Sway Back Alterations in a Knit Block - to Dart or not to Dart?

Reading the Wrinkles

So... the Sway Back Adjustment.  Let me tell you... This has plagued me since I took my Moulage class with Kenneth King and since I made my Playsuit Knit Top.   Meaning - I haven't resolved the issue.  For God's sake, I'm a sewer, I should be able to sew a top that fits me nicely, especially with as many classes I've taken. There I go should-ing all over the place. And besides, I must remember that I learn best through trial and error. Note to self!!!  Off to my bookshelf and the web I went to carry out my deep and detailed research.  I spent my whole weekend working out the fit for this shirt. 

Sway Back Adjustment / Alteration for Lightweight, Drapey, Stretchy Single Knit

Many, many, many sewing bloggers have this problem. At least 99% of the posts I read were calls for help. Here are a few that I found most useful.  When it comes to a knit block, my goal was no darts, no center back seam. 

1. Dyanne's Craftsy class - Sewing Knits that Fit (we have an on-going conversation)
2. Fit That Alteration Sway Back
3. Kitschy Coo's Lady Skater Alterations
4. Clever Thinking Sway Back
5. The Overflowing Stash appears to be working through the same thing I am. Moulage to Knit Block.
6. By Hand London shows how to fit the Holly Jumpsuit for Swayback which is heading into the territory of a shirt, except that it's focused around center back seams and woven fabric. Close, but not quite. 

First, I made an alteration like Dyanne showed me in #1. Pretty large wrinkles still occuring above my bum.  See all the photos in "Reading the Wrinkles".

Next, I tried #3. But I must be adding a step or doing something a bit wrong, because every time I make those alterations then convert the top back to a no center back seam, I end up with the same exact shape of pattern I started with. I even created two different patterns - before and after, lay one over the other and bam, Identical. Darn.

Next, I performed #2 by Fit That on the pattern I had from Dyanne's first suggestion. The wrinkles were much less, but still very evident in my single knit. 

I learned from Dyanne in her Craftsy class and from Suzy Furrer's book thanks to Shams Recommendation, generally you split the dart, then push the right half to the left side seam and the left half to the right side seam so you end up with really, really curved side seams. So, I got to wondering... if I can do that with vertical darts, why couldn't I approach it the same way with horizontal darts. Ultimately, I need more length around my bum, so I opted to move the entire fish eye dart up from my back waist to the shoulder/neckline. And I was thrilled to find that Rachel of Imagine Gnats did something similar in this dress.  It was all the confirmation I needed to proceed. 

To prove to myself, document what I was doing for my own future reference, and also to show you what was occurring, I chose to take a lot of photos and provide some illustrations & notes.

Bust Adjustment / Alteration for Lightweight, Drapey, Stretchy Single Knit

Just for the sake of comparison, I'm showing how the shirt looks with only an armhole dart (Left) and only the back shoulder alteration (Right). Each has it's pluses and minuses.  The shoulder alteration for sway back still leaves the front needing an armhole dart. So I did both. 

Even after I did all those alterations, I still had more wrinkles than I liked in the back. So, I added back waist darts.  These views are showing the shirt in the "too short length" I mentioned in an earlier post. See how the wrinkles in the back waist have gone to practically nil? SO AWESOME.

Would I do those same non-dart alterations to another knit block to help reduce the excess fabric? YES!!!!!!

Will I add darts to future knits? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

To put into perspective how much time and research I've put into not only converting this block from my woven moulage, but also in studying my ready to wear, I'm sharing one of the 5 drafted versions of my knit block. Looks like something out of a Burda Magazine where you have to trace the lines, huh?

When using any pattern these days, and after hearing Jan Bones suggest the same, I start with my own block, then compare it to the pattern I want to use and end up with a cross-pollinated variation somewhere between the pattern designer's version and my block so it will fit.  Doing this, means I have so much less heartache and so much more success. Because it's ultimately about enjoying some really awesome clothing that no one else has!

Do you have a favorite, well fitting knit shirt pattern? 
Or have you drafted your own? 
Have you discovered a better method for handling swayback in knits? 

I'd LOVE to know!!