Does tearing fabric weaken it.
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: North Carolina - But otherwise, NOTW
Posts: 7,940
Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
Almost all fabric used to be torn when you bought it. The stores had a measuring thing they pulled the fabric thru and when it was the amount you wanted they'd push on it and it would cut a notch and then the clerk would tear the fabric.
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: North Carolina - But otherwise, NOTW
Posts: 7,940
OK, here's a very interesting discussion on this topic. The clerks at a BERNINA store tear their fabric.
http://potlikker.typepad.com/bekka/2...ng-fabric.html
http://potlikker.typepad.com/bekka/2...ng-fabric.html
#14
Originally Posted by jljack
Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
Almost all fabric used to be torn when you bought it. The stores had a measuring thing they pulled the fabric thru and when it was the amount you wanted they'd push on it and it would cut a notch and then the clerk would tear the fabric.
WOW!! I would never have remembered that!!! I recently was at a quilt show where a vendor was tearing the fabric she sold. I was fascinated, and she said that's the only way she knows the fabric is straight on grain, and she would never do it another way.
I have lost as much as 4 inches off a piece of fabric because it was so off grain on the bolt.
#15
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: North Carolina - But otherwise, NOTW
Posts: 7,940
Yes, I have had two yards of fabric turn into 1.75 yards due to bad wrapping on the bolt and bad cutting!!! It ends up so crooked, I had to cut off both ends to straighten the middle....BOO!!!
#16
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13
Just a note/comment. fabrics are wet printed today and are NOT printed straight on the grain of fabric. I don't tear as I found years ago that in the process of tearing it does distort"damage" the grain for several inches from tear. With Rotary cutters we can use our wonderful runlers and get very accurate cuts. I too remember having fabric measured and torn, but then took it home and had to straighten it out before cutting. Annette Annettesews
#17
Originally Posted by annettesews
Just a note/comment. fabrics are wet printed today and are NOT printed straight on the grain of fabric. I don't tear as I found years ago that in the process of tearing it does distort"damage" the grain for several inches from tear. With Rotary cutters we can use our wonderful runlers and get very accurate cuts. I too remember having fabric measured and torn, but then took it home and had to straighten it out before cutting. Annette Annettesews
#18
I always tear my borders... I like my borders to come from the length of fabric so there is absolutely no stretch and it keeps my quilts flat. It's important to tear and sew immediately, however, because it is easy to ravel a torn piece... since I learned this trick, I no longer have 90 inch long borders that aren't perfectly straight.
#19
No absolutely not, it does not weaken the fabric. This is from someone that has been tearing for 28 years it is great. I still tear all my large pieces for my quilts, my borders my backs and sometimes large blocks, no stretching, nor distortion, yes a little fraying, but It is always an exact measurment. I have found quilters that have only known cutting cannot stand the thought of tearing. The first thing I do when I get a piece of fabric home is straighten by tearing. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten a piece of fabric home where they have used a rotary cutter or scissors and it so off I lose over 6 inches., especially if it has a pattern. And the stores because they use rulers and rotary cutters think they are so exact, you are lucky if they give you 2 inches extra.
Just don't rippppppppppp, tear gently and slowly.
Just don't rippppppppppp, tear gently and slowly.
#20
Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
Almost all fabric used to be torn when you bought it. The stores had a measuring thing they pulled the fabric thru and when it was the amount you wanted they'd push on it and it would cut a notch and then the clerk would tear the fabric.
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