Help please. I'm spatially challenged and just can't work out how to cut a backing from a large piece of fabric. The fabric is approx. 108in by 80in. I want a backing measuring 72in x 61in. My largest cutting board is 35in x 23in. I have a ruler that will allow me to cut the length of the board. I've been trying to work out how to fold and cut the fabric, but it's beyond me, and I'm worried that I'll ruin it by making the wrong cut - have managed in the past to end up with 2 pieces! Folding the fabric is also proving difficult, as I'm on my own, don't have enough space to lay it out and I think it's not been cut anything like straight.

Measure off about 80 inches along the selvedge and snip it and tear it. Yes you'll get strings and fraying but it will be straight and on grain. Do the same for the other direction and give yourself about 6 inches extra.

Scissor Queen is right. Tearing saves time and gives you the straight grain and solves your space problem.

Thankyou both! - will take a deep breath and try this.

tear it don't try to cut it. The back will then be streaight both ways.

OK - I'm going to ask this question. If there is no salvage on the fabric, how do you know which way the grain is? Is it stretch or not stretchy? Can you tell I am really new to this quilting/sewing thing???

The selvedge (straight of grain) side will not stretch. The crosswise cut will stretch, even if only slightly.

Don't forget to cut the backing several inches larger on all sides than what you think you need.

OK - have done it and I now have a nice piece of fabric for my backing, with a good margin all round. And I've learned something: the person who taught me always cut, even if it involved complicated folding - which I can never figure out. Tearing will be a great help.

exactly!

good tip, I needed to know that

Thank goodness I'm not the only relic that believes in tearing. :-)

I've never heard of tearing it instead of cutting. I will have to try this next time. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks for the reminder! Some times you get so involved with the 'other way' that you forget the 'easy way' LOL!

I went to Paducah once for the quilt show. Shopped at the Quilt in a Day tent. They tore the fabric and gave a little extra to make up for it. Would be a good workout if you had to tear fabric all day.

When I was a kid, not only did we tear fabric, we also used razor blades instead of seam rippers. Never owned a seam ripper until I was an adult.

My first job was in the fabric department at Marshall Fields. We tore or pulled a thread. Guess which I liked better?
I will add that all the fabric was natural fiber and could easily be straightened.

I still rip. Just like in prehistoric times

:lol:

I rip too!
Debbie

I tend to forget about ripping the fabric to get the straight of the grain, am just so use to using the rotary cutter and ruler to cut everything.

Instead of "old fashioned" single edge razor blades, I use a small box cutter with the retractable blade. It is much easier to hold on to and more ergonomic when you have to unsew seams.

Snip and Rip!

The way I understand it is that the ONLY time you tear is for a backing. Correct??? C9P

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.

Thanks for asking the question. I was in the same situation. Have been putting off "cutting" the back so now I'll "tear." Thanks to all that answered. I just love this board. Such knowledgeable people and always willing to share. Thank you all.

The tear v. cut debate is a giant can of worms. There are diehard believers on both sides. It's what you prefer.

Fans of cutting prefer not to have to worry about the fabric ends "warping", which can happen with an inexperienced ripper or lower quality fabric.

Fans of ripping prefer accuracy, and are prepared to accept having to trim a few strings sometimes.

Ensuring the print is straight is a separate process, but you'll know for sure if it's wonky as soon as you or the sales person rips it.

This is the method I use when using a large piece of backing fabric. It's easy, removes the stress of having to cut a long, straight edge and has always worked for me.

I used a razor up to the time went to high school and they required a seam ripper.

:-P I have pulled, cut and tore. I much prefer to tear. If my fabric is solid there is no problem. If a print then you have to do what you think is best. The only time I have run into a problem is when the fabric has lines. Sometimes you just have to tug and pull on the fabric to make it straight. Bottom line whatever works for you. BrendaK

Could someone please explain the "thread-pulling" method?
I have never seen that done, but have only been quilting a few years. I will try tearing the backing for my next quilts, but have a question--that will only work if the fabric you have is larger than what you ultimately need for the backing, right? If you have to do any piecing to make the backing large enough, would you still tear the edges?
Looking forward to the answers.

That makes my life easier. I hated working with large pieces of fabric. And although I am a proponent of tearing, I just never thought of it. Thanks.

A question, on that piece of fabric 80 X 108, does the tearing have to be from selvedge to selvedge or could you tear the other way. I would have used the 80" for my length and torn across for my width, making only one tear and saving fabric. Would that have been wrong?

For Grambi

Thread pulling: pull one thread out the width of the fabric and then you use that line (space) for your cutting line. That insures you are cutting on grain.

It was my fabric that the advice was for, and tI did exactly as you say! I wasn't sure it would work, because I was tearing against the grain, so I started very slowly and gently, but it was fine.

I tear too!
...and sometimes when I do the fact that the print of the fabric is subtly off-grain becomes apparent-