Fabric does need to be cut on grain in a quilting project. It does matter when the patches are off grain. When you wash the quilt, they do pull back into their natural state. You can starch them to make them behave when you are making the squares but they do go back to natural when washed. Ann, yes, quilting will hold them down but if you look carefully you will see that they still pull back to their natural grain position. Does it matter? Only if it matters to you. Everyone seeks their own comfort level on this question. I buy yardage to avoid the miscuts that so often come with precuts.