Hi all.
I am very new to quilting and have a small issue that has been nagging at me.
One of the fabric stores I go to tears fabric off the bolt instead of cutting it. This bothers me. I don't like the ragged, stringy edges it leaves, it kind of takes away from the beauty of the material and I feel like it makes a bit of the fabric unusable. Not having a lot of experience, I wanted to ask you folks if this is common practice? Am I being too picky? Would it be terribly demanding of me to ask them to please cut my fabric?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.
Have a great day!
Lori

Up here in the PNW I have never had my fabric ripped, but it is common practice still in other areas.
I don't like the raggy edges either :D:D:D

Some people prefer to rip/tear their fabric instead of cutting it. Would it be too demanding for you to ask them to cut rather than rip/tear? I don't think so. I also don't like the frayed edges it leaves, nor do I want to be buying fabric that might have been distorted by this method of "cutting". I'll be interested to see other people's replies.

Hmm... I've never seen that. I don't think I would like it either.

Our LQS rips, too, on the idea that it's more accurate than cutting. I prefer it to be ripped, honestly, because I think they're right.

Some shops tear, most cut. With tearing you do get a truer straight grain across the end. Most of the time, when I get home with "cut" fabric, I lose some on the end from having to square it up. So I'm not sure, in the long run, if it matters whether you lose it from "squaring" or from "neatening" the end.

I have never seen a shop tear, But I have done this for years to put the fabric on the straight of grain.
Rae

Does tearing fabric distort it? Can you tell I haven't done it! :lol:

I like it better cut rather then torn! I have asked at Fabricland for them to cut it rather then rip it. They don't seem to have a problem when I ask. The LQS I go to has always cut. They actually use their rotary cutters.

if it's good fabric a little bit of a press will straighten out the ends. however, it's also true that you lose about 1/4" on each end because of the ravels and frays.

i tear my own fabric when i want just a hunk off a long stretch, so i don't mind it when i'm shopping. BUT i do politely ask that they measure carefully to make sure that i get a usable amount that's equal to what i'm paying for. so far, i haven't gotten ripped off. (a very bad pun, i know, but i couldn't resist. :lol: )

Years ago this was a common practice, but now you don't see this too often. I am with you...I want my fabric cut, not torn.

When I lived in Denver, one of the quilt shops I shopped at always wanted to tear the fabric. I asked them nicely to cut my fabric. The saleswoman tried to convince me that I would be able to see the grain line if she tore it, but I still asked her to cut the fabric.

Some may disagree with me, but I think tearing the fabric puts undue stress of the fibers, and you can lose and inch or two in length.

I insist it be torn so that I start with a true straight grain. Most LQS allow a little extra for that reason. When its cut and I get it home and true cut it I lose 1/2 to 3/4" if I am using it for wof cuts.

They are doing this to get the fabric on the grain, and most of the time it doesn't distort the fabric (unless it's low quality fabric to begin with. However, if you don't want it ripped, they really should cut it for you. After all, you are the customer!

I've never seen that done. I would not like it either!

My LQS tears the extra wide backing material, they cut the rest.

I have had the LQS, Joann's and Hancocks all cut fabric so far off that I had to cut off more than four inches to square up my fabric. I don't care what they do really, as long as I do not have wasted fabric.
JulieM

Mary Jos rips their fabric - everywhere else I have been cuts . I prefer cutting to ripping - don't like the sound of it tearing

Many years ago I worked for JoAnns, the only fabric we tore was the fur or satin, everything else we cut, I never heard of tearing anything else. Hope this helps but I would tell them to cut not tear.
Happy New Year

I tore fabric to use as a border and ended up ripping it off the quilt. When one side is sewed on-----the outer edge is too full due to stretching the fabric when you tear it. I was told by a lady with a long-arm who professionally quilts for other people that this was the way to get a straight grain. I have never torn fabric again. I don't even know if that border will ever be usable. I would request your fabric to be cut. It might be cut uneven but it will not distort the fabric.

There is a woman on you tube, I hope I'm right "Designs by Diane". Shhe has several tutorials, she tears her fabric before each project saying it will rear along the grain.
David

The only fabric that is torn around here are the extra wide widths, like 120" muslin.

I don't like mine torn either. haven't encountered it at fabric stores yet.
i did tear some border fabric myself yesterday but yes, there are strings which i hate.

I think it's kind of cute and old-fashioned. I rememberr it was always done that way when I was a child (many moons ago).
Annie

I use to work for So Fro fabrics years ago we always tore fabric that was 100% cotton because it would tear fabric on its grain line which is important. Now days because of cutting
if you try to put fabric on its true grain you will wind up
loosing a lot of fabric I put my fabric on grain if I am making clothes but with quilting you are usually making small
cuts for piecing .I will however put my long border strips on grain .Sometimes you have to stretch fabric a little bit by tugging on opposite corners to square it back up but it will be on grain.

I have never seen fabric torn like that. I go to a little "hen pecking little quilting group" every tuesday and all it is is a five or six of us getting together and working on anything we want or just sit an chat. But last tuesday, one of the ladies was helping me put the backing on a Fabric fling quilt and she ripped it to get a truer edge never saw that before she did it. :)

I prefer it torn. I can't tell you how many times I've lost several inches of fabric because of a wonky cut.

"back in the day" I remember all fabric stores tore. That was when I was little though and went with my mom. Now,I've never had them tear.

I have found that I like to tear when I'm sectioning off fabric for dyeing and for when I am making binding. I can tear 2 yard lengths...something I could never cut straight with a rotary cutter that long.

One of the quilt shops in my area tears the fabric and I was told it makes the fabric on the straight of grain

lots of shops tear the fabric...the tear runs along the grain-line insuring you get a straight piece of fabric. when it is only cut often you get shorted...one end could be off by a number of inches! so although you get a stringy edge at least it is straight. and you only have to trim less than 1/2" to get rid of the strings...when it's been cut you could have to cut off 6" to get it straight.

I hate having my fabric torn. You always lose fabric on the end that is torn. I say if they want your money, they should cut if you request it.

If I'm paying, then they do it my way. I always have it cut because I've heard that it could also cause runs thru the fabric...

I've seen several of you mention losing fabric to raveling when it is torn instead of cut. I've never experienced this. I wonder what the difference is?

Yes, you are then getting a true straight of the grain, but I don't like it because it stretches that part of the fabric out and you then lose about a 1/2" of fabric. I am using some Silk Dupioni and it is all torn; I have to cut that part off in order to get a nice clean edge. I would rather have mine cut even though it may not be perfectly straight.

I totally agree with you. The way the fabric is put on the bolt and the sometimes carelessness of the employee cutting the fabric you can really lose a lot of fabric. Tearing for the straight of grain has been around for generations. I have rarely lost much fabric after tearing but trying to line it up straight of grain after it has been cut has cost me lots of inches. The trick is to slowly tear and not rip through the process.

Heres my thoughts, tearing makes sure you get on grain fabric correct yardage. Personally I have lost as much as 3 to 4 inches on a cut that was cut down a "cutting line" as if the grain was straight. As far as the torn edges, it doesnt really matter so much if you plan to pre wash the fabric. Most places I go don't tear, but I wouldnt mind if they did. :-D

Eek, sounds like that salesperson needs a return trip to ripping school!

I prefer it torn as well---too much waste otherwise with crooked cuts to get it straight on grain. Last I had that was cut I lost over 4" trying to get it straight.
And you should just see the ragged CROOKED edges on some I got online-no, do not remember where.
When I make strips, I always tear the first one to make sure I am starting on the straight grain--easier than trying to see it!

Tearing has never been an issue with me. I'm dating myself here but I remember when they ran the fabric through a devise that measured the yardage. Then there was a lever that was pushed which made a cut so the sales person could tear off the measured length. I also remember our sewing teachers having us pull on opposite ends of the fabric to straighten the grain. The goal was to have the torn edges and the selveges line up making as close to a right angle as possible. Only then could we cut out our pattern.

I like my fabric cut not torn.

I would demand mine be cut. I always do. I even make them recut when they get the ends off by a little.

It's quite common because it squares up the material since it tears on grain.