Originally Posted by canuckninepatch
I definitely prefer to have mine cut. The tearing will distort the fabric. I don't go by how it has been cut when I begin to do my rotary cutting for a project, anyway. I always fold my fabric in half, putting selvedges together and letting the fabric hang down. I shift the selvedges back and forth slightly until the hanging fold is completely flat (no ripples at all). Then I lay the fabric down, with the fold at the bottom, and using the fold line as my guide for the bottom edge of my plexiglass rule, I cut a new edge, from the fold up to the selvedges. This is how I was shown when I first started quilting. Hope it makes sense.
I took a class at Eleanor Burns fabric store in California. I bought some fabrics from her and they tore all their fabrics...that was a long time ago but assume they still tear.
Although canuckninepatch prefers hers cut, her method of straightening the grain is right and should be done whether you cut or tear. if it's torn, you straighten without cutting (except to trim to clean the edge) and if it's torn you straighten and then you have to trim to straighten, and you lose inches.
I think a lot of people don't straighten their fabrics and in that case you would probably prefer cutting.