It's not the same thing. Reverse stitching is not the same as turning the fabric around in the same way that turning your car around and driving out of your driveway would be much safer (albeit somewhat less practical) than using the reverse. When you go in the forward direction you can see what's coming very clearly, but in reverse, you can't see much at all and with stitching you won't get a perfectly straight line.

This is through experience. I can see that you could never sew using reverse and make a good job of it. Anything more than a few stitches takes a huge amount of lining up if I'm reversing over it, and I still never get it exactly right.

I was never taught sewing formally but find I'm taking on more couture techniques because I want to do everything right. I don't know many people who pin, baste and sew. Some just sew, most pin and sew but only one other person I know does all three (yes, it's *that* QB member again).

This is all so interesting! I had never learned that about reverse stitching. I vaguely remember having sewing class in seventh grade (1963-64!), but nothing stuck with me. I've mostly taught myself and spend a lot of time ripping out seams. BUT, I do pin and baste curved sections, like sleeve and neck seams, and possibly more if I want to check the fit before sewing. Do you baste all your seams? I've been trying to learn more about proper techniques. I like watching YouTube demos to really see how people sew. It's interesting how differently people approach things like putting in a zipper.

Basting does have it's uses and is worth doing. If something is basted you know it isn't going to move on you where pins allow some slight shifting.
Rodney

Well, here is one thing I have learned about back tacking. If the machine sews straight forward, generally it will back tack along the same line. If the machine tends to sew crooked, it will back tack worse.

One of the things I work with on all my machines is getting the presser foot and feed dogs alined so the machine sews straight. It makes the job much easier.

I am not a trained seamstress or sewist and I do prefer to back tack my seams so this is important to me. I also find the idea of turning the material around and stitching over the existing seam a lot of trouble. So I do things a bit different.

Not to be argumentative, just being me.

Joe

Always for anything curved or gathered, or when patterns have to match up exactly (plaids and tartans) and always for zippers. Pins allow the fabrics to shift against each other. My basting stitches get closer together depending on how important it is, too.
If there's no pattern matching and a long straight seam like pyjama legs in plain fabric, I might skip the basting step.

My parents watched me hem their new curtains a month ago and my mother was surprised that I spent the time basting it (with big needle and thimble) after pinning. I showed her how important it was by sewing one seam with just pins (without basting it). The result was pleats and a wonky seam.

By doing it this way you have no chance of the fabric bunching up at the start and the stitches stay exactly in the same place (same holes where the needle enters the fabric) so it looks neater also. Yes, start fabric (1/4" from edge)in the reverse direction you want to go with seam allowance on the left of presser foot, take a few stitches and when you are a very close to edge (last stitch) leave needle in down position and pivot fabric and then sew seam. Sew to the edge, leave needle in down position and pivot fabric and then take 3 or 4 more stitches. Easier to do than to explain. I rarely need to do this in piece my blocks but it's still good to know this technique.