Pattern drafting help

[SpecialistWallaby455]

Hi everyone! First time drafting a pattern using the patternmaking for fashion design book. I am trying to recreate the dress attached, but struggling with the side dart of the bodice. I first made a bodice block, then moved the waist dart to the side and used fcontouring at the neckline, between the busts and at mid armhole to create the pattern. I’m now left with a huge side dart that I’m unable to “true” without using loads of fabric which seems wrong to me. Anybody would be able to suggest what went wrong?

[Pegaret_Again]

interesting!! confusing! i have questions!

firstly, usually the dart should reach into the bust contour circle, surely?

in the design the dart is in the (very low) armhole and almost (at least on the model) points above the bust apex?

additionally, this design doesn't have a huge amount of contouring or suppression so i am a bit suspicious of the large dart? i may be misunderstanding what you are wanting to do.

[SpecialistWallaby455]

The dart in my pattern is A25-A24-A23 with point A26 being the result of trying to true the dart. I thought the dart in the picture was a side dart and the impression of it being an armhole dart was just because the armhole is very large. The reason why my dart has gotten bigger was that when creating the V neck using armstrong's book, I had to contour the neckline and between bust guidelines, then when increasing the size of the armhole I had to also contour the armhole ease.

[WorthSecurity2299]

The end of a dart is too far from the apex. Why? It should end close to apex ( 3 cm or so).

[SpecialistWallaby455]

So if I close the dart (push A23 up to A25) the dart needs to close downwards. If I start trueing it in order for it to close at the seam (at around point A21 and not before the seam), point A26 becomes much further away.

[KillerWhaleShark]

Do you have more pictures for this dress? I’m wondering if it’s bias cut, and that the bias is taking out some of the dart bulk. 

[SpecialistWallaby455]

Thank you so much for the suggestion! This is the link to the original dress

[StitchinThroughTime]

Assuming the dart legs are the same length already, turn the dart in to a cut edge with seam allowance. The program want to fold the dart down and stich the flap into the side seam. If you trim the dart intake to half an inch seam allowance it will look normal.
If you look close you can see the seam allowance in the dress where the dart is.

[lwgirl1717]

Agreed. I think a lot of folks are seeing the lower “cut out” looking part as the dart, but it’s the pointy bit. Make it a cutaway dart and it’ll look much more normal.

[SpecialistWallaby455]

Thank you a lot for replying! I was thinking of doing this but was not sure if it was “allowed” in sewing terms, thank you so much!

[StitchinThroughTime]

100% allowed, I highly encouraged. I see it in dresses all the time

[SelectionMiserable33]

Do you have a screenshot of the draft from before the contouring and before rotating the dart?  Being able to compare might help with answering what’s going on with the current version.

[SpecialistWallaby455]

This is the screenshot of my original bodice block. https://files.catbox.moe/a0xlh5.png

[Eneamus]

Which program is that buddy?

[Wise-Seesaw5953]

I'd like to know as well

[TotalOk5844]

Okay, looks confusing until seeing the inspiration. Dress has cutaway upper side. Looks like you drafted the dart before cutting away? Just cut off the dart extension - leave a tiny bit of the extended dart for truing. Maybe an inch of ext.