In the previous blog post we showed you how to add a dart to your Wildwood Jacket and Vest. But Wildwood is a quilted garment so how do you sew a dart on a quilted jacket? Follow these steps to sew the dart, avoid extra bulk and keep the inside of your Wildwood looking neat!
Remember, Wildwood is on sale this week for 20% off!
How to sew a dart on Wildwood
The illustrations will show only one front piece to keep it simple, but the steps are identical for each side and you can work both of the front pieces at the same time if you wish.
On both front and back pieces, staystitch along the neckline and arm openings 1/4” (0.6 cm) away from the raw edge. Stitch from each shoulder down to the center front and back, and from each shoulder down to each armscye. Repeat for the lining pieces.
Mark your quilting pattern on your jacket fronts BEFORE you sew your darts. It is hard to draw straight lines on a curved surface once the dart is sewn. Your quilt pattern might get a little distorted around the dart so keep that in mind. For best results, we recommend sticking to simpler quilting patterns, like horizontal lines.
Using chalk or fabric marker, transfer the dart onto the wrong side of the outer and lining vest/jacket pieces. Repeat for the front batting pieces.
With right sides together, sew the darts on the outer front. Sew from the dart opening to the dart point and do not backstitch. Leave long thread tails and tie the tails in a knot twice to secure before trimming. Repeat for the lining dart.
If your dart take up is quite large, you can trim the excess at the base of the legs of the dart. Do not trim too close to the dart point, so that the dart seam does not come apart with wear.
Press the dart on the outer fabric downward, and the dart on the lining fabric upward.
On the front batting piece, cut through the center of the dart. Make sure not to cut past the dart point.
Overlap the dart by lining up the dart legs. Pin in place.
Sew the dart closed using a zig zag stitch. Sew from the side to the part point, following the markings of a dart leg. You can sew a little bit past the dart point here to make sure it is secured in place. Do not backstitch. (Zig-zag stitch setting: ~3 wide x 1.5 long)
Trim the excess batting on each side of the dart.
Your dart is now sewn! Repeat for the other side front if you haven’t already done so. Then proceed to step 2 of the instructions.
After you have sewn your dart on Wildwood, you can proceed as normal. We highly recommend hand-basting the fabric and batting together around the dart area before quilting.
We hope that this helps you sew your Wildwood dart!
Remember, Wildwood is on sale this week for 20% off!
