Notching

Reversing the machine over the first and last few stitches of a seam to lock the thread ends so the seam will not unravel.

Long, loose, temporary stitches, sewn by hand or machine, used to hold layers of fabric in place for fitting before permanent stitching.

Snipping short cuts into a curved seam allowance, especially an inward curve, so the seam can spread and lie flat once turned or pressed.

A hand stitch worked in a loose zigzag pattern, catching only a thread or two of the outer fabric, commonly used to secure a hem invisibly.

A line of long machine stitches sewn within a seam allowance and gently pulled up to shrink an edge slightly without forming visible gathers.