How to Baste a Hem or Seam

Basting is used to temporarily hold two pieces of fabric together so you can make sure that the fit or hem length of a garment is correct. Basting can be done with pins, a sewing machine, or by hand.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing Kits
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Supplies
• Threads Of Contrasting Color
• Scissors
• Scissors

Machine Basting

1. Place the two pieces of fabric in desired position.

2. Loosen the thread tension on the sewing machine.

3. Set the machine's stitch length at its longest.

4. Stitch along the desired seam or hemline.

Hand Basting

5. Place the two pieces of fabric in desired position.

6. Make a series of running stitches along the hem or seam line.

7. Bring a threaded needle up through the fabric, then down and up again, at 1/4-inch intervals.

8. Take several stitches on your needle before pulling the thread all the way through.

9. Secure the hand basting by taking two backstitches close together.

10. Stitch the fabric permanently after you've made sure that the seam line or hemline is appropriate.

11. Remove the hand basting by carefully picking out the backstitches with the point of a needle.

12. Pull the thread from the knotted end to remove the rest of the thread.

Pin Basting

13. Place the two pieces of fabric in desired position.

14. Insert dressmaker pins through both layers of fabric so that the pins are at right angles to the fabric edges.

15. Place pins 2 to 3 inches apart.

16. Adjust the fabric and re-pin as desired before stitching permanently.

17. Stitch the fabric permanently after you've made sure that the seam line or hemline is appropriate.

Tips & Warnings

• Read your sewing machine owner's manual to determine whether or not the manufacturer recommends sewing over pin basting. If not, remove the pins from the fabric as you come to them.
• Use the pin-basting method when adjusting hem lengths.

on 11/22/2005 When pinning two pieces (prior to machine basting) it helps to place the pins at right angles to the edge. Pins can then be easily removed as you stitch, and all is not lost if you miss one!