moving dart INTO side seam?

[RachelB]

I am trying once more to make a replica of The Vampire's Wife Falconetti dress. I started trying to do this a couple of years ago and could never get it fitted properly.  I had planned to take a rest for a couple of weeks, but it turned into about 1.5 years.  Unlike before when I was altering a similar pattern, now I am using the newly released Style Arc Queenie pattern , which is an exact replica of the dress.  It is going much better than before, and I almost have the fitting correct.  However, I am having some issues with the French dart.  In order to get the very fitted look of the bodice, I have had to make it larger.  Now, I am getting a big bubble at the end of the dart point right at the apex of the breast--not a good look.  I have read that it can be due to having too large of a dart.  I  know that I could turn that dart into two French darts or some of it into a waist dart.  However, since the original dress does not have those, I don't want mine to either.  I read yesterday that part of a dart can be moved INTO the side seam. I don't mean a side seam dart.  It is moved into the side seam allowance.   Here is a  tutorial.   I am thinking that I am going to take some of the French dart and turn it into a waist dart, but them move the waist dart into the side seam.  However, I am concerned about how the back bodice will be affected when I stitch the front and back side seams together.  Will it make the back bodice to tight?   Can someone give me some advice?  Thanks.

[Ohsewsimple]

@RachelB the point of the dart should not finish at your apex.  That is for drafting only.  When sewn the dart is sewn away from the bust point by at least 1”.  Larger darts denote larger busts. And for those the point can finish further away still.  It gives more room for the fuller bust.  It would be a good idea to put up some photos to give us some more idea of the problems.  But a bubble at the end often means poor sewing or pressing. 

I had a look at the link for the tutorial.  I have to say that an internal dart is a better way of dealing with the excess.  You can take it off the side seam as shown but only up to a certain amount.  If you try and take too much off you end up with drag lines.  The dart prevents this.  Of course this dart is not the same as a French dart and so the process isn’t the same. 

[RachelB]

Ohsewsimple, thank you so much.  I will try moving it further away from the apex.  I will abandon trying to put any of it in the side seam, because I foresee an awful time with it.  Also, I folded the dart and sewed down the fold line.  I think I need to do it as a seam from what I have been reading about  French darts.

[Ohsewsimple]

I would certainly try moving the point away first.  Do one change/alteration  at a time.
French darts will be sewn on the bias.  So before sewing, hand baste/hand tack them.

Sew the darts from the widest part to the point.  Another reason for a bubble is not sewing to the end properly.  I always reduce my stitch length when I get close to the point.  I try and sew two or three small stitches along the fold and come off at the point.  Never back stitch!  Don’t cut your threads but put your needle back into the work in the body of the dart and sew a few stitches to finish off.  It’s difficult to explain but have a look at this video and you’ll see what I mean.  When you go to press the dart, press it flat to start.  Do not move the iron along as in ironing.  You will stretch it !   Then you can press it from the front over a tailors ham.  If you don’t have one, use a towel and make a rounded shape.   
https://www.threadsmagazine.com/project-guides/learn-to-sew/how-to-sew-a-dart

This is another video worth watching.  She treats it like a seam.  But I don’t think I’d press it open.  You would finish the edges together.  You can do this whichever method you choose.  I’d probably use my overlocker but zig zag finish would be fine. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtW7vQsSDeQ