Darts, easing, gathers, & Casing

Darts Triangular folds of fabric stitched to a point when sewing a garment. Control fullness Give shape to fitted clothing Point to the fullest part of the body

Steps to sewing a dart Step #1: Fold the dart with right sides of the fabric together, matching stitching lines. Place on pin exactly at the point and other pins at the small dot markings.

Steps to sewing a dart Step #2: Stitch from the wide end of the dart to the point

Steps to sewing a dart Step #3 Stitch the last two or three stitches as close to the fold line as possible. (This creates a sharp point) Don’t backstitch. Step #4 Tie thread ends in a knot

Easing Allows fabric to be shaped over a curved area of the body. Makes flared hems possible. One edge of fabric is slightly longer than the other No visible folds or gathers Most common use is a set-in sleeve

Steps to Ease stitching Create a basting stitch. (Stitch close to the seam line with long machine stitches)

Steps to Ease stitching Stitch a second row ¼ inch away Step #3: Pin the fabric, right sides together, with the eased side up

Steps to ease stitching Pull up the thread between markings and distribute the fullness evenly. Step #5: Stitch with standard stitching along the seam line (careful not to stitch in any folds or gathers)

Gathers Soft folds of fabric formed by pulling up basting stitches to make the fabric fit in smaller space. Start with 2 parallel rows of basting Bobbin threads are pulled from both ends Stitched to the shorter length of fabric

Casing A closed tunnel of fabric that holds a piece of elastic or a drawstring inside Used at: sleeve edges necklines waistlines hemlines Controls fullness Easier than a waistband or cuff