I am old school and want my pieces on the straight of the grain. As a previous person said, they sew better, press better, etc., etc., and I straighten the fabric so it is on the grain. I think the art of tugging fabric to straighten it is a lost art. I buy extra when they cut it because the fabric is distorted, and then I straighten it before cutting. I think it`s a personal preference.

Some fabric is off grain when you buy it so I just tear it across and everything lines up. I trim the torn edge so it is flat.

Mary Jo's in NC tears the fabric. Each time I've gone there in the past 3 years they have done it. Each time, each piece has been straight and when I prewash it, it seems to ravel less than fabric I prewash from other shops that cut the fabric.
I have more issues with fabric cut crooked. Bless them, they cut like me. I can't cut a straight line without a ruler. I will not even try tearing in a straight line.

I don't have any quilt stores close so it's only joanns they don't tear the fabric but the one girl always cut a few inches then she slides the scissors rest of the cut that annoys me for some reason when she waits on me I remind her please cut straight to the end am I wrong? maybe I'm to picky and I am no expert by any means in quilting

i prefer it torn. it's good for you- you get an accurate amount of fabric, you have the straight grain- and it's good for the store--they are selling every inch instead of having to add extra so you get the 'right' amount end to end. i wanted a 1/4 yd of a fabric i knew i would never use again. i watched the girl cut it and i could tell i wasn't going to have much to work with by the time i straightened it. so i said, let me show you what happens when you straighten the fabric. i ended up with 2" of fabric, straight on the grain, and a handful of dog bed stuffing. of course, i had to pay for the whole 1/4 yd, but it was an eye opener for the clerk!

My LQS rips and I on one hand appreciate having it straight on grain but I bought one quarter yard WOF it was a dark fabric and when it ripped it like pulled the bottom white threads and were visibile in about a half inch from the rip. I did end up needing more and when I went back i asked it to be cut and explained to her what happened.

Yes, it is true to the grain-line, but it also is true that you lose at least a quarter of an inch each end which is NOT so nice. One shop I frequent does that. It is the really old-fashioned way of cutting fabric. I prefer not to have mine ripped.

I refuse to buy fabric that is ripped
and I say SOO if it appears that will happen.

Sometimes they will cut it for you if you tell them you prefer that. I actually prefer the ripping method because I'm assured that the piece will be on-grain. This is especially true with backing fabric for my long-arm, since, if it has been cut, I have to rip it anyway to be sure it is straight and I wind up losing fabric on each end in the straightening process. Often, fabric which has been cut is very off grain. I've started a tear barely past the cut on one side of 104" backing and had it grow to 4 or 5 inches on the other end.

I think it is ok to rip fabric if it is on the length wise grain as it is usually straight. If I rip width wise it rips with the grain, and then if not on the bolt straight, I get an edge which is at an angle. So in the fabric store I prefer a cut.