DARTS,

PLEAT AND
TUCKS
 DART
DARTS are a dressmaker’s punctuation
marks. They're a method of shaping
clothing by curving a straight fabric
around the body. The darts are made by
applying a sharp, short pinch to the point
and pressing it down on one side. They
vary in width and length, as a garment
requires, and can insert shape at the
shoulder, neck, bust, and waistlines by
being tapered at one or both ends.
 STANDARDS
A well-constructed fitting dart should:

 Be directed toward the body curve.  Be pressed before being crossed by

another line of stitching, and after the garment has been fitted.
 Usually end ½ to 1 inch from the fullest Uncut horizontal darts are usually pressed down; uncut vertical
part of the body curve. darts are usually pressed so the fold is toward the center front or
center back.
 Be tapered so it is smooth and free of
puckers.  Have threads secured at both ends by
tying a knot, lock stitching, or backstitching (use only on
 Be even and smooth in appearance. medium to heavy fabric or in seamline).
 GENERAL RULES
The wider the dart base, the Darts are usually straight and
more fullness it will provide Threads at the point of the merge into the fabric (slide
to the body curve. For dart must be secured. The down the hill, not jump off
example, a large bust will method of fastening the cliff)
require a wider dart base. (backstitch, tying a knot,
lockstitch, or working
threads back into the
For a neat finish in sheers; stitching) depends on your
double stitch darts, trim, fabric. For example, do not
and overcast or bind the use the backstitch or
edge. lockstitch on sheer or
lightweight fabrics since it
Stitch darts from wide to builds up thread and is
narrow, with the last two or bulky. It can also damage
three stitches on the edge the fabric.
of the fold.
 STRAIGHT DARTS
a straight stitching line from
seamline to point. Frequently used on
the underarm of front bodice, back
skirt,
elbow, shoulder, and back neckline.
FRENCH DARTS
French darts are more elongated than standard bust darts. They start lower on
the bodice (at the side seam, down near the waistline) and end up near the
bust point effectively combining a bust dart and waist dart into one.

 CURVED OUTWARD
 CUVED INWARD
CURVED OUTWARD- Curves
outward from seamline to point.
Gives a snugger fit. They are
sometimes used on a bodice
front to make mid-body fit snug.
CURVED INWARD – curves inward from
seamline to point for a better fit of body
curve. Frequently used on pant and skirt
fronts.
NECKLINE DART
a solid line marking on the
back neckline indicating a ⅛-inch
straight dart.
 Double- Ended Pointed Darts
Double Pointed – from waistline (widest
point) tapers in a straight line on both ends.
Clip at the widest part. Frequently used on
princess and A-line dresses, overblouses,
and jackets.
 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DARTS

• Pin mark darts to save time, provided pin marking is suitable for fabric.

• Convert vertical darts to gathers.

• Mark the end of the dart with pin or cross marks so they will be the same
length on each side.
PLEATS
Pleats are a fold or doubling of fabric that is
pressed, ironed, or creased into place. (Pleats
that are sewn into place are called tucks). There
are many varieties, but the side and box pleat
are the most common, although they can be
accordion, cartridge, circular, curtain, draped,
fluted, Fortuny, or French. They can be
inserted, as well as inverted. Pleats add an even
greater fullness to a shape (particularly the
skirt).
VARIABLES
w Width of the pleat

n Umbers of pleats

L Length of fabric used (total length BEFORE pleating)

F Finished fabric length (total length AFTER pleating)

s Amount of spaces between pleats

m Number of spaces
TYPES OF PLEATS

• Knife or Side – are flat and are turned to one side, usually right to left on the
outside of the garment. They are used in kilts, skirts, and on the shoulders of
bodices.

• Box – are two straight pleats with folds turned away from each other. They are
used in skirts, dresses, shirts, and jackets.

• Inverted – are two straight pleats with folds turned toward each other. They
meet in the center and are used primarily in skirts.

• Accordion –narrow pleats at the top and radiate to a wider width at the
bottom. They are not stitched down and are used in skirts, sleeve designs, and
lingerie
Knife Pleat Family
Knife or Side – are flat and are
turned to one side, usually right
to left on the outside of the
garment. They are used in kilts,
skirts, and on the shoulders of
bodices.
 BASIC KNIFE PLEAT
The knife pleat is the most basic type
of pleat. They can be made right next
to each other or with some space
between each pleat. To make a knife
pleat, fold the fabric over itself and
back again to make a Z shape at the
edge. Pin in place.
1. Choose the direction of folds and
mark the seam allowance.

2. Draw pairs of markings.

3. Connect the markings and create

vertical lines.

4. Fold and pin the lines

 STACKED KNIFE
PLEAT
Stacked knife pleats are the same as the basic
knife pleat, but instead of one pleat beginning
where the previous pleat ended, the folds that
make up the pleats are stacked partially on top
of one another.
 TOP-STITCHED
PLEATS
1. Topstitching is a technique we'll see again with
box pleats, below. Essentially, the pleats are the
same, but they are stitched down along their top
folded edge to hold them in place. The image to
the left shows two samples with knife pleats going
in opposite directions. The sample on the bottom
is topstitched.

2. To do this, make your knife pleats and baste or

stitch along the top to hold them in place. Add
pins parallel to your stitching line farther down the
pleat to hold the pleats in place. If you want to do
a long topstitch, you will likely need several pins
along each pleat's edge. Mark how far down you
want to stitch each pleat. Now topstitch along the
top folded edge of each pleat until you reach the
mark
 HOW TO DO?
1. Make your knife pleats and baste or stitch along
the top to hold them in place.

2. Add pins parallel to your stitching line farther

down the pleat to hold the pleats in place.

3. If you want to do a long topstitch, you will likely

need several pins along each pleat's edge.

4. Mark how far down you want to stitch each pleat.

5. Now topstitch along the top folded edge of each

pleat until you reach the mark.
Box Pleat Family
BOX PLEAT
It is made up of smaller knife pleats
facing opposite directions. The image
to the left shows four basic box pleats.
Box pleats can be made right next to
one another or with some space in
between.
INVERTED BOX PLEAT
Two straight pleats with folds
turned toward each other. They
meet in the center and are used
primarily in skirts.
ACCORDION PLEAT
Narrow pleats at the top and
radiate to a wider width at the
bottom. They are not stitched down
and are used in skirts, sleeve
designs, and lingerie.
 TUCKS
Tucks are mostly used for decorative purposes
and are a great way to add a high-end design
quality to any garment. Tucks are made by
straight stitching a fold of fabric. Think of
them as pleats whose folds get stitched
together. Once sewn they are ironed and stay-
stitched horizontally in a specific direction
according to the designs. A tuck is a stitched
fold of fabric. Tucks are primarily used for
decoration. However, released tucks may be
used for shaping fabric to the body.
A standard well-constructed tuck will:
• Provide relaxed but defined fullness.
• Be neat in appearance.
 HOW TO MAKE TUCKS
 Mark tucks with the appropriate method for your
fabric.

 Remove the pattern. Fold on the designated

pattern marks and stitches.

 Already when constructing the pattern you

should make sure that the distances between the
tucks are the same.

 When choosing the yarn, make sure that it

matches the color of the fabric.

 The seam should be sewn carefully and straight

because you can see the seam later.

 For accurate sewing, the tucks should be

carefully ironed in one direction with the iron.
 TYPES OF TUCKS
1. Pin Tucks – the small ones (right on the fold of the fabric).

2. Spaced Tucks – have spaces between the stitching.

3. Blind Tucks – overlap the stitching on another tuck.

4. Shell Tucks – stitched by hand or by using the sewing machine to

blind stitch creating an even design
PIN TUCKS
A very thin folds of fabric that are stitched
and ironed to one side. They are used on
lightweight fabrics for blouses and
dresses as well as various tailored items
like trousers, blazers, and jackets. Pin
tucks are very narrow and subtle but they
make a huge difference to the design of a
garment. Although they don’t affect fit, pin
tucks can give the illusion of a slender,
taller figure.
Picture
 BLIND TUCKS
a regular blind tuck is folded using the
same method as a pin tuck but is usually
wider and aligned so that the fold of each
one of the tucks meets the other. In other
words, if you take a look at the raw edge of
a blind tucked fabric, you will notice that
the next fold starts where the last fold
ended as shown below. For that reason,
blind tucks are always aligned evenly,
maintaining the same distance from fold to
fold.
 SPACED TUCKS
spaced tuck is constructed the same way
as a blind tuck except that it's folds do not
start where another one ends, but rather
with some space in between. Spaced tucks
are a more spread out. The distance
between the folds can be equal and evenly
spread out or require uneven spacing. As
opposed to blind tucks, spaced tucks don't
always have to be aligned at an equal
distance to one another.
 DART TUCKS
dart tuck is a special tuck that is usually
used to control fullness by stitching it
down and then releasing it at a single point
or in the case of a double-pointed tuck- at
two points. Although also decorative, a
dart tuck can influence the shape and fit of
a garment. Dart tucks are common on
dresses and skirts at the bust, waist, and
hip area. A dart tuck can either be stitched
and released on one side or both sides
depending on the design you are working
on. Top stitching is also common on dart
tucks.