To find straight of grain pull a thread under you can pull it the length of your piece of fabric. It has no givr if straight of grain. I was taught this in Home Ec. years ago.

I do not usually tear fabric (but have sometimes) if I need true straight of grain I usually pull a thread, much more time consuming but don't "stretch" anything and can use more of the fabric.

Ok, so pulling the thread gets the same result as ripping, but without the distortion? I've done both, but have too admit I enjoy ripping! On the other hand, I abhor fabric waste. Will try to take the time for thread pulling in the future.

I sometimes pull a thread - but I get frustrated when the thread breaks before i get all the way across the width.

At the LQS I work at we tear all our wide backing fabric...too many times owner ended up short when the fabric was cut. Tearing puts the fabric straight on grain, an essential to LA quilting.

To avoid distortion, a pulled thread on regular width fabric works well, as mentioned earlier.

I pull a thread. The thread always breaks a couple of times, but I cut up to where the thread broke and sometimes find the end, but if not the next thread works fine. I agree that there is a gleeful satisfaction in tearing, but probably not good for the fabric.

Thank you for the reminder. I ordered fabric for graduation gift pillowcases last evening.

Some fabric is so horribly crooked there is nothing you can do to find the straight of the grain without losing a lot of fabric. Very disappointing sometimes. These are mostly stamped designs and not woven.

When I used to work in a professional textile restoration studio we did this. We would pull about three wefts and then cut along. A bit time consuming, but backing and supporting fabrics had to be on grain.

HettyB

I don’t know if it’s just my imagination but I seem to remember at one time fabric was always torn by staff in fabric shops.

Now I’ve noticed that when I buy from a general fabric shop the fabric will be cut with scissors or rotary cutter - and is rarely straight. As I tend to buy small pieces - sometimes just half or quarter yard/metre this can be very frustrating. Occasionally the assistant will give a generous measurement, knowing that they are not cutting straight, but not always.

However, when I buy from a quilting fabric shop it’s a very different experience. One (pricey) shop I sometimes go to sells fabric by the inch. It is very carefully measured and cut using a rotary cutter and ruler.