I bought a kit and the print on one of the fabrics is crooked. How do you straighten it? If you cut according to the print, it will be off grain. So, do you leave it crooked? I am a new quilter (new to all sewing), so please overlook my ignorance. I will be cutting up the fabric design into smaller pieces, so it may not be as important on this particular fabric, but was wondering in case I run across this problem on future quilts. I haven't looked at the striped fabric yet. I sure hope it isn't as bad as the stars.
Meg

i would just trim it straight

Oh Wow. I am also new to this and have no idea what to do when that happens.

For something that has such an obvious direction of design, I would prefer to have the design straight and not worry about grain. Will you have enough if you cut to straighten it? I've found, quite often, that the kits I've purchased have barely enough fabric and sometimes are short.

No, MIJul, I do not believe I would have enough fabric if I straightened it. It is so close that the cut is almost into the selvedge on the first part of the cuts. But it is cut into 7 1/4" squares which are cut twice diagonally, so the design will not show. But I haven't looked at the striped fabric yet. I believe the striped has to be straight. I am beginning to think I won't be purchasing kits any more in the future. I'd rather purchase plenty of extra for any oops.

If I trimmed it straight to match the design, the fabric would not be squared.

If you don't trim it you will have a crooked looking design. I would trim

If the design gets cut that much, just do it. It'll be fine.

Now I'm trying to picture those stars cut up that much. I would consider using a different fabric if the stars aren't going to show anyway.

That's an idea.

Don't worry about the straight of grain and cut the fabric so it is straight for your use. I would starch it well first to help control the slight bias edge you will have. Then handle the fabric with a gentle hand. Hope this will help.

cool star fabric!
peace :D

Okay. if the star design is going to be cut into small pieces or HST (half square trianlges) then cut it on the straight of grain. It won't matter if you lose the star.

For future reference if you want to use a stripe or pattern that needs to be cut on a line to match, like a plaid, you will cut following the pattern and not the SOG (straight of grain). I would always starch the fabric before cutting.

HTH (hope this helps)

Thank you.

If you have the fabric name maybe you can purchase some more. I know that is an added cost but it might be worth it in the end. Hope this helps.

Be sure to post your progress and pictures. I am bookmarking your thread to follow.
peace :D

I agree with MIJul.

7 1/4 square includes 4 whole stars - so quartered is a star on each triangle IF they were cut straigt (to the print). Because it's on an angle, some of your triangles will have a star on it, and some will have half or a quarter of a star (depending on how many rows you have to cut). I am inclined to think that for this size triangle you'd want to go with a smaller print - unless your intention was to have a perfect (or near perfect) star in each triangle. If that was your intention there is nothing to do but cut it straight to the print and buy more fabric if necessary.

Also ... when you get to the stripe fabric - definately cut that to the print, not the grain. Check it first and if it's off starch it heavily then cut it so the print is straight.

The picture that came with the quilt has the stars in pieces, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it. This is to be a quilt of valor gift to my son-in-law for serving overseas. It is not one I would prefer. I bought it before I ever made a quilt. With two whole quilts under my belt, I have now seen so many pretty quilts of valor that I wish I had waited on the purchase. But I have it, and I am going to make it, or give it my best attempt. It is called Stripes and Stars.

Okay Maggie, I understand when you say that you 'won't be able to square' it up. If you cut the width of the fabric with the print the length cut will cut the star in half, so no matter what way you cut you end up with a partial star. If this fabric is going to be triangles it won't show that much because the cross cuts are going to cut the stars in 1/2 anyways.

Does that make sense to you?

Now that I see that you are going to cut it up into pieces, I guess it doesn't matter.

Don't forget, I am a total newby. Unadopted. I just hope to make the quilt. The picture of the quilt showed it all cut up the way I ended up doing. When I get fabric and not a kit, then I can get extra fabric and cut them out nicely or purchase smaller print. I am just trying to learn. I appreciate all the help you can give me. I am amazed at how the print on the fabric was that far out of kilter! I will certainly take your advice on the strip fabric! Thank you!

Wishing you good luck and straight seams. :-) I'm very impressed with your dedication and willingness to stick with it. It's going to turn out great and you're learning good lessons while making something meaningful. Good for you.

Good luck!! I have been burned with kits as well -- my LQS made a fabric company replace bolts of fabric because they were off (she found out that they had shipped her a lesser quality because she was new and it was her first order and they did not think she would notice!)

I join the chorus -- with what you are doing there is no need to worry about cutting the stars straight. HOWEVER, since you are cutting triangles, I would still starch (or best press) to hold the shape.

In one of the first quilt classes I took, the instructor took the uncut fabric by one corner, had another person take the fabric by the opposite corner at the other end of the fabric and then they proceeded to pull and tug on the fabric by the opposite corners. They would then move their hands to get a different grip but at the same 45 degree angle and pulled on the fabric.
Magically, the fabric was then straightened. You might try this to see if you can straighten the fabric a bit - then the print might look better.

Could she contact the seller of the product and complain? They should be required to send her new fabric. Just a thought.

Lynn

I had a similar issue when I had to use a small print with an obvious pattern as a border. I sent and email to the shop from which I bought the kit and the woman sent me extra fabric! I first emailed the company who made the fabric to tell them that they hadn't printed it straight (hey, they knew this) but they were less than helpful and told me that the person who had designed the pattern and listed the yardage had made the quilt with the fabric so had taken that into account without admitting that their pattern was "off". (no, they did not take it into account)
It looks like you should be fine. Can't wait to see the finish!

That has happened to me too. I had to find different fabric to finish my project because there was no way to make it straight of grain, and it really would show in the design. I was doing a 4th of July table runner and the flags that were going to go into the center blocks were so bad couldn't use them.. Thank goodness for an embroidery machine and fabric that blended so I could embroider something patriotic in the center blocks.

Good Luck

Suzy

if you haven't cut it -take it back

Can you contact the company and see if you can get more fabric or perhaps similar that is printed correctly? That would make me madder than, well, you know! :hunf:

Actually, I kind of prefer the stars cut up the way you show in the last picture rather than all exactly the same.

The pulling on the fabric to straighten the grain is the method I was taught back in Home Ec to straighten grain for clothing (back in the late '80s if it makes a difference). I was taught to straighten grain for quilting by lining up salvages and shift until there is no wrinkles and then trim.

For a striped fabric, if I wanted the lines straight then I might try the pulling method and see what happens but I would think that the print wouldn't shift really and would just do what I think of as a more "fussy" cut and just sew carefully to avoid stretching the bias.

I will also admit that I don't know what I would do if I had purchased a kit and there wasn't enough fabric to do the fussy cut I needed to keep me happy. Likely purchase another fabric, and enough of it, to replace the fabric that I didn't end up happy with and just stash the replaced kit fabric for another project along the line.

Tara

I'm sorry you're running into this problem, but it's actually quite common for fabric to be printed off-square and off-grain. It even happens with panels containing pictures that "should" be square. In the case of your stars, though, I think the result will be fantastic. They will actually look better being off-kilter. Be sure to post when you're done.

I bought two kits when I first started considering quilting, and then didn't get to them for over a year. That fabric is pretty much long gone except for a few bits and pieces on eBay (I searched out of curiosity). The first kit I tried had a center panel that was supposed to be cut to 14-1/2 inches. The panel was not only crooked, but barely 14 inches! After huffing and puffing to myself to get out my annoyance, I did some math and decided to trim it to 13 inches all around, and then add the extra I needed from scraps left over from cutting the other pieces. I managed to "frame" the panel with an inch of coordinating fabric, and my daughter claims she actually likes it better that way. I know I was lucky, but after reading about others getting burned by kits, I doubt that I'll buy one again! :?

That's a great idea too patmas. I do know that I couldn't just go with something that I knew wouldn't make me happy in the long run. I would always see what I felt was "wrong" with it and nothing else. I would have to find some way to make it "right".

Tara

Way back in ancient times, I was taught to straighten fabric by taking opposite corners diagonally and tugging. Have you tried that to get it back in alignment?

If it is printed off grain, no amount of tugging or pulling will make the pattern match the grain.

I'll have to be sure and remember this one. Thanks!

Yes, thank you.

I agree. If you are going to cut it up smaller it won't matter.

Thanks. I thought this would make a good practice quilt.

No, I cut it up before I read this. But with the small cuts, it didn't really matter. I really wanted to know the answer, though, in case I run across this problem again. (like the striped fabric, for example.) I didn't know if it is a rare occurence to have crooked print or if this was something unusual. I have so much to learn!

Be sure to pull across the narrowest diagonal, there are two to choose from. One will make it better, but pulling on the wrong one will make it worse.

I would keep the design straight, unless it doesn't matter visually. If it doesn't matter and you have enough fabric (check before cutting), I would cut the straight.