I just figured out why my skirt patterns never fit right

I've been sewing for about 2 years and always had a weird gap at the back waist of my pencil skirts. I thought it was my fabric choice or maybe my machine tension. Last week, I was watching a video from a designer in Portland and she said, 'If you have a sway back, you need to take a horizontal dart here,' and pointed to the exact spot. I tried it on my muslin, taking out a 1-inch wedge, and it fixed the whole thing instantly. I must have made 8 skirts with that same fitting issue. Has anyone else had a specific body shape fix that changed your drafting game?

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

ericfox7mo ago

What's a sway back? I've had the same gap issue with pants, but I always just took in the side seams. A horizontal dart in the back waist sounds way smarter. I need to look that up.

2

matthewf647mo ago

Oh man, taking in the side seams only? That's like trying to fix a flat tire by painting the car. Honestly, a sway back is when your lower back curves in more, so the back waist of pants sticks out. Tbh, the side seam fix never works right because it pulls the whole back panel out of shape. You need that horizontal dart to take out the extra fabric right where the gap is, across the back waist. Ngl, it's a total game changer for fit. Go look it up, you'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

8

adamellis6mo ago

I mean, a sway back is actually when your spine curves the other way.

2