Manipulating Darts - Bodice Front
Bodice Front Style 37
The bodice of this garment has a gathered waist.
Since all the gathering is in the waist, it makes sense to use the 1-Dart Block. There is no need for dart manipulation; just some minor adjustments to the outline.
Gathering is one of the dart-equivalents; you need the dart value to create the shaping, the dart value is converted to gathers.
Example: Outcome
Figure 1 shows the block being used on the left (1-Dart Block), and the pattern that will be created (Style 37) on the right.
Note: The actual pattern would need seam allowance or cutting instructions added; this has not been done here we are just covering the theory of manipulating darts.
Instructions (Style-37) – Figure 1
Note that in the instructions, color is used for emphasis, so it can be seen more easily, particularly in the current step. You will be using a hard (4H-6H pencil).
- Trace the block onto your paper. You do not need to trace the dart value line, shown in red.
- Mark the Bust Point.
- Lift up your block (see Figure 2).
Instructions (Style-37) – Figure 2
- Join the existing lines with a smooth curve (shown by the blue line).
- Mark the gather in the method you prefer.
- Of course if this was a pattern, you would need to also mark cutting instructions, pattern piece number, number of pattern pieces, etc.