Sewing darts is a skill every seamstress should know and is a breeze once you get the hang of it. At first they can be confusing. I remember when I first started I thought I was supposed to cut the dart out of the fabric and then sew the two edges back together. Allow me to share what I learned since then.
Step 1: Mark Your Dart-Use your pattern to mark the dart dot and line edges onto your fabric. (Hint: you can make a hole with a pen in your pattern where the dot is to mark your fabric underneath.) Fold the fabric in half matching up the two dart line marks so one is on top of the other. (Do not cut the dart lines like I did!) When the lines are lined up correctly the dot should now be on the fold. Now use a disappearing pen or tailor's chalk to draw a line from the dart line marks to the dot. This is key.
Step 2: Sew Your Dart- Now starting at the edge sew over the line that you made. You can use a pin or clip to secure so that your lines don't slip out of place. You do not need to back stitch to secure your dart the outside will be secured in the side seam. Simply start with a regular size straight stitch on the line towards the dot. Once you get about an inch from the dot you will want to gradually decrease your stitch length ending with your smallest stitch for the last few stitches this will remain secure from the tiny stitch so you will not have to back stitch.
Step 3: Iron Your Dart-Now iron your dart down flat. Adjust the edge of the dart so that it lines up with the side edge of the top and will be hidden when the side seams are sewn. That is also key that you sew your darts first before you sew any side seams!
I hope this makes sewing darts easier for you! They are super important for making tops out of a fabric that doesn't stretch. If you would like to practice your darts try out my pattern here.
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