Have you ever had a garment with horizontal draglines? It’s a sign that your garment is too tight somewhere. This correction is for a waistline that is too tight on a skirt or a dress, has horizontal draglines, or is wrinkling/creasing towards the darts.

Steps to Correct a Waist That’s Too Tight

1. Open up the side seams on both the right and left sides and allow them to relax open.
2. Tape and pin the garment open and measure the amount you’ve opened.
3. Give half to the front panel and the other half to the back panel of your pattern.
4. If you have wrinkles towards the darts, reduce the dart depth. Take half of the amount you’re opening at the side seam and add it to the dart depth instead. This will narrow the darts, increasing the waist. You could also open up the dart and see how much you want to reduce it that way.

Always remember: horizontal draglines generally mean it’s too tight on the garment. It’s not always at the exact location of the draglines; it could be below them, but view your garment for the tightness levels!

This information and more can be found in The Fitting Book. Order your book today through the link below.