A good way to get rid of the selvages on a big piece of fabric is to rip it - then they are gone for future projects.

I recall a store that measured with a meter of sorts and then it made a cut at the perfect amount and then the fabric was torn. Guess we have the same 'dirt', memory.

Grainline is very important. When on garment is on-grain by the home sewer it really looks great whereas so many garments purchased now days look awful because of the poor attention to grain lines.Made at home does not imply inferiority and I do not understand this concept of 'homemade'. While quilting fabric can be ripped in either direction I usually measure lengthwise borders from the selvedges because they are on grain already and not have loss that needs to be trimmed away. I frequently rip the crosswise grain and then it is easy to tenter (pull diagonally) to straighten the fabric to cut my pieces. Over a period of time I have come to a point of using the lengthwise direction to cut pieces because it does have less stretch than the crosswise grain.

Taking a big piece of fabric and happily ripping it is a wonderful way to amaze your family and non-sewing friends. :-)

I will occasionally tear/rip the fabric (sometimes accidentally!). But I do prefer to sew with a clean cut edge.

Some fabrics DO suffer stress up to an inch away from the tear. There are also some weaves that do not tear well. Knits do not tear well, either.

As far as tearing being the only way to tell if a fabric is straight, one can get a fairly good idea just by LOOKING carefully at it!

I do too. When I've got the yardage for it, I like to tear for borders, but I allow a bit more for damage done in the tearing process. I then trip the rough edges.

Just remember to allow about 1/2" to trim the stretched, ragged edge after you rip.

If this is the only way to get the true grain, I'm out of luck. No matter how expensive the fabric or where I bought it, including the big brand names at the LQS, the ripped strips are wonky and have to be trimmed to size. What's more, I can't see any time is saved by ripping if I have to trim the frayed edges of the fabric afterward. I won't say I'll never rip again, but it will have to be a special occasion! froggyintexas

I remember those rippers. It would also measure the yardage and then it would clip it and the lady would rip the fabric crosswise. I was surprised how many people don't remember this as I am 66 and there are a lot of my fiends who are older and don't know what I am talking about.

Well, I am too, then. Because I remember seeing clerks put the fabric in that device fastened to the cutting table, and push some kind of lever that, as you say, nipped a cut in the fabric to give the clerk a starting place to tear the yardage from the fabric on the bolt. Now they all cut fabric. Not sure why they stopped tearing, unless it has to do with the way fabric is woven and/or milled these days.