Tartan

If I do a small quilt that I can cut the backing all on my table, I rotary cut it. Big quilts I rip my backings since it is easier then laying out the whole length, measuring with a tape measure and then rotary cutting the length. I make sure my backings are about 3 inches bigger all around my quilt top. When the quilting is all done, I rotary cut my quilt edge for the final squaring before binding.

indymta

Tartan, I'm sorry I'm being dense...after you rip the fabric, then what do you do...fold matching the sides and then cut or are you cutting along that entire length to get your pieces.

Tartan

After the length is ripped, and it is big enough laid out flat to go beyond the edges of my quilt top, I make the quilt sandwich and quilt, that's it.

indymta

I guess I'm trying to figure out how this works to get the piece wide enough for a quilt back unless you are ripping
the very wide (103 inch or such) fabric and you aren't ripping the 42 inch wide fabric. If one has 5 yds of 42 inch fabric
you still have to join pieces to get it wide enough to work on a 60 x 60 inch quilt. Are you ripping at intervals?
I am just not "seeing" this.

Tartan

I usually use wide backs but if I need to sew 45 inch fabric lengths together to get it wide enough, I rip two lengths of fabric and then put the selvage together and sew a 1 inch seam for a center seam. After sewing the center seam, I trim off the selvages and leave a 1/2 inch center seam. I then usually run a line of hand stitches to keep the center seam allowances to one side so they don't flip when I am quilting.

indymta

Thanks so much Tartan...I see it now. I tend to be a visual learner and if I can't see it done I have to have detailed
directions. Thank you for your patience!

mickey r.

i think the best idea ever is that of tearing one thread out of the fabric to work with a straight grain. makes sense to me. but, do i straighten the grain before or after i wash. i would like the experts at the quilting to answer the question please and thank you. mickey r.

Austinite

I never worried about straight of grain with my quilts and blankets, no issues that I've noticed.

peaceandjoy

The more off the grain is in piecing, the more little threads come loose as you put your top together. I hate the back of my top to be messy with all those threads!

rryder

When I was growing up the fabric stores all measured out the length and the ripped the fabric, in some of the stores they just did like I do at home, snipped about an inch past the selvage and then ripped, but in other stores there was this gizmo that was attached to the counter-- does anyone else remember those and how they worked?

Anyway, I still rip the length of grain when I need a long straight piece, like for a back, or borders, etc. I have also been known to rip across the grain when I was in a hurry and didn't want to take the time to pull out my rotary cutter.

My mom made clothes and she always pulled a thread and then followed it to make the cut , then if the grain needed straightening I think she did something like pulling on opposite corners (does that sound familiar?).



Rob