Originally Posted by CompulsiveQuilter
I've always been taught to fold and hold the fabric by the selvages at arm's length. Then move it around until the the folded side lays flat, then cut off the sides. It's an "eyeball grain test." Does anybody else do this?
Yes I use this method. It sure beats pulling threads in quilting fabric. If I were using a loosely woven fabric, like burlap, I would take the time to pull the thread.
This is the method Ami Sims teaches in her classes. She has the students iron. Not just press, the fabric along the lengthwise grain since it has little to no stretch. The crosswise grain does stretch. We cut our strips on the width of the fabric, cross grain.
Yes I pre wash, but I did not think to do it for two block of the month quilts. Now I hesitate to finish them. I will check some scraps first and then decide what to do.