what is basting in sewing

Basting in sewing is a technique of temporarily holding layers of fabrics together using long, easily removable stitches by machine or by hand. It is also called tacking. Basting is used for a variety of reasons, such as holding a seam in place until it is sewn properly, or transferring pattern markings onto the garment. Basting stitches may be used when a garment is being fitted to a model during production, as the stitches can be easily removed and replaced with pins if the seam requires alteration. Basting is particularly helpful when working with delicate fabrics or when precise alignments are needed, such as with pleats, gathers, or complex fabric patterns like stripes. A basting stitch is typically an overlong straight stitch with unfinished ends. Basting stitches can be sewn using a specialized tacking thread, which may snap easily in order for it to be easily removed from the garment when necessary.