Definitions for the world of sewing

When we start in the world of sewing, we may find some terms complicated. Here’s a mini sewing dictionary to help you get started.

Baste

Join tissues provisionally, by hand, making long stitches. We usually baste the garments after joining them with pins and before making the final seams. In this way, we make sure that the pieces do not move when we sew with the machine (or by hand).

Pleat

Make long stitches through a piece of fabric and pull the threads so that the fabric folds evenly. In this way we make the pleats of, for example, a skirt.

Overcast

Sew with zigzag stitch, by machine or by hand, along the edges of the fabric. In this way we prevent the fabric from fraying and we achieve a more polished finish.