I ALWAYS straighten the grain on my fabric before cutting... that is unless the print on the fabric (like a stripe) is way off the grain line and would make the quilt look "caddy-wampus." I think it is very important to keep on-grain for the borders especially. It just make everything lie flatter and quilt easier, either by hand or by machine.

When my mom taught me how to sew, she taught me how to "pull a thread" to get the straight-of-grain line, and then how to pull the corners to square up the fabric.

Fabric that is not "on grain' will stretch, and depending on what pattern you're using and how much handling the pieces, it might be an issue. And if you're fabric had a prominant design like a stripe or plaid, off- grain cutting may make it look messier. Although a lot of primitive quilts have lots of plaids off grain and it adds to their charm.

I so agree with you. the truth definately comes out when you put it on the longarm for quilting

I really think that it depends on the fabric! I have some fabrics that seem "stretchy" and I see it when I first iron it. If I can't iron it flat the same way twice, then that tells me that no matter how I work with this fabric, it's going to stretch! One argument for prewashing and ironing- it shows the character of that fabric (stable, stretchy, unravels easily, etc.) I have some fabric that this character has made me want to switch fabric before I ever cut it.

Other fabrics are more stable, and those it doesn't matter how you cut it. I have no idea if cutting on the grain exactly solves the problem with the fabrics that want to distort, because most of mine lately have triangles and you can't get triangles on the grain on all 3 sides. Starch really does help stabilize those fabrics, and I think that heavily starching those fabrics should help on a frame too!
Cutting on the grain may "help" with fabrics that tend to distort, but in my very limited experience that fabric will be tricky no matter what steps I do to tame it. Cutting on the grain and starching are two things people do to compensate for imperfect fabric.

The more stable the fabric, the less you need to do to tame it to get good results.

To me, this is the argument for floating the top on the mid arm or LA, rather than locking it down which forces that stretch. If you float it, you aren't putting stresses on the fabric. I don't know if you can float the top on a regular frame.

Sometimes if you don't cut with or across the grain, your piece will shrink differently than other pieces in the block and cause a distortion, I've fortunately never had the problem, but that was what I was taught

I only worry about cutting on the grain if I am sewing clothes. It doesn't seem to matter in quilting.

As a dressmaker first and quilter way later, I am a stickler for cutting anything on one of the grains. Especially if it's ever going to be machine washed. Yeah, you may be able to finagle the piecing and even quilting without stretching pieces, but once it gets washed it can twist and distort if off-grain. When I shop for clothes or anything else made of fabric, I always look at the grainlines as a scale of quality. Off grain = poor quality control= reject, in my book. It would drive me nuts to look at a quilt cut all helter-skelter, so I am not going to make one! Whatever little bit I might save in $$ just wouldn't be worth it to me. (Stepping off my soapbox now...)

Here is the long and short of it. Why not do it the correct way to begin with. Cutting a pattern or design and placing it on the correct grain will give you the best quality and good workmanship. That is the difference. If you are satisfied with less, ok for you, different strokes lol. Personally I refuse to fuss and fudge and struggle when cutting it on the straight of grain will do the job for me.

I look at quilting as a precise method of a work and the work must be done to the best of my ability and I take great joy in that as I know you all do. I know you want that quilt to look great, after you have spent hours on it.

Take for instance, making a skirt. You would cut on the lenght of grain so the skirt falls nicely down your body. Cut in on the crossgain and will bubble and wave down your body, and look terrible, same difference with quilting. There is a right way and a wrong way.

For years we have been taught (not me, I am a seamstress lol) to cut accross the grain to save fabric. Well that is so much malarky. Not only is this incorrect and your work suffers for it, but here is the test.

Talk one yard of fabric 44 inches wide, (we will assume that the selvages have been cut off) now, cut accross the grain in two inch strips. You will end up with 18 strips (two into 36), 44 inches long for a square inch total of 792.

Now, take that same yard and cut the strips on the straight of grain. You will get (2 into 44), 22 strips by 36 inches long for a total of 792 sq inches.

There is no saving!! so why do it wrong lol.

Now, blocks with all bias seams on the outside will make a nightmare out of your quilt, at least try to have two side on the straight of grain and put those on the outside if possible. Cut borders on the straight of grain, cut accross the grain and you will have extra to ease in, so why do it?

I know the pioneers couldn't care less, they needed blankets and made the quilts out of old clothing or whatever they could find and made them they way they knew how.

We on the other hand, have so much more knowledge, just like everything else, we have learned the correct way as we are not making quilts out of old clothing anymore or out of necessity, (well most of us). this is our hobby, our creations, our gifts for friends and family, our heirlooms etc, etc, etc, lol. We are paying more than 9.00 per yard and we want our quilt to look it, right?

Having said all that, it is just the teacher coming out of me and I can't help it lol. I try not to let it pain me too much, when I hear a teacher teaching some eager students how to quilt the wrong way, I can't save the world lol.

Hum I dont think our great grandma"s worried about the grain I think they were just greatfull to have fabric.