Poorly cut fat quarters
07-18-2010, 01:05 PM
#11
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Trumann, Arkansas
Posts: 1,873
Sorry to hear of your problems Connie. I don't think I've used fat quarters in a pattern. My fat quarters are usually just cut up for pieced work so it doesn't matter if it is a little off. I'll have to look more carefully at the fat quarters from now on.
07-18-2010, 01:14 PM
#12
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,390
I expect a FQ to be at least 18 inches long and at least 20 inches wide (half of the width of fabric)
The LQS - Quilts on Plum Lane in Dade City, Florida, routinely cuts their FQs at least 19 inches long.
That's about the only place I've bought FQs recently.
The two FQs that I bought from Walmart recently were LONGER than 18 inches (yes, I did measure them correctly!)
The LQS - Quilts on Plum Lane in Dade City, Florida, routinely cuts their FQs at least 19 inches long.
That's about the only place I've bought FQs recently.
The two FQs that I bought from Walmart recently were LONGER than 18 inches (yes, I did measure them correctly!)
07-18-2010, 01:25 PM
#14
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: near Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 5,841
Originally Posted by Pam
Ouch, feeling your pain. While I do not cut fat quarters, I have a hard time folding it right (get little wrinkles), and then get those darn "dog legs". Annoying to say the least. I often have 3+ yard cuts that I am trying to just get a little off from, How are you supposed to do it? GRRRR....
07-18-2010, 02:58 PM
#15
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 3,672
Okay, I have a dumb question: what are "dog legs"? :oops:[/quote]
When you THINK you have the fabric folded correctly, you cut a strip and at every fold, it turns in a different direction, like a dog's leg.
When you THINK you have the fabric folded correctly, you cut a strip and at every fold, it turns in a different direction, like a dog's leg.
07-18-2010, 03:03 PM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Glen Burnie, MD
Posts: 320
you get upset seeing them use sissors... I just about go across the cutting table now when I see one of them put a nick in the fabric and then prepare to rip it. I used to just stand there and cringe. But, now I figure... whoa, that's almost $10 a yard and I'll be darned if I'm taking home any fabric that is torn and it's on an angle..... One lady was quite annoyed me, but I just figured I had annoyed a lot more in my life, she has- to take a number. I wanted a full cut, not one that was ripped on an angle. Whoa... mommy get's fussy, time for dinner or ice cream.. not sure which one first...
Blue
Blue
07-18-2010, 03:23 PM
#17
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 883
Originally Posted by bluestarmom
you get upset seeing them use sissors... I just about go across the cutting table now when I see one of them put a nick in the fabric and then prepare to rip it. I used to just stand there and cringe. But, now I figure... whoa, that's almost $10 a yard and I'll be darned if I'm taking home any fabric that is torn and it's on an angle..... One lady was quite annoyed me, but I just figured I had annoyed a lot more in my life, she has- to take a number. I wanted a full cut, not one that was ripped on an angle. Whoa... mommy get's fussy, time for dinner or ice cream.. not sure which one first...
Blue
Blue
07-18-2010, 06:19 PM
#18
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,183
Originally Posted by Conniequilts
Originally Posted by bluestarmom
you get upset seeing them use sissors... I just about go across the cutting table now when I see one of them put a nick in the fabric and then prepare to rip it. I used to just stand there and cringe. But, now I figure... whoa, that's almost $10 a yard and I'll be darned if I'm taking home any fabric that is torn and it's on an angle..... One lady was quite annoyed me, but I just figured I had annoyed a lot more in my life, she has- to take a number. I wanted a full cut, not one that was ripped on an angle. Whoa... mommy get's fussy, time for dinner or ice cream.. not sure which one first...
Blue
Blue
:lol: :lol:
07-18-2010, 11:47 PM
#20
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southeast Georgia, USA
Posts: 9,093
please don't accuse shops of trying to cheat you if their standard practice is to tear fabric instead of cutting.
(1) some people consider tearing to be a more accurate way of getting sections that are on the straight of grain at both ends. it's a more reliable way to ensure you have the same number of usable inches all the way across the WOF. i recently bought a sustantial stack of yardage from a very nice shop. when torn, the fabs looked a bit wonky. once washed, they came out of the dryer so nicely rectangular you'd have thought they were cut by a machine.
(2) in the shop i used in my example, the owner tore generously, which means she added at least one extra inch, just in case, to each piece i bought. i suspect that most shops that tear do the same.
(3) it's faster than cutting. at the Houston Quilt Festival two years ago, one world famous and highly respected shop was selling nearly all their fabs at a deeeeeeeeep discount. naturally, the lines were very long and their booth was very crowded. they tore everything unless a customer specifically asked them not to. i literally bought a suitcase full. not a short cut in the bunch.
cut vs. tear is a personal preference. the choice has nothing at all to do with honesty vs. deception or laziness.
all you have to do is state your preference at the table. too easy.
(1) some people consider tearing to be a more accurate way of getting sections that are on the straight of grain at both ends. it's a more reliable way to ensure you have the same number of usable inches all the way across the WOF. i recently bought a sustantial stack of yardage from a very nice shop. when torn, the fabs looked a bit wonky. once washed, they came out of the dryer so nicely rectangular you'd have thought they were cut by a machine.
(2) in the shop i used in my example, the owner tore generously, which means she added at least one extra inch, just in case, to each piece i bought. i suspect that most shops that tear do the same.
(3) it's faster than cutting. at the Houston Quilt Festival two years ago, one world famous and highly respected shop was selling nearly all their fabs at a deeeeeeeeep discount. naturally, the lines were very long and their booth was very crowded. they tore everything unless a customer specifically asked them not to. i literally bought a suitcase full. not a short cut in the bunch.
cut vs. tear is a personal preference. the choice has nothing at all to do with honesty vs. deception or laziness.
all you have to do is state your preference at the table. too easy.
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