Originally Posted by
momto5
My Mom was the best seamstress I have ever seen...she would make a very slight cut in the edge of the fabric, carefully separate out one thread, and cut along that thread over the width of the fabric. Her seams were always as straight as an arrow and her quilts were lovely as well. So I'm guessing that her way (as usual!) WAS the best way...at least I can't argue with success. And no, I don't do it that way unless I'm making an heirloom quilt!
I have done this all too often, as 90% of my quilts are heirloom. Nothing irks me more than receiving expensive fabric ordered only to find the fabric was cut all wrong. Local retailers are infamous for this here. My LQS can be almost perfect to the nth of an inch. Frustrating to make a slit, cut along the thread (I cannot pull threads for the life of me) line to find that one end selvedge to selvedge is 3-4" longer than the other end. So, I also line up the patterns if there is one. To me it makes sense the printed pattern lines up. I find an exact pattern along the edge that I can use as a guide, then I straight cut along all 4 sides lining up the pattern, match up the pattern from front to back after folding, hold it up and move a smidgeon to create a straight fold. This I do after washing. Then I iron the fabric. Works for me.