Great for sashing and borders, too!

I have never ripped fabric before, but it does make sense when working with a large piece. I will try it the next time I have to make the backing.

When I was first learning to sew in High School they gave us a list of things we needed. My Mom looked at the list and asked the lady at the store "What is a seam ripper ?" The lady looked at her so funny. Mom goes we have never used them and my daughter will use it at school but she won't at home.
Well needless to say until I started to quilt in 1984 I never did use a seam ripper.
Ann W. in Indiana

Can I have your comments on what a friend has said to me today? I was telling her how pleased I was with the advice I received here about tearing fabric, as it solved my problem so easily - and she said she was told not to tear because it warps the fabric and because (I think) the pattern is often not directly lined up with the grain of the fabric, so it won't tear exactly along the line of the pattern (but surely that would affect cutting too, as it would mean the pattern wasn't straight on the fabric? I don't really see what she means there).

Glassquilt wrote: OMG! In my past life, I would take the EL to the Loop especially to shop Field's fabrics! My mental images of that section of the store are amazingly clear...guess I was meant to be a fabriholic! I remember that they had the most astonishing selection and the prices for quilting cottons was often $.50 to $1 per yard...and their sales were wonderful! Ahhhh, thanks for the memories (sigh).

I know a teacher and she only tears her bindings and backings; she says it's the only way to get them straight.

Same here 8-)

Thanks for the advice, now I know how to make the backing even>>>>>>>>>>>>

Tearing doesn't warp the fabric. If the pattern isn't printed straight it doesn't matter if you tear it or cut it's still not going to be straight. If you cut it with the pattern you'll be cutting it off grain. If you cut it with the pattern you'll likely cut a rhombus or some such and pull your hair out trying to get the top, batting and backing all lined up.

I am also a 'snip and tear' for my backing. A few times I have had the fabric 'wavey and wonky' where it was torn, but IMHO that is related to the 'quality' of the fabric.