That is unacceptable. I would send a picture and complain. The least they could do is give you money back for a yard or so.

The last few wide backing I've quilted have been a nightmare. I prefer a pieced backing because of this.

The 108" wide stuff is folded twice and wrapped on the bolt very wonky. We just tear it.

Ripping fabric is funny - seems like it's an "old school" thing now. It seemed to me that the older shopkeepers knew what was what and would rip into the bolt without blinking an eye, but the younger staff would give me a look like I'd just asked them to slice off one of their own fingers.

But I remember buying "material" with my grandma; the shops always snipped the selvage and ripped across the fabric - only certain special fabrics and trims were cut with scissors. Then we'd take our ripped fabric home, get out the cardboard template, and start marking out a grid which we would then carefully cut apart with scissors... :) It sure has changed since then!

In looking at the center fold, I think it might be a vendor problem not just a fabric store problem. It looks like it was put on the bolt and stretched so the store thought they were cutting straight. I work in a fabric store and I am amazed and saddened by how bad the fabric production has become. It can be a huge problem when the print has a definite straight pattern and it is printed on an angle! I have seen the straight pattern as far off as 3" on a 42" WOF. I usually cut it to the customer's benefit and write off the 3ish"'s but try to explain to them that they will never get a straight edge on pattern, but, they rarely believe me - who am I - only someone who has sewn for 60+ years and works in a fabric store.......

I have never seen a cut so bad. I've had moderate ones, but gee whiz! I'd be down at the store with a few choice words for them.

One of the reasons you can't 'snip and rip' fabric is that so much of it is not 100% cotton anymore. Try to rip polyester....not good. Also, while I know the difference and the reason to rip some, you should see a customers face when you rip fabric! The rough edge really upsets them, they think we are doing something wrong. FYI - this is from a large store, not in your LQS. Most of the customers in an LQS know fabric and trust the employees.

I would guess it came off the bolt that way. It would be hard to cut it that crooked.

Looking at the fold and the edge, that doesn't look like it's been cut straight either. Have you tried pulling on the bias to get it "square". As I remember from 4-H days, even tearing the fabric, made it come out somewhat like this picture shows. We had to pull on the bias to bring it back into being straight. I'm sorry this happened, especially with it being an online order and you can't talk face to face with the vendor.

Bummer! They really owe you something for this.