I went to a LQS that I don't ordinarily go to today at lunch. I wanted to get some off-white background fabric for a quilt I'm contemplating, and the LQS I normally go to is closed on Mondays. This shop I went to today is more of a sewing / smocking kind of place, although maybe 1/6th of the store footprint is the quilting area. The lady at the quilting counter was helpful and showed me various fabrics to help me make a selection. I told her I wanted 2 yards so she measured it out and make a small cut in the selvedge. I figured she was marking where she was going to cut. She then picked up the fabric in both hands and RIIIPPPPED is from side to side. :shock: :shock: :shock: I know I probably visibly cringed when she did it.

It seems like fabric ripped like this would be likely to be skewed in the process? Yes? No? I've only been to like maybe a half dozen LQSs, but at all of them they simply rotary cut the material, or even at Wal-Mart they just use scissors. Do other places rip fabric before your very eyes like this?

LOL Mary Jos does that too and I about fell over too....
The girl said that it rips straight since its on the grain.....

Am I the only other person who hates to have my fabric ripped? Seems like that practice went out years ago. Do they really do this anymore....other than that one place?

June in Cincinnati

Some of the shops around here will rip the fabrics. Most of them cut. I did have a vendor at the International Quilt shop rip my 1 yard cut.
I rip my fabrics for the backing, but then I use a 5/8" seam to get away from the stretched ripped edge. It does distort the edge a little. I will also frequently rip off a smaller piece (ie 1/4 or 1/2 yard) from a much larger piece when I am going to use it for piecing. I cut the actual pieces, I just separate a workable size piece from larger, 3- 12 yard pieces that I may have. The leftover piece between the cut edge and the rip goes into the scrap pile for .....It does rip along the grain line.

It does rip straight, but it also stretches and distorts the edge that's ripped. I wouldn't want my fabric ripped.

The shop I went to last week rips too. I did ask her if she could cut it, and she was very willing to do that for me.

I will NOT purchase fabric that has been ripped...if they say that's the only way they do it...then great...let them keep it.... the threads for at least ½" are pulled into an unusable condition. I also understand that when you try to straighten fabric & then rotary cut it...you "lose" an inch or two...& it really shouldn't happen...but it does....

I always rip long pieces, and it never distorts. I get more distortion when I wash fabrics. My borders and backing are exact everytime. I have been quilting over 25 years. I know when they cut sometimes it is really hard to straighten the fabric when I get it home. If it looks distorted just press it and it is fine. You get a truer straight when it is ripped. I just took a class and mentioned ripping and the instructor also hadn't ripped in years and we all started ripping our large straight pieces and everyone was really surprised and excited and how easy and perfect each strip was. I rip for any long strip 3" and over.

I am attaching a photo of one of my recent quilt tops both the narrow and wide border are ripped.

I forgot to mention I did not have to trip either one except for a few and very few long threads.

i don't let people rip my fabric either - i understand the straight of grain blah, blah, blah but it just rubs me the wrong way.