Fit & patternmaking

Extra fabric volume built into a pattern beyond the minimum needed for fit, achieved through techniques such as slash-and-spread, gathering, or pleating, to create a design's intended shape.

A dart manipulation technique in which a pattern is pivoted around the dart apex to close an existing dart while a new dart opens automatically at another edge.

A dart that is stitched only partway to its point and released as soft fabric folds rather than pressed flat, adding gentle shaping with a softer silhouette than a standard dart.

A dart manipulation technique that moves a dart to a new position by pivoting the pattern piece around the dart apex without cutting the paper apart.