Originally Posted by
DawnFurlong
Except I think I would need to rip perpendicular to the selvage, right? I would go over 3-1/3 yards from the edge and rip, then over 3-1/3 yards to rip, leaving one more 3-1/3 yards. Then I would sew them together under each other (so the middle piece would be placed below the first piece and sewn together, then the 3rd piece under the first 2 pieces and sewn together). Am I picturing that right? I can be directionally challenged, and I don't have to fabric yet to lay on the floor and then visually picture.
If this is correct, will it be okay ripping that way?
Yes, this is exactly correct, and it will be okay.
It's nice to rip borders on the lengthwise grain, because there is less stretch in that direction. However, ripping on the crosswise grain is fine if that's what's needed. The torn edges will be slightly more bruised because they stretch and distort slightly, but it's minor.
To reassure your self, try stretching your fabric on the lengthwise grain and the cross grain. The cross grain will stretch a bit more, but nothing compared to the bias. The relative stretch shows the relative potential for problems (pretty slim).
Do you have an inexpensive fat quarter or bit of yardage that you can try ripping? It might make you more comfortable, and give you an idea of how sharply to pull to get a clean tear. Snip through the selvage, hold right next to the snip, and go for it!