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Member since 11/5/13
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Posted on: 1/5/18 10:45 AM ET
I am trying to customize the location of the shoulder and neckline darts that are a result of two round back/protruding shoulder blade adjustments. I need as much volume as possible over the shoulder blade and along the top of a rapidly developing rounded back. I understand that the larger the dart the larger the volume. But, what I am trying to do today is to put these darts into the neckline because I like the look more. I started by measuring in from the C/B over the top of the rounded hump to the decreasing edge and put my first dart there. The problem is of course that the dart itself is now too pointy! I would also like to understand about the length of a dart in relationship to the total volume. I know to sew along the edge of the dart for the last 1/2 inch, but that doesn't stop the whole thing from being too pointy! Also, why is it that sometimes it is ok to have one of the dart legs be horizontal, but not always? If I get enough volume then I have a pointy rounded area over the hump--is this bad measuring, or bad dart? It occurred to me that everything I know about darts is not the whole story. Perhaps, you have insights that might help. Thank you.
-- Edited on 1/5/18 at 10:47 AM --
  
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Posted on: 1/5/18 12:42 PM ET
In reply to alpenrose
It may work better for you to slit the back of the pattern over the hump horizontally, stopping short of the side seams or armscye. Spread the pattern apart an inch or so and cut your muslin. Then adjust darts from the neckline if needed.
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Absolutely loving my Janome 500e embroidery machine, very creative. Problem with all my stash for clothing!
  
Member since 3/24/04
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Posted on: 1/5/18 4:40 PM ET
In reply to alpenrose
Length has not a whole lot to do with total volume of a dart. It's more a factor of how close to a cut edge the roundness you're bending the fabric over is.

Back shoulder darts and neckline darts are usually quite short. My back neckline darts are about 3/4" long, for instance. It sounds like you're making your darts too long and not backing the point off of the apex of the prominence. Just like you get the 1940s rocket cone bra effect if you sew a bust dart in a bodice to the actual bust apex, and a more modern, rounder look if you back it off the bust apex.

The easiest way out of your conundrum that I know is to sew the shoulder seams on a muslin, omitting your back shoulder darts. Start from the armscye and sew to the neckline -- you should find the back shoulder is longer than the front shoulder when you do this. Put on the muslin, and have someone pinch out the dart uptake you need from the back neck. Transfer that amount of uptake to the pattern, and redraw the neckline on the pattern paper that you've pinched the dart out on by laying the original neckline over the altered one.

I don't understand your last question about horizontal dart legs.
-- Edited on 1/5/18 at 4:41 PM --
  
Member since 11/5/13
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Posted on: 1/5/18 5:10 PM ET
Thanks to both of you.
Another concern I have is when I am drafting a dart on paper and then try to fold it out so I can trace the top line--how flat does the paper have to be down at the pointy end. Every teacher on Craftsy seems to be compulsive about flattening out the point on the paper--why is that so important at that stage of the game?
Volume: don't I have to make sure the dart at least starts to go over the hump? Otherwise how do I get volume?
Thank you for your time.
  
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Posted on: 1/5/18 5:24 PM ET
In reply to alpenrose
How flat? Doesn't matter. What's important is the amount of uptake (angle between legs), length and direction. The volume is really determined by uptake.

If you were working with sheet metal, yes, you'd need to make a dart that ends at the apex. But you're working with fabric -- it's not rigid, it bends and drapes.
-- Edited on 1/5/18 at 5:25 PM --
  
Member since 10/28/14
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Posted on: 1/6/18 1:01 AM ET
In reply to alpenrose
I don't know whether you're taking the Suzy Furrer (Craftsy) class, but I have noticed she seems to err on the side of OCD.
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Let be be finale of seam.
  
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Posted on: 1/6/18 10:34 AM ET
In reply to kayl
Ok. I understand that it is the amount of fabric captured between the legs of the dart (the wider dart will capture more fabric. I think my problem is how long should the dart be? Shouldn't all darts have to come close to the top of the mound--not over, not ending at the ridge but somewhere before the mound? Or is there a geometrical relationship between the width of the dart and the length of the dart?
  
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