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Posted on: 7/21/15 9:26 PM ET
I made Pamela's Patterns Magic Pencil Skirt. Overall, it's a love, but something just isn't quite right with the front darts. What should I do with these?? Should they be shortened? Here's a link to my blog with pics in a more normal size. Sorry this picture is sooo big!! Blog post

-- Edited on 7/21/15 at 9:28 PM --

-- Edited on 7/21/15 at 9:28 PM --
Posted on: 7/21/15 10:07 PM ET
I say shorten them. They are past where you see the shaping
-- Edited on 7/23/15 at 0:39 AM --
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-- Edited on 7/23/15 at 0:39 AM --
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Cheryl
Posted on: 7/21/15 10:09 PM ET
The end of the darts needs to be more tapered so you don't have the pucker. I would rip out the bottom half of the dart, then pin to see where you want it to stop.
Posted on: 7/22/15 2:38 AM ET
Yes, it looks like they're probably too long -- they should end within the rounded convex area of the hip, not go past that into the concave joint area below. Otherwise there will be a bubble at the tip, no matter how nicely the dart is sewn.
If there isn't any length that seems to work well, from the side picture on your blog, I'm guessing you might have a similar posture as I do (I think I carry my upper torso more forward on my hips, if that makes sense, so I have less waist indentation in front and more in back, even when my front isn't 'extra padded'). I find I do better with either two waist darts in back and none in front, or a narrower front dart and wider back one.
If there isn't any length that seems to work well, from the side picture on your blog, I'm guessing you might have a similar posture as I do (I think I carry my upper torso more forward on my hips, if that makes sense, so I have less waist indentation in front and more in back, even when my front isn't 'extra padded'). I find I do better with either two waist darts in back and none in front, or a narrower front dart and wider back one.
Posted on: 7/22/15 10:33 PM ET
Just a follow up! I did shorten the front darts by about half, and it's much better!! The one dart has a bit of dimpling, but I'm going to consider it a 95% success and call it good enough! I plan to wear it to work tomorrow and I have a brown skirt just like this cut out on the sewing table!

-- Edited on 7/22/15 at 10:41 PM --

-- Edited on 7/22/15 at 10:41 PM --
Posted on: 7/22/15 10:33 PM ET
duplicate
-- Edited on 7/22/15 at 10:40 PM --
-- Edited on 7/22/15 at 10:40 PM --
Posted on: 7/23/15 0:38 AM ET
yes, the left one or your right one is much better. the other one.. it will pass but the length is much better.
Wear it with joy.
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Wear it with joy.
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Cheryl
Posted on: 7/23/15 11:58 AM ET
Awesome!
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http://lasewist.blogspot.com/
Posted on: 7/27/15 9:07 PM ET
These darts continue to drive me crazy!!! Ok, so I'm up to skirt four. Skirt 1 was burgundy and the darts were too long, so I shortened them and they're better, but still not quite right. In order to get them to lay smoothly should I just snug up the side seams at the waist, or should I make the dart bigger? Does it matter? Or am I just being too picky??
Skirt 2:

Skirt 3

For such a seemingly simple thing, this sure has me flummoxed. I was considering removing them all together, but I can't figure out it out. This dart removal method made the most sense to me: Dart removal, so I taped it up, but then I realized that it was going to take width out of the hips and that's just not going to work. Maybe I should just pin the dart out, smash the pattern down and cut it out. But at the same time, I do have curves and it makes sense that I need darts. I just don't know what to do with them!
(Despite all this complaining about the darts, I wore the brown skirt to work today and felt great in it. )
And sorry for the crummy pics! I had low light and a cell phone camera. But...I think you can still see the problem!
-- Edited on 7/27/15 at 9:08 PM --
Skirt 2:

Skirt 3

For such a seemingly simple thing, this sure has me flummoxed. I was considering removing them all together, but I can't figure out it out. This dart removal method made the most sense to me: Dart removal, so I taped it up, but then I realized that it was going to take width out of the hips and that's just not going to work. Maybe I should just pin the dart out, smash the pattern down and cut it out. But at the same time, I do have curves and it makes sense that I need darts. I just don't know what to do with them!
(Despite all this complaining about the darts, I wore the brown skirt to work today and felt great in it. )
And sorry for the crummy pics! I had low light and a cell phone camera. But...I think you can still see the problem!
-- Edited on 7/27/15 at 9:08 PM --
Posted on: 7/27/15 10:10 PM ET
In reply to Immelu
You may want to create four darts instead of two to distribute intake of the darts. Two would be roughly on the princess line either side of the center front. The other two would would be closer to the side seams and longer. As these are custom darts, you may need something curvier than the typical commercial pie-shaped darts. Experiment in muslin.
Have you done sample darts in the fabric? It helps to experiment with sewing and pressing. If the fabric is thick you may need to cut the dart open to about 1/2" from the vanishing point and press it open.
Sewing the dart on the leg and putting the last 2 to 3 stitches on the fold usually results in a flat dart.
There was a time when my darts were not even. I started basting them, then I would compare like sizes with each other. Then I'd sew one, compare it to the unbasted ones of the same size, sew another, compare, and so forth to ensure that they were all the right length. Sometimes if I can't see clearly where to stop, I thread trace just below the vanishing point.
Have you done sample darts in the fabric? It helps to experiment with sewing and pressing. If the fabric is thick you may need to cut the dart open to about 1/2" from the vanishing point and press it open.
Sewing the dart on the leg and putting the last 2 to 3 stitches on the fold usually results in a flat dart.
There was a time when my darts were not even. I started basting them, then I would compare like sizes with each other. Then I'd sew one, compare it to the unbasted ones of the same size, sew another, compare, and so forth to ensure that they were all the right length. Sometimes if I can't see clearly where to stop, I thread trace just below the vanishing point.
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