Originally Posted by
marjben
Thanks for replying Peggi, I may have made a mistake in using the word grain.
I fold the fabric salvage to salvage, adjust a bit right or left to get a nice straight hang, match my bottom fold to a line on my cutting mat, make my cut to have a straight edge to measure from. Ok, now my straight edge and the line of my pattern on the fabric are a 1/4 or better from each other on one end of the fabric but line up nicely on the other end.
I hope I explained it better!?!
I think this is a problem in the printing, not your ironing. It is very hard to stretch or distort the selvages, so your method should leave things lined up if they were printed straight to begin with.
Depending on the length of fabric you're working with, and the width of your cuts, you may be able to "absorb" that quarter inch difference in the cutting (if a strip is 2 1/2" at one end, and 2 15/32" at the other, it probably won't affect your piecing). If the pattern is very obvious, this might be the way to go. You might have to cut selvage to selvage without folding in order to follow the pattern.
Without knowing what the fabric is and how it will be used, it's hard to offer suggestions on how to deal with it. Everyone who said to ignore the grain is right, IMO. Just don't worry about your ironing technique; this is most likely a manufacturing issue, not you!