Tailor tacks

Wondering what is a tailor tack? If you are 50 then perhaps, you would have surely heard of it. But if you are younger or have taken up sewing in the past 25 years, chances are high that you would not know about it.

A tailor tack is a technique to “mark” fabrics by using a thread rather than markers or pins. Here’s what it looks like:

Its not a difficult task at all. Your knowledge about it would be worth the learning. Thinking how would this benefit you? Personally, I feel that gaining knowledge of anything keeps you better-off than others who don’t have that knowledge. Apart from my beliefs, some of the several reasons which would want you to know about tailor tacks are:

1.  In case you are using a slippery fabric, the pins might come out easily. Using a tailor tack allows you to continue your work without worrying about the falling pins.

2. The pins may perhaps leave a noticeable pinhole which is undesirable, especially in case of dear fabric like satin, silk and others.

3. There may be a shortage of available pins.

4. The need of the hour may be to accurately mark two or more layers simultaneously.

5. It provides a superior approach to “mark” darts, without using carbon paper and a tracing wheel which has the possibility of leaving ever-lasting marks on your piece of clothing.

How to make a Tailor Tack???

Here is how you can make a tailor tack. I have illustrated the procedure using a scrap of metallic fabric.

First, make a small stitch into the selected fabric. In case your material includes more than one layer, then make sure you stitch in all the layers. Also make sure that the ends of your threads are of equal lengths. This also does not require that you knot your thread.

Then, make a second stitch exactly at the same place where you did your first one.

Instead of pulling it tight, create a loop over the fabric’s surface as shown below:

Now, cut the thread such that you leave a tail of about three inches in length. If you have a quick look beneath the first layer of the fabric, you will notice that there are threads amid the layers. Be cautious while you are looking through the layers to or else you may pull out most of the threads and have to re-do everything again.

After having pulled the two layers, gradually and tenderly, cut the threads like this:

You will find some threads marking the spot on both on the top layer and the bottom layer. Move on with your sewing, leaving these threads.

You can pull out these threads once you are over with your sewing.

Try as you read but be careful. We do not intend to injure you.