The Basics: Marking
straight pins
Use straight pins to mark details that will be immediately sewn or basted. They aren't a good long-term marking method since pins may slip out of the fabric with handling.
Use pins to indicate the ends of an opening, placement for a collar or to indicate where to start and stop stitching.
Pins placed perpendicular to each other can indicate a corner. Also use pins at the ends of buttonholes and the lower stop of a zipper.
Pin marking isn't recommended for fine fabrics or fabrics that retain pin holes. Use ball-point pins on knits.
pressure-sensitive stickers
Use stickers when ink, chalk or pins might damage the fabric. Some folks find stickers easier than marking, so they use them on all projects. Stickers are usually placed in the interior of a pattern piece to indicate pocket guidelines, snaps or buttons. Experiment with stickers found in office supply stores and draw the placement markings on them.
stitched markings
Silk thread is ideal for basting because it glides through most fabrics and doesn't leave a mark when pressed. Purchase a high-contrast color such as hot pink or chartreuse. You may never sew a garment in these colors, but they'll show up against most fabrics.
Make long basting stitches to identify centerlines, pocket or tab placements, hemlines and topstitching guides. This may take longer than using pen or chalk pencil, but it's safer for fine or delicate fabrics that stain easily or should be dry-cleaned. Considering what you've invested, a few extra minutes for basting is better than damaging valuable fabric.
Use tailor's tacks to transfer marks to two fabric layers. This stitching technique requires large basted loops. Use silk thread or several strands of contrast cotton thread.
To make tailor's tacks, thread a needle and bring the ends together to create a double thread thickness. Leaving a 2" tail, make a 1/8"-long basting stitch at the mark. Backstitch in the previous holes leaving a thread loop; be careful to not catch the thread in the first stitch. Pull the fabric layers apart and snip through the tacks, so you have thread in both fabrics at the mark (4).
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