I had bought a slew of batiks from Hancocks when I was in Paducah from their pre-cut 'bins'. When I took them home and washed them I noticed one of them had a 2-3" piece where it was pieced together - sewn. I thought it odd, and figured I do plenty of 1" strips so it wasn't a big deal.

Tonight I was cutting fabric for a border. I trimmed off a section of another batik - this one I had purchased as yardage off the bolt at an LQS. While ironing I always pluck all the stray threads off the fabric and I noticed several of them were "woven" into the fabric. On further inspection ... they were all in a straight line. Closer inspection I could see the needle holes where it had been previously sewn, ripped, and the threads I was seeing were left-over threads not plucked out by whomever ripped it. It's about 1/2" in from the edge where my fabric was cut.

Has anyone ever purchased yardage off the bolt to find it was, or had been previously pieced? I've never seen this before and I find it twice in one month - both are batiks if that makes a difference.

Thankfully both are near the edge so it's no big deal, but boy oh boy would I be upset if it was in the middle of a 4 yard cut!!

Curious.

I have that happen from time to time. I think I was told that it is a manufacturing thing to make the fabric long enough. When I have bought fabric with the seam in it, they have cut over the edge of it, but only charged up to a few inches before the seam.

now that you mention it I have had some batik FQ's that were like that

Yes I have but not online. If I wanted that part I wasn't charged for it.

In commercial sewing factories this is common practice. The splice in the bolt is called a zipper.

yes, the LQS here sells that section but i've never had that happen with online purchased even when i finished the bolt and got a "finish the bolt discount".

its done by the manufacturer

I've never seen that but will be on the lookout in the future. Thanks for the heads up

My Hubby used to work in a Dye House...this is how they kept fabric together in same dye lots.

Good subject. I thought it meant Quilted. pieced. When Joanieu and I went to Cabbage Rose in Ft. WOrth, they had MOda fabric on a bolt that was 20.99 a yard and it was like they had made quitl top, pieced and all and then rolled in on a bolt to sell by the yard. Really nice too. I wanted to buy some. Hope to find it again to show the ladies coming to my retreat in May. Thanks for posting about this. HUGS♥♥

These were not online purchases. One was at my LQS, the other was from Hancoks in Paducah. The one from the LQS I could see where it had been "zippered" but then removed so no loss of fabric to me. The one from Hancocks was still pieced. Not complaining about that - with the amount of fabric they were going through that week it's easy to understand how it was missed.

I've just never seen it before.

Thanks all!!