I'm really glad to read all this. I remember my grandma and mom biting and tearing fabric, too, and thought that was just never done anymore. But I recently had some fabric that I just couldn't cut straight because of the print, so I ripped it, and felt really guilty about it. But it worked out better for me. I also couldn't figure out how to cut very large pieces or lengths, and went ahead and ripped, and it wasn't so bad.