Basic Dart Question

Hi, I'm Hesira, and I am very new to sewing. I was hoping I could
find an answer to this question.

I am making the dress from Simplicity Pattern #3835. There are 2
darts in the back. I cut out the opening for the darts on the pattern
and marked the back. I folded the fabric with right sides together,
marked the center and ends of the dart as instructed, and when I
looked at the pattern example, my actual fabric didn't look like the
example. The example looked curved in the middle, where mine looked
flat along the fold line. I've tried to figure this out, but I can't
tell if I'm supposed to sew a straight line with the fabric curving up
from it, or I'm supposed to sew a curved line, with the fold line
being straight.

I'm so confused. I would be very grateful for any insight.

TIA

Hesira

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:20:12 -0700 (PDT), hesira wrote:
looked at the pattern example, my actual fabric didn't look like the
example. The example looked curved in the middle, where mine looked
flat along the fold line. I've tried to figure this out, but I can't

That sort of dart is called a "fisheye dart". The drawing of the back of the
dress does look like the dart is curved, but that's because they're trying
to show that it makes the back of the dress pull in at the waist a bit.

Yes, you were supposed to sew a pair of straight lines that nipped out
a kite-shaped piece of fabric.

Why not take some scrap fabric and play with darts a bit...
Trace three copies of your fisheye dart on your scrap fabric.

About midway down the legs of one dart (midway between the end point and the
widest point in the middle) make a pencil dot about 1/8" outside the dart
legs, and then draw a curved line from the end to the new dot to the center
point. Sew along that curved line.

Do the same thing again, but make the dot 1/8" inside the legs this time.
Sew it up along the curved line.

Sew up the last sample with straight lines.

Then compare the shapes you get from the three darts... they'll be subtly
different... You can substitute either curved shape for the straight-
line one given in the pattern, if it's appropriate for the shaping you're
trying to give.

On Apr 16, 9:42*pm, Kay Lancaster wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:20:12 -0700 (PDT), hesira wrote:
looked at the pattern example, my actual fabric didn't look like the
example. *The example looked curved in the middle, where mine looked
flat along the fold line. *I've tried to figure this out, but I can't

That sort of dart is called a "fisheye dart". *The drawing of the back of the
dress does look like the dart is curved, but that's because they're trying
to show that it makes the back of the dress pull in at the waist a bit.

Yes, you were supposed to sew a pair of straight lines that nipped out
a kite-shaped piece of fabric.

Why not take some scrap fabric and play with darts a bit...
Trace three copies of your fisheye dart on your scrap fabric. *

About midway down the legs of one dart (midway between the end point and the
widest point in the middle) make a pencil dot about 1/8" outside the dart
legs, and then draw a curved line from the end to the new dot to the center
point. *Sew along that curved line.

Do the same thing again, but make the dot 1/8" inside the legs this time.
Sew it up along the curved line.

Sew up the last sample with straight lines.

Then compare the shapes you get from the three darts... they'll be subtly
different... *You can substitute either curved shape for the straight-
line one given in the pattern, if it's appropriate for the shaping you're
trying to give.

Thank you so much for explaining this. I'm a total novice and just
trying to figure things out for myself.