Ever go to a tailor and have no idea what word(s) she/he just said? Well, we are here to bring a little education into the wide world of tailoring with a little terminology talk. Check back every week for a new term.

Next up: Baste 

To baste, or to tack, is to create temporary stitching on a garment. Basting is done for a variety of reasons. One reason to baste is to hold different pieces of a garment together until they’re permanently stitched. This can be really helpful if you are making a garment but need to test the fit before you completely finish it.

Basting is also handy to do on special-occasion dresses. When creating new stitches on a nice dress, it might be safer to baste them instead of marking them with chalk (which could potentially be messy).

An example of a basting stitch

You are probably already familiar with one type of basting. Ever notice when you buy a coat or jacket that the vent is sewn closed? That stitch is meant to keep the vent closed while the jacket is still in the store. Once you buy it, you cut it!

*Image courtesty of It’s Sew Easy