How To Lower The Bust Dart
Have you ever sewn a dress or shirt only to find that the bust dart is too high or too low? If you followed the pattern directions to the letter and it doesn’t fit, it’s not your fault. You just need to learn how to lower the bust dart on your pattern. This is a useful skill to learn if you intend to use commercial patterns on a regular basis.
What Is The Bust Point In Pattern Making?
The bust point or bust apex is the fullest part of the bust. In layman’s terms, the bust point is the nipple. All patterns are drafted with a predetermined bust point. Some patterns will have the bust point clearly marked while others will not.
If the bust point is not marked on the pattern, you can use the point of the bust dart as a guide. The end of the bust dart is NOT the actual bust point. The actual bust point is about 1 ½” away from the point of the dart.
Trust me, you don’t want the end of the dart to be exactly on your nipple. Not only would that be very awkward, it would probably be pretty uncomfortable. If that’s the look you’re going for, cool but it’s not advised.
Why Would You Want To Lower The Bust Point?
Sewing patterns are often drafted with the bust point much too high on most bodies. If you have a full bust or are plus size or a little older, chances are you will need to lower the bust point and in turn, the bust dart.
If your bust point is higher than what the pattern is drafted for, you can raise the bust dart as well. The process to raise or lower the bust dart is the same. In this post, we will focus on lowering the bust point as an example.
As bodies are different, it is impossible to determine how much to lower the bust point without either making a muslin or measuring yourself.
Using a tape measure, stand upright as you would when taking measurements, measure from your shoulder down to your apex. As a reminder, make sure you take this measurement wearing the bra you intend to wear with the finished garment.
It is normal to have breasts of different sizes, so you should measure both sides in the event you need to make two adjustments.
This may seem tedious but if you’re going through the trouble of making your own clothes, that one extra step will be most beneficial for proper fitting.
When you make a muslin per the pattern, you will be able to see when the bust dart is too high. If the bust dart is clearly above your apex, use a pen or pencil to mark your apex on the muslin. You will then transfer this mark to the pattern.
How Do You Lower The Bust Apex On A Pattern?
Now that you know what your bust apex is, you can lower it on the pattern with a few steps. Your ultimate goal is to move the dart down so that it is in line with your apex. When the garment is worn, the dart point should point directly at or slightly upward towards your apex.
To lower the bust apex, draw a horizontal line through the center of the dart. You will then draw another horizontal line from your new bust point to the side seam. Both lines should be perfectly parallel.
You will then cut out the entire dart and slide it down so that it is centered on the line that you drew for the new bust point. Tape the dart into place to secure it. Grab a sheet of paper to patch where the old dart used to be.
You will need to modify the side seam with a french curve or freehand to ensure that the original seam line merges with the new. Your final result should be a lowered dart with minor changes to the side seam.
Conclusion
That was easy, wasn’t it? Now that you know how to lower the bust dart, sew up another muslin and marvel at your genius. You can practice your new skill by adjusting any other pattern that you may have laying around. As always, happy sewing!
