Basting etc.

Structured Garments

When working on structured garments you will often have to use multiple lines of marking and basting, e.g. tailor’s tacks to transfer the seam lines, basting fabric, interlining and flatlining together, basting the garment and only then finally sewing.

My recommendation is to always baste the layers together exactly above the taylor’s tacks, since the tacks have been cut in small pieces and are easy to remove anyway.

Then you have to consider that when marking the seam lines with tailor’s tacks from the paper fabric you will usually be marking just outside the pattern, so for maximum precision you should baste either on the marking or just outside them, and then sew just inside the marking, on the original seam lines.

However, if you’re using multiple layers of fabric, or thicker ones, you can also decide to sew just outside the markings, as the millimiter or so you’re gaining will compensate for the thickness of the seams. In this case, of course you will have to baste just inside the markings.