DawnFurlong

I decided to starch about a yard of fabric yesterday that I then cut into 2" strips. I'm pretty sure I pulled it wonky. After I starched, I did my usual process of folding the fabric in half, sliding and wiggling to get it straight at the fold. After several cuts it seemed like the fabric was pulled off square. No matter how to tried to realign my fabric it was off.

How do you go about starching so that your fabric is not distorted?

Tartan

I align the selvage edges when I iron fabric before cutting. I cut off a larger piece and then use Best Press to re-iron and then do my sub cuts. Fabric tugged and stretched usually relaxes back eventually.

sewingpup

I do what Tartan does. No tugging and pulling because that just distorts the fabric more usually. I align the selvage edges as best as I can. If it is a smaller piece...say a yard or so...I will try sometimes located the mid point of both ends between the selvages and let it fall. Hopefully this will get the selvage edges close to each other but sometimes it doesn't. any way after aligning the selvage edges, I most often find that the ends of the folded fabric are not even. So then I take my ruler, aligning one of the lines on my ruler with the folded side on top and cut off that crooked edge so both sides are even on the cut edge. The crooked cut off piece goes into my scrap bin if it is wide enough for a string. When I am cutting by ruler, often I find after making several strips, I have to recut off a bit is the edges are no longer straight. I have had some yardage that is so off on the bolt that the selvages are no where each other. Sometimes I just throw that piece into the washer and dryer, press it, and fold it so the selvages meet. It seems easier to get it straightened out after the washing and drying.

bearisgray

First thing I do is make sure my fabric threads are perpendicular to each other. A lot of time fabric is distorted when processed or wound on the bolts, then when it is cut the ends are uneven. After fabric is washed or gotten wet when starched, it will revert to its "natural" form. Also, I have learned to make sure that designs are printed on-grain. When they are printed off-grain, no amount of tugging is going to get the design on-grain. This is usually most noticeable with panels.

The cuts that are made by the sales associates are perpendicular to the selvages at the store. Off-grain fabric will frequently "straighten" itself while it is being washed and dried. Then the ends are no longer "even" and trying to line them up is - in my opinion - a non-productive exercise in futility and frustration.

Some people will tear an end to make sure the end is "straight."

Because I usually have more time than money, I will pull a thread to find the width of fabric grain-line. Then I will very carefully cut along the line that is made by the missing thread.

Only after I have made sure that my ends are on-grain, will I try to do the folding for cutting.

Tearing is traumatic to the fabric. I will tear when I am using chunks of fabric and/or when I will be having at least 1/2 inch seam allowances. Not when I have a limited amount of fabric and I am trying to eke out the necessary pieces.

Grain lines matter to me. Some people don't care.

Barb in Louisiana

I am a member of the don't wash, don't starch, don't straighten the fabric minority. Yes, sometimes I get a bleeder and my project turns out a different color. But, I just get over it. We are cutting these fabric pieces into much smaller pieces and then layering them, adding batting and a lot of stitching, otherwise known as quilting. The fabrics are not going to pull like making a piece of wearing apparel will when not cut on the straight of the grain. The exception is any long borders I cut. And because I know what I will be using that fabric for a border, I cut those, length of fabric before I start cutting any other pieces. I want those with the straight of the grain and not stretchy. Otherwise, they will walk on you and turn and can just be obnoxious. So, I guess I didn't answer your question at all, did I? The other responses make a lot of sense and are good advice.

LAF2019

I do not always starch, but when I do, I prefer to starch smaller pieces, not yardage. I will usually fold and do the "wiggle" thing first, trim off an edge to be straight, cut strips, do the starching, then do the sub cutting. Some may say that this method will change the initial cut measurement... But i do not soak my fabric in starch, I just use a light spray, and I haven't noticed any problems in the end. That is when I have yardage. If I am using fat quarters or similar, then I may more heavily starch the whole piece, then proceed with sub cutting. I also will sometimes starch after the block is constructed, before squaring it up.

rjwilder

Press the fabric, don't iron it. Ironing it causes it to stretch, press the iron on the fabric, lift it up and keep pressing and it won't distort. It takes a bit longer but it's worth it.

Iceblossom

I'm not a starcher but I am a pre-washer and finish with a nice crisp pressing. I do a ripped edge on one end before I pre-wash. Sometimes due to processing things you still aren't perpendicular on the rip end even if you are on grain. You can tug on fabric diagonally if there is a clear direction/error, but that can also distort the middle. Those selvedges are often more trouble than they are worth and cutting them off can release tension and make fabric behave much better.

But, I also disregard grain line all the time. I fussy cut and generally have no problems with good fabrics. Designs are often deliberately made to "drift" and can be an inch from one side of the fabric to the other if you are cutting along a pattern.

I think a straight edge is the important thing -- so long as you aren't getting any deep Vs in the folds as you cut and all the cuts are straight. I think that being just slightly off grain may actually help shredding or entire threads coming off the edge -- or at least I seem to be covered with more threads than my less grain aligned friends. Whether by my preparation of folding or minor cutting errors, I do have to true up/straighten everything every 3-4 cuts.

DawnFurlong

Barb in Louisiana - yes, I fell years ago into the don't wash, don't starch club. I'm not sure when I dropped starching. I was probably out of starch and it all worked out right - so never picked up more starch. I always wash my quilts with color catchers the first go round or two, depending on quilt colors. When you cut your borders length of fabric, do you fold the fabric and align the edges, similar to what most do when aligning the selvages (best that they can be aligned) before cutting for piecing the main body of the quilt? Also, do you have a certain length that you typically cut for joining?

Thank you all for sharing your methods. Years ago I starched my fabric before cutting. I don't recall having an issue with starching before. I decided to go back to starching to add another level of help for cutting accuracy. I do frequently find that I need to re-align my fabric after several cuts. However I was very surprised at my bowed fabric that was so far off after I made a couple of cuts. I think the culprit might have been too quick/aggressive ironing (as opposed to pressing). I did try starching the fabric for my outside border, but was careful to be gentle with it. I didn't have any issues when cutting.