Quick Tutorial: How to remove the front darts in trouser patterns (to make jeans)
It’s very simple to remove a dart from an existing trouser or pants pattern when you’re making jeans.
For example – the EvaDress 1940s Swing Trousers 3322:
Darted at the waist:
The same pattern, without waist darts:
1. To remove the darts, trace around your pattern piece (we never cut the original, right?)
2. Redraw the dart lines down to the side edge of the pattern piece, somewhere near the knee area. Keep the same start points on the waist edge.
3. Fold the new dart closed.
4. Retrace your new pattern piece, and re-draw the waist so it’s even (you can see the faint blue line of where the previous folded piece was).
And that’s it! Front darts gone and your new pants pattern is ready to be made into jeans.
I hope this tutorial helps if anyone was wondering how to do it 🙂
Claire Gittins
I never would have thought to do it like this. It works though – your jeans are fab!
pumpener
Forgive me as a novice but why cant u just close the dart and sew as is, instead of drawing a new dart to the side seam (that looks bigger than original one) THEN close? Sewing can be so over complicated sometimes, i dont get it ????
Bex
Hi Pumpener! If you fold the dart closed without removing it somewhere else, technically your pattern piece isn't 100% flat and the accuracy is out a little bit.
regards!
Helen Snell
Great tip, thanks for sharing!
Janette Gustafson
Thank you! You clever lady ….. I am off to adjust my pattern!
Anna
hello
I want to remove the dart in my front trouser pattern piece (but keep the back ones ) .
I want to do this but keep the front pattern the same size , do i add it back to the side seam ??
thanks
subversivefemme
Hi Anna!
The instructions on this post will show you how – you need to add the dart width back diagonally to the side seam – if you follow the photos it should work x
Megan Fleming
If trouser includes waistband, do I just remove the width of the removed dart from it?
subversivefemme
Yes you would 👍
Emily Watts
Hello! I did this to a bell bottom pattern and chose a place maybe 6” below the waist and it just looks odd! Should I make my point further down? The curve seems very steep. When I fold the dart do I match up the lines to each other? And my pattern has 2 darts on the front pieces. Should I draw all of them to the same point?
subversivefemme
Hi there! Yep, that’s too close to the waist you need to bring it down to the knee to help dissipate the dart.
I would recommend doing the front and back at close to the same point.
When I fold, I bring the lower half up over the top half if that makes sense. The lines need to touch.
Good luck!
Emily watts
Thank you! And should the dart go close to each other one above the other, or beside one another?
subversivefemme
Sorry I’m not sure what you mean? There should be no darts at all once you’re finished?
Emily watts
Sorry! When I draw the lines from the darts to a point should I do the one closest to the side seam above the other vertically or should I do it in front of the other horizontally? I hold that clears up my question lol!
subversivefemme
I’m so sorry I still don’t understand what you mean. If you mean folding the dart closed, I fold from the lower inside up to the upper side.
Emily watts
I have 2 darts on the front pants pattern piece one beside the other so should I bring them to the same point when mapping where to fold or should I put one lower than the other?