Have you ever gotten poor fabric from a name brand fabric?
 

I recently bought a half yard of Windham fabric for a project. I handwashed before using just as I always do and it distorted. Once I lined it up matching the repeats the selvages were straight again but each side was off by 1-1/2 inch. I notified Windham but never heard back.

I expect this kind of distortion from discount fabrics, but when I pay over $11 per yard, I want the full yard.

Now I'm afraid to buy Windham fabrics again, and not sure about the other name brands either although I've never had it happen with Moda.

I have found all cotton fabric will shrink and distort some once washed. Some more then others but they all do. It's the nature of cotton.

It happens. I think you should contact the place from which you purchased the fabric, as they may make it up to you (and contact Windham themselves about the issue).

Yes, you should bring it to the attention of the LQS so that they don't sell it to any other customer. Usually errors are caught when the fabric is being loaded onto the cardboard bolts and pulled off the line to be sold to jobbers for resale as 2nd quality fabric.

Thanks. I'll call the quilt shop tomorrow and let them know.

I found it does pay to complain. Definitely show it to the LQS but if you can spare a piece, send it along with a letter to the mfgr. Hope at least someone gives you some sort of satisfaction.

It sounds like the printing is skewed. I just made a quilt top using two panels, on one the printing was off by over an inch on a 1/2 yard panel. I was able to make it work.

Have you pulled a thread to straighten the grain?

If it is a printing error (printed off grain), there is nothing you can do, but depending on how big you need to cut the pieces it may not make too much difference.

Sometimes you can improve things by pulling opposite corners to align better. (It works with blocks, too, lol.)

Selvage will shrink much more then the fabric making the fabric ends shorter. If the repeats line up then the fabric didn't shrink as much as the selvage ends.

I've experienced it with every 'name brand' manufacturer at one time or another, even Moda... and had many a bargin fabric with no issues at all. Stuff happens. By all means take it to the place of purchase. Squeeky wheels and all that.