It seems to be a reflection of how poor the quality of fabric is today. At one time better cotton goods were all printed 'on grain.' Fabric was torn to guarantee you were getting the amount you were paying for. It was actually the lesser shops or departments that would cut instead of tearing. When the wrinkle-free finishes began to appear you couldn't permanently straighten them at all so cutting became more the norm. I would certainly like to be able some of that older cotton, cut or torn.