Beginner · 10 minutes each · 7 steps
How to sew a dart
A dart is how flat fabric becomes a three-dimensional shape. It is two straight lines meeting at a point, and the entire quality of a dart lives in the last centimetre before that point.
Why it's worth learning
Darts create bust, waist and shoulder shaping. They are also the main tool for adjusting a pattern to your own body, so understanding them makes fitting far less mysterious.
What you'll need
- Tailor's chalk or a marking pen
- A pressing ham (or a tightly rolled towel)
- Iron
Fabric notes
- Darts in thick fabric are often cut open and pressed flat to reduce bulk.
- In sheer fabric, keep the dart narrow and press it towards the least visible side.
The steps, in order
- 01
Transfer the markings accurately
Mark both legs and the point on the wrong side. A dart drawn 3 mm off gives you a bust point in the wrong place.
- 02
Fold along the centre of the dart
Fold right sides together so the two legs sit exactly on top of each other and the fold runs to the marked point. Pin along the legs, not across them.
- 03
Stitch from the wide end towards the point
Start at the raw edge and sew along the marked leg, gradually curving in so the last centimetre runs almost parallel to the fold.
- 04
Sew off the fabric — don't backstitch
Let the last few stitches run off the fold and stop. Backstitching at the point creates the dimple everyone recognises.
- 05
Tie off the tail
Knot the two thread tails close to the fabric, or shorten your stitch length for the final centimetre so the seam holds itself.
- 06
Press flat, then press over a ham
First press the stitching line flat as sewn to set the stitches. Then press the dart to one side over a ham, so the bust shape is pressed into a curve rather than flattened.
- 07
Press bust darts down, waist darts towards centre
This is the convention because it follows how the fabric falls on the body. Keeping it consistent stops seams fighting each other later.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Backstitching at the dart point
It bunches the fabric and gives you a small pointed bubble over the bust.
Pressing the dart on a flat board
You flatten the very shape you just built. Use a ham or a rolled towel.
Stitching from the point outwards
It is much harder to keep the taper smooth, and the point usually ends up blunt.
Practise it on a project
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