The only way to get the straight grain at the fabric counter is to have it torn, I count on losing about 4 to 8 inches when they cut it "squared" because it is ALWAYS off grain on the bolt.

Just curious what they do when you return the fabric? I thought there were NO returns once fabric was cut.

I'm sure it goes right into the remnant bin. So BEWARE! " Remnants" is what you get!

all of need to get a part time job at JoAnn and see what it is like . Walk in our shoes

JoAnn's would not hire me because I'd insist on cuts being straight and they don't have time for that

I have not read this complete thread, but in my many years of sewing I have never received less fabric than I bought. Usually, I receive an inch or more extra fabric. Could it be that I am fortunate to live in the South?

Actually I think most people would benefit from working some kind of a retail job at least once in their lives. I worked in a book/video rental store and once had a woman have a screaming fit at me because I didn't have a pen for *her* to write a check with. Retail is hard work with low pay.

That said, I have never encountered anyone in a JoAnn's that was less than friendly and as helpful as they could be.

As an employee - I'd rather have the customers irate at me than my employers fire me!

Sometimes the employees have to do what they are told - even if it seems stupid to them and to us!

Most of us know - or will learn - that it is up to us to make good fabric choices.

I would say - over the years - that I've ended up with 'more' than i've paid for than what I've been 'shorted'

It seems kind of odd - when we purchase things that are sold by the yard -
if we end up 1/8 inch short - we have hissy fits - if we get 'extra' - we act like we are entitled to it.

For almost everything else - if we get 'exactly' what is listed - we accept it and go on with our lives.

I don't know what to say about fabrics purchased on-line. One can't see them to check them out.



We need to learn to look at the fabric BEFORE it is cut - and then decide whether it is 'worthy' of being purchased and brought home.

That said, some stores and cutters are easier to work with than others.

When fabric is torn, I count on 'losing' at least one inch on each end. Some fabrics find being torn painful.

I find that usually the way my request is responded to, is in direct poportion to way I requested it.

Ditto on Joann's - Their scissor cutting leaves a lot to be desired, and wherever the last sloppy cutter left off is what you are stuck with.

My LQS's are so good - very careful and accurate. Internet purchases not always so lucky. Once, ordering online from a shop way out in Maine somewhere, I got the most perfect cuts and one fabric was a stripe. I was in heaven! It was more than $1 a yard more (they were the only ones on earth with this fabric but the whole order was straight, perfect, complete.

This is what I do too, AND like you said, watch the cutter closely!

I agree, Joann's is pretty sloppy with their cutting. One time the guy cut it so bad he offered to recut it for me. When you buy a quarter yard, you should get a quarter yard, and shouldn't have to buy extra because they are so tight with fabric.

If I request 1/4 of a yard - I am, of course, happy to get 'extra - but if it's 9 inches long - WOF - I'm in no position to complain.

I usually do buy extra - to allow for shrinkage or wonkiness caused by the fabric being put on the bolt askew. But it isn't up to the store to 'compensate' for what the fabric does after it leaves the place.

I have the same problem when I buy fabric at Hancock and Joann's. Some of the cutters will give you maybe an inch more than requested, which still doesn't allow enough for the uneven fabric. There is one fabric store in my area that uses a ruler and a rotary cutter to cut the fabric, I rarely go there because the fabric is very expensive, although I love the store.

Worked at the cutting table in Joanns and we always straighten the end if not straight and wrote off the amount cut off. Loved working with the fabric and the customers and was called.alot for problem solving from coworkers since they knew I was a quilter

Last time when I was at Joann's I asked for the fabric to be torn. I was told that they do not do that. When I asked why not. Was told "Company Policy". I think no matter where you purchase your fabric you need to be proactive and make sure the cutters know what you want. BrendaK

buying fabric in a quilt shop gives a better cut

Not always. I had a cutter cut 4 out of 8 batiks SHORT at one LQS.

That's where you have to pay attention to how they are laying the fabric out and cutting it. Too many of use are so busy multi tasking that we don't pay attention. I'm guilty of that too sometimes. I try to better in stores where I've had issues or don't know or Walmarts where you never know who is coming to cut the fabric. I've also found that some of the precut fat 1/4 are the same way so I unfold them to check if they are square. It's my money so I need to protect it and if they have to refold it then they should have been more careful in the past. I only check in stores where the fat 1/4 weren't right. We have a LQS here that no longer cuts fat 1/4 or 1/8 pieces. They have some precut but they sell alot of apparell fabric so they stopped cutting them; only 1/4 or 1/8 WOF there.

I think its easier for us to get wrong cuts at LQS because we can put the bolts on the counter, tell them what we want and then wonder around looking while it's being done. When you go into places like JoAnn's you stand in line with your fabric so with nothing else to do you pay a little more attention to what's being done. I've had issues with LQS in the past so they are the ones that I keep an eye on. The other way you can lose out is that some stores sell panels by the yard instead of by the panel. There is a big difference when the panel isn't a yard long. I had this pointed out to me by a person who worked in a LQS and there was another store that did that to her. Lesson learned on that one.

I wish they would tear fabric which would get it on the straight grain and you would get what you pay for. I know why they don't, though. They would lose a lot in the process. It really gets stretched on the bolt, doesn't it. (I sewed clothing before moving to quilting and always straightened the grain :)