thank you for your patience, as I am super duper behind on answering comments and questions. I've been trying hard to get some writing/editing in each day so time feels strapped but my brain feels better so ehhhh...ain't that just the way!!
Curved Darts & Contouring // DRAFTING DANGEROUS vol.11 (YouTube)
Comments (24)
My problem that I'm having is that my degrees of bust fullness is so big (36J/K bra for reference) and my torso is so short, that I have trouble fitting darts on my block, especially multiple darts, which I so obviously need. Looking at my WIP block boggles the mind. My measurements literally broke a well-made, open source online tool (with a lovely community shoutout freesewing(dot)org). I have been told I should only do princess seams. How do I fit all of this bust fullness into side seam this small? There's no room! And even when I attempt to make a mock up, the pinched out fabric hangs down below the edge of the block. How do you cut out the seam allowance and finish that raw edge (no serger)?
This was really helpful, thank you!
Thank you Anita!
Anyone else having issues with Patreon? It keeps telling me to sign in to confirm that I'm not a bot but then the sign in link isn't working!
I have never seen this, but please be careful it's not a scam version of a similar url just trying to somehow score your login info...the internet worries me!
This is a masterpiece in snark and education, thank you! As someone who avoids a lot of modern clothes because they're too contoured and stretchy for my comfort and taste, I feel so much more validated now in keeping my usual darts in my (mostly woven, increasingly self-drafted) wardrobe. Also, my response to your Instagram story is the cover photo?! Love this.
Thank you!! And thanks extra for phrasing the insta reply so perfectly for the thumbnail ha!
This was really quite helpful for me. The costume designer I work for generally sends me a sketch of the costume and a couple of patterns that sort of work with it. So with my rudimentary drafting skills I have to come up with something that sort of looks like the sketch and fits the actor's body--which I struggle with monumentally. At the moment I working on what she described as a "non-traditional kimono" which is actually a fantasy full length robe with a gored skirt and a fitted bodice that crosses in front with a kimono type collar. Hoping the first fitting goes well...Thank you for all your generous help with style line and fit!
I'm glad if I can be of any help! Also that sounds very game-of-thrones style fantasy gown adjacent, so I would look at early GOT cosplay pattern and makes. The GOT gowns are very fantasy kimono coded!
So interesting!
I too have a short distance between my bust and waist. My waist darts are short and wide. I make them almost into a tuck. Perhaps I would be better off putting more into the side dart and less in the waist? I have made two (fish eye) waist darts less than an inch apart on button up shirts. Maybe two darts would be good? It is hard to figure out exactly where they should go. Should they tip toward one another or be parallel but close together? I have tried gathers, they do not look good. Frumpy is what comes to mind...
I'll admit when it comes to fisheye darts...I never use them so I have little practical knowledge! I will talk about them a lot more in an upcoming DD episode about the torso length block.
My best-fitting bodice is New Look 6309 https://pattern-walk.com/product/new-look-6039-dress-size-a-6-16-uncut-sewing-pattern/ So I can just take the angle of the dart top and turn it into a straight dart? I hate having to pin that curve. I really want to make this pattern into a block (dyscalculia makes drafting from scratch incredibly frustrating) but I've never known how to convert the curved dart.
So the trouble here is this dress has no waist seam 😅 It makes moving anything a huge pain in the arse. The back looks like it has double ended darts, which can at least simply be made into usual darts by cutting the thing apart at the waistline. If you were to add a waist seam, even temporarily (as in you then re-eliminate it later) you would end up with a styleline on the skirt, and a curved dart on the bodice. I would have to see the pattern piece unsewn shape to know which type of curved dart they are using in the bodice portion of this buddy. But technically one could separate the bodice and skirt by defining a waist seam, swing the resulting curved dart on the bodice closed (I suggest opening it into a temp shoulder dart), then re draw in a straight line from the apex to the waistline where the skirt seam is, opening that up, and then reattaching the skirt…I may need to do a video demo for that to make ANY SENSE apologies
Because I have a very low bust point and a high (not that small) waist, I find contoured darts useful for ensuring I do get some shaping under my bust and that there is a clear delineation between my bust and waist. However, I don’t want things to fit skin tight so I actually add ease elsewhere (usually on the side seam) so that I still get bust shaping but can still breath etc. As you say it’s very much about our individual flesh prisons 🤣🤣
You really don't like those darts, huh? 😂 My bestie has a very full chest that sits low on her torso, there's maybe an inch or two between her waist and the bottom of her cup. For more fitted/formal garments she likes to carve out that little space to accentuate her waist, which makes a big difference for her. Not worth the hassle in most cases but there are times when it's useful. Although I dress Edwardian on the daily and my darts are all monsters, so who am I to say 😬
This is the same issue I have, solidarity with your friend lol
Ahhh what keeps the brain happy!! This is a good question for me too, trying to navigate some tricky bits lately. Look forward to this video! And haha some snark 😂!
So interesting. tks B.
“It is a unique and varied flesh prison” 😆 this is one of the many reasons I love your videos! Thank you this is so helpful, I just love this series
Thank you!!
so happy to hear you are writing!
I stayed up to 3am last night editing, I lose self control 😅
YESSSS I loved this awesome explanation and I am intrigued by the conversations to come…thank you Bianca