Originally Posted by alimaui
Maybe I am just confused on the termnology.
So when you cut selvage to selvage..... Are you physicall cutting the crosswise grain, or are you cutting the lengths grain.?I know this action is called cutting crosswise width of fabric.
I know when you cut parallel to the selvage, you are cutting "lenghtwise grain of fabric. So with this cut are you just cuttng the ccross grain?
I am so confused. I am trying to cut charm squares so no selvage to reference, and I feel like an absolute idiot. I just need to cut the charm square in half (to make a 5x5 square, a 2.5 x 5 square). If I am holding the charm with fingers and thumbs, and I tug, with no give, do I cut parallel to my tug, or perpendicular?
Does it really matter that much?
It won't matter at all for what you are doing!
The lengthwise grain runs with the selvedge; if you are cutting from one cut edge to the other cut edge, parallel to the selvedge (so you are not cuttin through the selvedge), then you are cutting on the lengthwise grain. If you have a piece of fabric with the selvedge on, and you hold the cut edges of the fabric in each hand and tug, this lengthwise grain will have the least stretch in it.
The crosswise grain runs from one selvedge across the fabric to the other selvedge. When you cut from selvedge to selvedge, you are cutting along the crosswise grain. If you hold fabric with a selvedge in each hand and tug, this crosswise grain will have more stretch than the lengthwise grain.