I have seen and heard her talk about tearing her fabric to be sure she is starting with a straight line. I finally just saw her do it on one of the shows I Tivo.
Does anyone alse do this? And does it work well for you? I am always amazed as I watch the shows at how easy it all seems when she does it. :) |
When you tear the fabric, it kind of "bruises" the edge of the fabric, and it must still be cut, it gets kind of ruffly and makes a soft fringe, but it is useful if you have lots of yardage that you want to cut some off from. I often buy a bolt of black, and tear off just a yard or two when I want some.
If you decide to tear fabric, make a small cut, and tear fast! You will have to tug on it twice, but if you go slow, it seems to make the fabric stretch worse on the torn edges. |
As a teen in the early 60's when I worked in a fabric department we were taught to tear some fabrics and cut others. I still tear my 100% cotton fabrics sometimes. And Pam's advice in the post above is right.
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I tear large yardage pieces all the time. Smaller cuts like fat quarters etc. I prefer to be cut.
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I tear if the piece is noticeably uneven, then I square it up on the cutting mat to get rid of the fraying.
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Yup. I *do* tear, and then when I'm making strips, I trim off the little 1/4" that's furry. It's scary at first, but if you have a piece with no selvage it's worth a try.
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When I lay out the fabric for my backing, I will tear it. It's much easier than trying to cut straight.
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I'm with Candace, I tear large pieces all the time as well. I always measure a little more than I need, then tear it. That way I have a smaller piece to work with and can then cut it to the measurement I need.
I never tear small pieces of fabric either since there isn't that much to begin with and don't want to end up with less yardage than I need. |
Thanks! I tend to not know all the time which way the grain actually is. I think I just need more practice. I have a ton of scrap pcs with no salvedge (sp) and it seems for the life of me I can't cut straight :)
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Originally Posted by lalaland
I'm with Candace, I tear large pieces all the time as well. I always measure a little more than I need, then tear it. That way I have a smaller piece to work with and can then cut it to the measurement I need.
I never tear small pieces of fabric either since there isn't that much to begin with and don't want to end up with less yardage than I need. |
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