How to change the position of a chest clip (jacket, dress and blouse)?

One of the small modifications that you may encounter on a top, blouse, or pinafore dress is to move the bust dart for a perfect, tailored fit. The tip of the dart should normally be opposite the tip of your breast. If this is not the case, the garment will be less becoming.

Basic material to perform a transformation

To transform a pattern, it is advisable to have:

• Adhesive tape

• A parrot rule

• A square

• A graduated ruler

• A support sheet

• A pair of paper scissors

• A fine-tipped pencil/criterion

Method A

The tip of the clamp is incorrectly positioned relative to the tip of your breast. You will need to work on the x-axis (horizontally) and/or the y-axis (vertically). In this case, the modification will concern the inclination of the clamp. The goal is to not touch the base of the clamp.

• Draw an x ​​and/or y axis, i.e. parallel and/or perpendicular to the straight grain. Define the value of the clamp tip displacement on each axis

• Mark the new position of your pliers tip.

• Trace the clip from the base through your new point.

Variant

You can also shorten or lengthen your clamp, while maintaining the clamp tilt. In this case, only the length of the clamp is modified.

• Mark at the base of the clamp, in its center.

• Connect this mark with a line to the tip of the clamp. Extend the line after the tip if the goal is to lengthen the clamp. Define the displacement value of the clamp tip by following your mark line.

• Mark the new position of your pliers tip.

• Trace the clip from the base through your new point.

Method B

The entire dart is mispositioned. The base and tip of the dart will be moved by the same amount. The dart's tilt will therefore remain the same, but its position will be shifted on the x-axis (horizontally) or on the y-axis (vertically) depending on whether the dart is drawn in the side, armhole, neckline or shoulder seam.

• On a small rectangular piece of paper, trace the outline of the clamp.

• Slide this new clamp to the location defined upstream perpendicular or parallel to the straight grain and stick the paper.

• Trace the outer line of your transformed room.

Pattern checks and corrections

After making the modifications, you will need to retrace the "beak" at the base of your dart if necessary so that once the dart is folded, this line is perfectly aligned with the outer line of your pattern (this could be the side line, armhole, neckline, shoulder, etc.).

• Simulate the closed clamp by matching these two sides. Lay the clamp bottom in the direction indicated in the explanations.

• Using a pair of scissors, cut along the outer line of the pattern, exactly at the dart. Once the dart is unfolded, the necessary angle of the new beak will naturally emerge.