Removing Selvages
 

I face the prospect of making yards of binding for a flannel blanket. I am using quilting cotton for the binding and there is no need to use the bias. Is it really so terrible to not remove the selvages before I cut the strips? The fabric has been prewashed. Thanks a bunch.

When you join the strips use a 1/2 seam and cut the selvage edge off to have a 1/4" seam.

The only reason I would maintain the selvage edge is if you are only using a small amount of the fabric on hand. If you remove the selvage from the entire piece, should you want more of it later on you run the risk of not knowing exactly what you have.

If you are using the entire piece you have to make your binding, I would then say it's personal preference as to removing the selvage before or after cutting your strips.

Is there a particular reason you want to remove the selvage edge prior to cutting? I never do - just make wider seams when sewing strips together and trim during the pressing process. Just interested to see if there's a reason of which I'm unaware.

Due to sheer laziness, I prefer to not remove the selvages. It seems that both of my responders believe it is wise to get rid of the selvages from the finished product one way or another. I have heard that the selvages will shrink differently from the rest of the fabric, leaving a small pucker in the finished product. Thanks for replying.

The selvages have a looser weave, and therefore aren't as strong. Over time and many washings, the seams with selvages (from what I'm told) won't hold up as well as the rest.

I think if you fold your fabric and then turn it so that you fold the fabric again so that the selvages are together, you can cut them off in pretty short order.

Cut them off... You spent all that time making your beautiful project; the few seconds it takes to remove them won't make that big of a difference in the long run. Your quilt is worth it!

I agree with the others as long as you are cutting your binding from the width of the fabric and not planning on cutting your binding along the length including the selvage as part of your fabric binding width. (hope that makes sense)

I do what Tartan does!

No you do not need to remove selvedges before cutting the strips.

I just watched a store employee cut yardage. The print was such that you could tell it was not straight, but that's the way the fabric was on the bolt so she cut it.

Getting fabric like that makes me rip off the selvedge. At least then I know where the grain is on the fabric.

The fabric being cut could have been misprinted, or the winding on the bolt was wrong. Ripping lets you know.

I've lost up to 4 inches on one end of fabric by fabric not being wound on bolt right. If the bolt is wrong, the store can't rewind it, and if you cut by the design, the cuts don't look straight.

I don't use the dots. I'll bring a piece of fabric to match.

I wouldn't put a "length of fabric" piece in a binding with the selvedge on. The selvedge is actually stronger and a little thicker than the rest. But it will definitely shrink at a different rate. If fabric is washed with the selvedge on, you can easily see the slight puckering between the selvedge and the rest of the fabric.

I often leave the selvedges on when I cut WOF strips. When they are sewn with the 45º angle and trimmed (I line up the fabrics with no plus-sign pieces sticking out), there is about one molecule of selvedge still on the tips of each strip. And that molecule is in the seam allowance and won't be seen nor noticed. I even leave the white part on if it's not too wide. When it is folded and stitch, nothing shows.

I don't know why you wouldn't remove the selvedges.

I never remove salvages before I cut pieces/strips. I wait until I'm cutting, then I remove them as I go. I always cut WOF and then trim selvages from just that part.

Since I prewash, I do rarely get a selvage that will shrink more than the fabric. For those, I snip the selvage in places so I can fold the fabric without problems.

For binding, I also do as tartan says.

I always leave the selvage edges on when I cut my binding strips. When I sew them together at the forty-five degree angle and trim them, the selvages vanish in the trimming. Since I cut one or two extra binding strips anyway, I don't worry about having to locate a number to use to order more fabric if I run out.

If you don't trim off the selvages at some point, I have found that there will be lumpier places along the edges of the finished quilt. I don't like that. Just my two cents worth.

I never remove the selvege before cutting any WOF strips---binding or otherwise. But after cutting the strips, I lay them horizontally on the mat and square up the edge by cutting off the selvedge edges in batches before sewing with them.

Because it's work. It's one extra step to do before we delve into making that beautiful quilt.

Because there is almost a half inch of perfectly good fabric going to waste. That can be in the seam allowance and no one is the wiser. I just be sure to cut off most of the very edge which has a different, thicker weave.

Very interesting thread.

I would not have them in your final product. But its up to you if you want to trim them off when you cut the strips for the binding or you trim them off as "excess" once you sew them together.

I'll throw my 2 cents in and say that since people make whole selvage quilts, I'd say that it seems that you can use them. Look: They used the whole selvage. I've not heard of any issues. But I've not used them, either. I usually cut mine off and give them away if they are interesting.


https://www.google.pl/search?q=selva...F-BuUg3BjaM%3A

I remove the selvedges first. I find that the selvedges are more tightly woven and can cause puckers.

Long long ago I was told to remove the selvage because it will shrink at a different rate as the rest of the material. There are some fabrics that do shrink differently along the selvage, cotton comes to mind. That's my 2 cents worth.