[Sarvi]

Hi gals,

I’ve made a 3/4″ FBA on a size 8 Gallery tunic, in semi sheer white fabric. I feel as though the bust darts are a bit too long, or something. Feels a bit like two paper airplanes pointing at my nipples! Not quite the look I had in mind. Could I make them shorter? Would I make them wider to compensate?

[Nicole]

Thanks for heads up Sarvi, that is not a good look.
How does it fit if you shorten the dart? Less taper?

[Sarvi]

Well, what I wound up doing was putting it on and re-marking the apex. This time only about 8 inches from the side seam, and sewed from there to the same spot where the ‘legs’ of the dart ended before. Hopefully it looks a bit better. I’ll put up a pic as soon as I can get flickr working again!

[EllenMCM]

I’m excited to see the pic!

[Sarvi]

Flickr is being very uncooperative! It keeps saying it’s timing out?

[Brittney]

Um, then we just need to see it on instagram 😉

[EllenMCM]

Can you attach it to a post as an attachment? I am attaching a picture of a pancake to this post to check if it works.

I am dying to see the gallery with an FBA, because if that looks good, I need to make a million of them to wear to work. It’s a wear to work type shirt, right? Like, with a pencil skirt if you need to look like a high school teacher?

ETA: the pic didn’t work – it’s too big. So, yeah, maybe Instagram?

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by EllenMCM.
• This reply was modified 9 years ago by EllenMCM.

[Robin]

Hi Sarvi, I like to end my darts about an 1″ to 1 1/2″ from my apex. I think the larger your bust the further back you end the dart.

[Sarvi]

Great tip, thank you Robin!

[Sarvi]

Great tip, thank you Robin!

[Justine J]

Timely thread – my (paper! Woohoo!) patterns arrived this afternoon and I was just reading the FBA directions on this – step 5 says to end the dart about 1″ from the marked apex, which seemed strange to me – but I guess your issue is why, Sarvi

[Sarvi]

AH! I knew there had to be something I’d missed, and that was it. Thank you, Justine!

[meleliza]

If you think they’re too long, go with it and shorten them. You probably don’t want to make them wider to compensate. Try to curve the ends of the dart slightly inward starting about 1/2″ from the end of the dart.

You know, all the “rules” say that you have to end the dart further away the larger your bust is. I disagree. The larger the dart, the harder it is to end smoothly. I almost always (this does vary based on specific patterns and fabrics) end up with a longer dart closer to the apex than the “rules” call for. It’s a slightly vintage look. The moral of the story is your eye should be the final arbiter of what is “right.”

[Sarvi]

That’s a great tip, and I think your advice is sound, thank you!