tailor's tack

9.5

A temporary loose loop stitch that marks where to fold or sew fabric

noun
/ˈteɪlɚz tæk/

Specialized

: puntada de sastre

Make a tailor's tack to accurately transfer the pattern lines to your fabric pieces.

Examples

Before sewing the seam, check that each tailor's tack is marking the correct position on both layers.
She used a bright colored thread for the tailor's tack so it would be easy to remove after stitching.
The tailor's tack held the fabric in place.
I need to remove the tailor's tacks before sewing.
Make a tailor's tack to securely mark where the pleats should be folded on your fabric.
Before cutting the fabric, use a tailor's tack to indicate the dart positions as shown in the pattern.
She placed a tailor's tack in the corner to ensure the fabric layers align correctly for sewing.

Synonyms

tailor's chalk

vstailor's tack

Specialized

6.9

A thin, flat piece of chalk that people who make clothes use to mark cloth before cutting or sewing

uses a loose looped thread to transfer pattern markings through fabric

Surface Forms

tailor's tack singular

tailor's tacks plural

Morphology

tailor's + tack

The meaning 'a loose, temporary stitch used by a tailor' is directly derivable from combining 'tailor's' (belonging to or used by a tailor) with 'tack' (a temporary stitch). This possessive + noun composition is a regular, predictable pattern in English and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Tailor's tack is a small, loose loop of thread called a tack that a tailor makes through two layers of fabric to copy pattern points. This loop 'marks' where to sew or fold and is easy to remove, so the name shows it is a 'temporary' marker used while making clothes.