Date: 5/6/08 10:57 AM

I have been reading about the term 'pivot and spread' for pattern alterations - can someone tell me what this is all about or guide me to any links or books?
Also, what does it mean when a dart is rotated to another point? Thanks WM

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Kathy
Waikiki, Perth, Western Australia

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Date: 5/6/08 11:01 AM

Here's a dart manipulation tutorial. It's geared toward a type of pattern-making software, but it gives you the idea of what you could do to a flat pattern. If you have a top with bust darts, you can rotate those darts to the waist, the neckline, or whatever.

Dart tutorial

I've heard of pivot and slide, which is a method of cutting your garment bigger or smaller than your pattern, but I'm not sure how it's done.
-- Edited on 5/6/08 11:03 AM --

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Date: 5/6/08 11:51 AM

You are mixing pivot & slide with slash & spread. Two separate techniques.

Pivot & slide is where you trace the pattern and make changes while you trace, by pivoting or sliding your paper. So if you want to go from a size 12 at the waist to a size 14 at the hips, you would trace size 12 at the waist. (Note: I always trace the grainline 1st for reference.) Then you would mark where size 14 is at the hip on your paper. Holding your paper in place at the waist, you would pivot the paper until the size 14 hip mark is on top of the pattern size 12 line. Trace the size 12 line. Straighten your tracing paper back out. It now transitions from size 12 at the waist to size 14 at the hip. That's the general concept. The books that talk about it are Nancy Zieman's and the Sew-Fit Manual.

Slash & Spread is where you might slash the pattern paper and spread it out, taping in more paper in the gap. This gives more space where it was slashed. Fit for Real People is the main reference for this type of adjustment.

Both are valid and both have their place. Some work better for some people, and certainly there are applications where one is better than the other.

Sew-Fit reviews
Fitting Finese reviews
Fit for Real People reviews

-- Edited on 5/6/08 11:56 AM --

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With a great wardrobe that's still in the flat-fabric stage.
Fabric = clothing (some assembly required) (from Re Becca's DH)

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Reply to waikikimum
Date: 5/6/08 11:51 AM

Here's encue creations blog that might help you understand pivot and slide. Click here. You'll have to scroll down to see her pattern pics.

Two books that come to mind are:

Fitting Finesse, Nancy Zieman
Sew-Fit Manual

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Reply to waikikimum
Date: 5/6/08 12:22 PM

I have just learned to do pivot-and-slide from Nancy Zieman's fitting book, and I am in love with sewing all over again. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but as someone with small frame/huge chest I'm having great success altering patterns - I've done two woven shirts and the famous Simplicity gathered neck t-shirt (4076?).

The Pivot-and-Slide bust alteration preserves the original armhole shape and the upper chest fit while adding to the bust width. For me, just adding a bust dart gives me too much fabric across the midriff and hips (48" bust v. 40" hips). Pivot-and-Slide seems to preserve the grain better for me than just using an FBA so my shirts hang better.

This may be TMI for you, but Nancy Zieman has you trace the original pattern, you put the actual pattern piece on top of the traced pattern, put a pin in the shoulder seam, slide the pattern out 1" at the side seam and trace the original armhole. You then take the same pin, put the pin at the new 1" wider upper side seam, pivot the pattern back to the original side seam at the hip and trace the new side seam. The Nancy Zieman book referenced in the previous post has excellent instructions with visuals.

Gail

(Off to trace yet another pattern using this method...)

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Reply to redhead
Date: 5/6/08 1:25 PM

Where did you get that neat tutorial? I liked it. Moving darts is not something I know anything about, but something I really need to learn.

Carol

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Current patterns:
Pamela's Pattern Perfect Tee Shirt
McCall's 5630
Pfaff 2036 sewing machine
Bernina 1200DA serger

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Reply to Learn To Sew
Date: 5/6/08 1:54 PM

I just googled "rotate darts" to see what I could find. It was kind of helpful, wasn't it?

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Date: 5/6/08 3:24 PM

Beth H has a great dart rotation tutorial, here.

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"I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn't itch.” ~ Gilda Radner
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http://stitchesandseams.blogspot.com

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Date: 5/6/08 5:30 PM

Watch a video of pivot and slide here.

Choose "Nancy's Favorites" up top under "choose category. I think these are excellent. I watched them several times before I "got it" and now really prefer her method to FFRP.

Nina

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Date: 5/6/08 5:59 PM

Nancy Zieman has a new book/DVD out... "Pattern Fitting with Confidence". 'Just ordered it!!
Rhonda

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You are most welcome to visit us at:
www.rhotos-rag.blogspot.com/

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