Easy darts and cut outs
Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 1:25 pm
The stapler discussion made me want to share my best use of these "clipper" style staplers to mark darts and cut outs quickly and accurately. So a dart is when you remove a wedge of fabric then stitch together to make your piece take the shape of a compound curve like shown here on my dirty old boat cover where it fits over the trolling motor.
I mean just the vertical seam in the middle of the pic. Nevermind the vent to the right. Now using some plastic i'll demonstrate my approach. Without the dart, a flat piece of fabric would lay like this
In this case you want the bottom edge of the piece to lay right against the rub rail so you gotta make that wrinkle go away. So you pinch it get it laying right
Once you like the fit, pop a staple or two at the bottom
Now you have both hands free to mark it at the bottom
Then mark the point at the top where the dart naturally ends, i use an upside down "T"
Ok now when you go to work out your pattern, the staples pull out very easily. Lay it flat and connect your marks
That sharpie line represents your stitch line and will be dead accurate. Now in this rudimentary demonstration it's a small dart, i would just cut a slit up the middle and sew it. On larger darts you'd give a seam allowance on the inside of those lines and remove some material. Not saying its the right way to do darts, just how i was shown and has been successful for me.
I mean just the vertical seam in the middle of the pic. Nevermind the vent to the right. Now using some plastic i'll demonstrate my approach. Without the dart, a flat piece of fabric would lay like this
In this case you want the bottom edge of the piece to lay right against the rub rail so you gotta make that wrinkle go away. So you pinch it get it laying right
Once you like the fit, pop a staple or two at the bottom
Now you have both hands free to mark it at the bottom
Then mark the point at the top where the dart naturally ends, i use an upside down "T"
Ok now when you go to work out your pattern, the staples pull out very easily. Lay it flat and connect your marks
That sharpie line represents your stitch line and will be dead accurate. Now in this rudimentary demonstration it's a small dart, i would just cut a slit up the middle and sew it. On larger darts you'd give a seam allowance on the inside of those lines and remove some material. Not saying its the right way to do darts, just how i was shown and has been successful for me.
. Only ever dressed up a boat never had any interest in garments