So at my LQS I got 1/2 yard of fabric and she put a little slit in the fabric and then ripped the fabric for the yardage! I gasped and she laughed since i've never seen it done this way before. Is the line more accurate this way? I would think they would get tired from doing this all day...

I prefer that they cut the fabric!!

I have seen this done at a quilting class I took last year.

Tearing the fabric gives you a true on grain edge, but unless they give you at least a couple of inches of "fudge", you lose some fabric when you trim off the torn bit. When I need a smaller piece of fabric from a large piece in my stash I always tear it.

I really hate to have my fabric ripped - it stretches.

I've seen it done too, but not with quilting fabric. I'd have a big fat cow right there in the store if they ever did it with any quilting fabric I planned to purchase.

I don't mind them tearing as long as they give a little extra, like dhanke said. I find it less tiring and stressful to tear long strips than trying cut long strips.

Back in the day that's how it was done whenever you bought fabric. Nowadays some are totally against it, others don't mind. I'm in the "don't mind" group. :)

Have you ever bought a yard of fabric that had been cut for you and taken it home only to find it to be terribly crooked? Snip it, tear it and you will find that you really don't have a yard of fabric. I don't know how many half yards I have had cut that end up maybe only 15-16 full inches wide across the 42+ inches. My mother was a terrific seamstress. She always tore her fabric to get it straight before she cut out a pattern. That's what they did in the "olden" days.

That's the way they always used to do it. (In prehistoric times). I also prefer this method and always tear my fabric when I'm doing borders.