In the list of items changed in Update 6.13 -- #18 is "The pants and skirts center back dart width setting was moved to the dart tool. The amount is now an over-ride. What you enter is what you get. Entering zero will give the default amounts of 10% of back hip for men or 25% of the difference between back hip and back waist for women."

I just want to clarify the steps needed to use this tool to get good results. To use simple numbers, let's say a woman has a 4" difference between the waist and hip measurement. That would make her default CBD 1" (25% of 4"). Right?

Then, say when she makes a sloper she can pinch an additional 1.5" out of the back at the waist. Before, she would enter 1.5" to add to the CBD, but now she needs to calculate her default (1") and add it to the additional amount (1.5") and enter 2.5" as an override in the Dart Tool for Center Back Dart?

If that is correct, then these are the steps:

STEP 1. Try on the sloper -- if it fits at the waist, you can stop here and use the default.

STEP 2. If you need more in your Center Back Dart, pinch out the amount and measure (both sides of the pinch -- the full amount you need to remove from the waist measurement).

STEP 3. Calculate your DS default measurement. Subtract back waist from back hip measurement. Take 25% (1/4) of that measurement.

STEP 4. Add amount in STEP 2 to amount in STEP 3 for your TOTAL Center Back Dart needed.

STEP 5. Enter the amount from STEP 4 in the Darts Tool - Center Dart width.

My sig will show 6.12 but I've updated to 6.13. I'm afraid if I go to change that before I post, I'll lose the message above and have to start all over.

TIA

quote:

Originally posted by Gayle:
Then, say when she makes a sloper she can pinch an additional 1.5" out of the back at the waist. Before, she would enter 1.5" to add to the CBD, ...

When the CB dart was first introduced it had this effect of reducing waist ease. I believe this was a bandaid workaround for the (then unrecognised) waist darts issue (now corrected in v6.10). The functioning of the CB dart has since changed and now works correctly IMO.

The CB dart on pants DOES NOT reduce your back waist measurement.

It sets the angle of the CB seam line and correspondingly shifts the waist line and waist darts sideways.
Try it with MissesRTW 10 which has a back waist of 13.75". Enter a CB dart width of 6". The back drafts with a more angled seam and the waist is still 13.75". This is correct IMO.

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quote:

..when she makes a sloper she can pinch an additional 1.5" out of the back at the waist...

If you do have extra waist ease:
* Go to File/Settings and check ON "I want no extra waist ease in pants/skirt waistline"
* Compare body waist to chart waist measurements. They should match exactly.
* Measure pattern waist between seams and darts. It should match the chart. Pants draft with no waist ease.
* If you are still unhappy with any extra waist ease and your chart is correct, increase the Waist Dart widths in the Dart or Options tools.

If you know you want a different center back seam angle on your pants, through trail and error, another pattern, imitating a European cut or personal experience, then alter your CB dart as Gayle explains.

quote:

... but now she needs to calculate her default (1") and add it to the additional amount (1.5") and enter 2.5" as an override in the Dart Tool for Center Back Dart

Another way to find your default CB dart width is to square off from the start of the hip reference line and measure to the CB waist point.
The CB dart should not be altered just because you have extra ease at the waist IMO. I think that is related to other issues as marked (*) above.

quote:

I think it will be worthwhile to make one more muslin of the current default draft so I don't perpetuate any of the bandaid fixes.

Oh Tessa ... how right you were ... and thanks to the Bob and anyone who helped with these changes to how pants waistlines draft.

I made up a Fitted Pants (in 6.13) muslin today using all defaults values except a wider leg at the hem ... so that means no waist ease, and the SAME mesurements that I got at my workshop in November 2004 ... I have a pair of pants that fit at the waist and do not need a CBD adjustment for my swayback.

Previously I had one of those huge CBD's -- I think at one point I was using 3" when it was still found in the options menu. Again -- the only difference is the build version; all body measurements are the same.

Everyone who is tired of seeing my black capris can rejoice ... new pants coming! lol

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Gayle,