How to sew basting stitches

Basting stitches come up a lot in sewing and sewing patterns, but there isn’t always a lot of explanation as to what they are or how to sew them. But have no fear, below I explain what they are, what they are used for, and how to make them by machine, and how to make them by hand.

What are basting stitches, and what are they are used for:

Basting stitches are simply long, loose stitches that are (usually) intended to be removed later. They are most often used to hold two or more layers  of fabric together until you are ready to sew permanent stitches and for gathering fabric (see my tutorial on gathering fabric with basting stitches here). 

Some examples is when basting stitches are used:

• To add straps to a bodice with a lining.  The straps are basted in place before the line is added to make sure the straps do not shift out of place when sewn

• To enclose the waist seam on a bodice: the lining is hand-basted in place to keep it from shifting out of place when the permanent stitches are sewn from the right side 

• To hold to layers of a skirt together at the waist  when making a multi-layered skirt so they remain aligned when attaching to the bodice. 

  
  

I could list examples all day, but as you can see, they are very useful.

How to sew basting stitches on a sewing machine:

• -If your sewing machine and lots of fancy stitches, make sure you are set to use the plain old straight stitch

  
  

• Increase your stitch length as long as it will go. On most sewing machines this is a 5

• Lower the tension on your sewing machine (some people lower it down to zero, I find a tension of 2 works best on my sewing machine, I suggest testing on scrap fabric to find what works best for your machine)

This is my sewing machine set to a tension of 2 and a stitch length of 5. Check your sewing machine manual to determine how to do this, as each style of machine is slightly different.

• Create a tail of thread: the easiest way to do this is to sew a few stitches into a piece of scrap fabric,  (don't use the auto cut feature if your sewing machine has it) pull the scrap off the machine, and cut both the top thread and bobbin thread so they are a few inches long.  

  

  Using a scrap piece of fabric to pull out a few inches of thread.

• Make sure your tail of thread is pulled to the back of the sewing machine (behind the presser foot) so it doesn't get tangled or pulled into the hole in the needle plate. 

  
  

• Place the fabric you need to baste onto your sewing machine. Start sewing your stitches and do not backstitch. 

  
  

• Continue sewing until you reach the end (or come back to the beginning if you are sewing something in the round, such as a skirt) and once again do not backstitch.  Pull the fabric off of the sewing machine and trim the thread to a couple of inches.

Tips for success:

• Leave longer tails of thread if you are using the thread to gather fabric.  You can leave shorter tails if you are just using the basting stitches to hold layers of fabric together (just long enough to grab the thread and pull it out).  If the basting stitches are not going to be removed, you don't need to leave much of a tail at all, but still don't backstitch). Now you can easily grab the tails of the thread to remove them after your permanent seam is sewn. 

  
  

• Be careful when removing basting stitches so you don't damage your fabric. You can pull the bobbin thread first and then the top thread will come away easily since once the bobbin thread is removed.  

  
  

• If you notice small holes in your fabric after removing your basting stitches, hover over your fabric with a steam iron.  This will help snap the fabric back into shape and shrink the holes 

How to sew basting stitches by hand:

Hand basting is useful for situations when the pieces of fabric you are basting together are at an angle that is difficult to reach or sew with your sewing machine and for sewing in very small or tight spaces (such as basting the sleeves in place on baby or doll clothes). However you can use it any place you would use machine basting if you find you prefer this method.

• Cut a long piece of thread and thread it through the eye of your needle.  Pull the thread tail through until you have two long threads of even length.

  
  

• You do not need to tie a knot at the the end of the thread tails if you are planning to remove the stitches later (which is usually the case with basting stitches)

  
  

• Make  simple running stitches (straight stitches going in and out of the fabric).  Make them long and fairly loose - about ½ of an inch in length.  Leave a tail of thread at the beginning and be careful not to pull your stitches too tight and accidentally pull your stitches out of your fabric as you work

  
  

• Do not back stitch or anchor your stitches at the end. Just leave a tail of fabric at the end so you can easily grab the thread and remove it after your permanent stitches are sewn  

  
  

• Even though you are removing the stitches later, sewing your basting stitches in a tidy, straight line will help keep your fabric lined up more nicely, and help you sew your permanent stitches with better results.

  
  

In my next post, I show you how to use basting stitches to gather fabric, and you can can visit this post to get my best tips for perfectly gathered skirts and ruffles.