Basting Stitches: Sewing Machine Can Replace Hand Sewing Too

Basting stitches are used to temporarily secure fabrics together, which are later removed after the formal sewing is completed.

For example, basting stitches are applied on the side seams of a skirt to check the fitting before the actual sewing takes place. Once the fitting is confirmed, the basting stitches are removed, and the regular stitches are sewn.

In some cases, when dealing with challenging fabric alignments, basting stitches are used to roughly position the fabrics before the final sewing.

When you want to check the fit of a garment before sewing the actual seams, opt for basting stitches. Slightly lowering the thread tension also helps (as it makes it easier to remove the temporary basting stitches later). Sew a row of basting stitches and check the fitting. Once satisfied, adjust the stitch length as needed and ensure that the thread tension is back to its original setting. After sewing the final stitches, remove the temporary basting stitches.

If the sewing machine does not have specialized basting stitch options, you can use the maximum stitch length for straight stitching as an alternative.