Date: 2/19/09 5:11 PM

When I did the muslin for this skirt, I had no issues with the darts at all (pictures of the muslin are on my blog). Now that I'm working on the suede final version, the darts are poking out terribly.



Do I just extend them down? And by how much? How did they end up so wonky, and how can I make sure they don't get wonky again?

------
http://storyofecouture.blogspot.com/

PatternTrade
yahoo groups: Patterntrade
Spread the Love

Yardage In:
2008 - lost track in October at about 150
2009 - it's all good.

Date: 2/20/09 2:55 PM

Suede is much stiffer and thicker than anything you might make a muslin of, except other suede. Probably you need to keep stitching at the end of the dart, catching as little as you can, to sort of taper to nothing instead of creating a triangular end. Try with scraps until you have it right. Also aim your darts to be a little shorter so there is room to do this without taking in too much ease at the widest point. Another possibility is to cut out the dart leaving a small SA and overlap the two sides rather than leaving that bulk inside.

------
Buy the best and you only cry once.

Reply to ladybirdlove
Date: 2/20/09 6:01 PM

Absolutely perfect advice from Stichology. As I look at your DTD, I notice that you're quite slim, without too much curve in your derriere, so it's possible that you'll prefer Stichology's second recommendation of cutting out the dart, overlapping edges with slight seam allowance, and sewing down the middle of the 'crossed' seam allowances. That's the method I use on stiffer suede. Try a sample. --Lily

------
Lily

Date: 2/21/09 10:16 AM

Thanks all. I'm going to test some scraps and see what happens.

:)

------
http://storyofecouture.blogspot.com/

PatternTrade
yahoo groups: Patterntrade
Spread the Love

Yardage In:
2008 - lost track in October at about 150
2009 - it's all good.

Reply to ladybirdlove
Date: 2/21/09 10:30 AM

If you are cutting the leather, put a square of iron on interfacing at the bottom. Or even sew on a square of lining fabric to give the bottom of the dart some added strength.

------
www.nancyksews.blogspot.com

Reply to ladybirdlove
Date: 2/21/09 11:47 AM

I think another thing that can cause this is the angle at the point of the dart between the line of stitching and the line of the fold piece. If these two lines meet at a point, you'll get a bump like that. Otherwise, you need the smooth the stitching line to meet the fold with a little curve over the last inch or so of stitching. In a really stiff medium like a piece of wrapping paper, you'll get this point every time.

In fabric, there's generally enough give so it doesn't really show, or else some of the corner shrinks out when you press it, or something like that.