Darts
Dart Equivalents
Fit and Construction Details
Fabric Grain
Full-Fashioned & Knit-and-Wear
100
Determines the silhouette and fit of a garment through darts and dart equivalents.
What are shaping methods?
100
Integrates the dart into the shaped seam.
What is a dart equivalent?
100
The relationship between the body and the size and styling of a garment.
What is fit?
100
This grain runs parallel to the selvage.
What is lengthwise or straight grain?
100
Two-dimensional pre-shaped garment pieces are produced by flatbed knitting machines, ready to be assembled.
What is full-fashioned?
200
Used to remove excess fabric to improve fit.
What is a straight dart?
200
Not considered a dart equivalent seam.
What is a straight seam?
200
The amount of fabric allowed in a garment design to accommodate body movement.
What is ease?
200
This grain runs perpendicular to the selvage.
What is crosswise grain?
200
These garments are more expensive to produce, provide better fit, and are of a higher quality.
What is full-fashioned?
300
Creates a diagonal design line that originates from the side seam and tapers to the bustline.
What is a french dart?
300
A vertical seam line that intersects with the bust apex and extends from the waistline or hemline to the shoulder or armhole.
What is a princess seam?
300
Signs of poor fit
What is bulging, wrinkling, sagging, or discomfort?
300
This grain runs diagonally across the fabric.
What is bias?
300
Three-dimensional pre-shaped garments are knitted to fit the shape of the body and may require no finishing; emerge from the knitting machine ready to wear.
What is knit-and-wear?
400
Formed on the exterior of a garment to offer a design detail by emphasizing a style line while meeting the function of fit.
What is a decorative dart?
400
Diamond shaped inset of fabric that is stitched onto garment areas to provide fullness and ease of movement, most often found on fitted sleeves or the crotch area of a garment.
What is a gusset?
400
The appropriate amount of fullness added to a garment to allow for adequate movement of the body, also known as wearing ease.
What is functional ease?
400
This grain runs exactly 45 degrees.
What is true bias?
400
This process eliminates operations such as cutting, sewing, and linking.
What is knit-and-wear?
500
Originates at the apex level and extends to the hip level and contours fabric to the curves of the body from the bust through the waist to the hip. Also know as a double-pointed or fish-eye dart.
What is a double-ended dart?
500
Dart equivalents that allow for ease of body movement and influence the design and structure of a garment. One is done by drawing up fabric in one or more parallel rows, another by folding fabric on itself, and the third by folding fabric and stitching the fold.
What are gathers, pleats, and tucks?
500
Functional ease plus any additional fullness necessary to achieve a desired silhouette or design, also known as design ease.
What is style ease?
500
Lengthwise yarns run in the wale rather than warp, crosswise yarns run in the course rather than weft.
What is the difference between knitted and woven grains?
500
A sweater with no seams.
What is a knit-and-wear garment?
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