bartacks

Bartack is a short, dense reinforcement stitch used in sewing to strengthen high-stress points. It consists of several closely spaced stitches, typically arranged to form a small rectangular bar across the fabric. The purpose is to resist tearing or pulling out of the seam where stress is concentrated, such as at openings, ends of seams, or points where fabric experiences repeated handling.

Common applications include pocket corners and edges, belt loops, zipper ends, the ends of seams, and the tops or bottoms of pockets and patches. Bartacks are widely used in durable garments such as denim jeans, workwear, and leather goods, where reinforced attachment points help prevent wear from frequent use.

Technique and variation: bartacks are created by stitching over the same small area multiple times, usually with a very short stitch length. On a sewing machine, this can be done by stitching forward and back over the same spot to form a rectangular reinforcement, or by using a dedicated bartack function that automates the process. Hand bartacks can be made with a series of tiny backstitches to achieve a similar dense reinforcement. Variants include rectangular bartacks, corner bartacks, cross-stitched reinforcement, and double bartacks in exceptionally stressed locations.

Etymology and terminology: the term bartack likely derives from the idea of a small bar formed by the tightly spaced stitches, emphasizing its role as a reinforcing tack. In pattern instructions, bartack instructions are often given as a short, heavy reinforcement at specified points. See also: backstitch, topstitch.