Re: bearisgray
yes. to be truly true, the threads in fabric should be at right angles, even after washing. if they're not, and you fold with no drapes at the foldline, you can lose a lot at both ends. the longer the piece, the more you lose. if you needed 18"and got 16" , you're 2" short of what you need. i buy extra and after washing, i cut it the way it wants to go, 'cause it won't go where it doesn't want to. if that means off true, then so be it. in the 50's when i started sewing, you could pull one thread across the width of the fabric and boy! it was straight across. i haven't seen that in ages.
that's why i don't let clerks rip my fabric. when the grain is off true, the rip follows the grainline and is also off true, so even before washing you lose inches at both ends. after washing, mama mia! conversely, the lengthwise grain is almost always true.
btw, that's why so many stores prefer to cut. they don't want you to see how off true the fabrics really are. for instance, at my joann's, they refuse to rip. flat out refuse. even the kona. they're not taking chances.