Reb

I recently saw a famous quilter cut fabric off a bolt and use it ‘as is’. The pattern was crooked. Has using fabric right off the bolt become the norm? I thought directional fabric had to be matched up. Thanks for your insight. Maybe I’m just fussy? I don’t mean straightening the grain. Or maybe those two things are the same? Straighten the grain will straighten the directional print?

bearisgray

Ii am one of those that prefers to have my fabric washed before cutting it.

If a design is printed off-grain, one can do whatever to the fabric - it is still printed off-grain.

I am extremely aware of grain lines - some people think grain does not matter.

Do what you are comfortable with.

I lost respect for Sharon Schamber when she said one could "stretch" a quilt block to size. I always wondered what happened when the item was washed.

I remember old denim jeans - they would be comfortable after wearing them a couple of days - next time they were washed, they were very snug again.

cashs_mom

I think it depends on the what you are doing with the fabric. I come from a garment making background and straight grain is very important. It's not as important in quilting. Once the piece is quilted its not going to move much. Sometimes I've "fudged" it a bit when I have an obvious print that needs to be straight on the piece, but I you are going to cut it into small pieces to use in a quilt, it probably won't matter.

Peckish

Ditto, ditto, ditto.

joe'smom

When you see the huge rolls the fabric is printed on. I think it's a wonder any fabric ends up printed on grain. It must be so easy for them to shift.

So many fabrics are printed off-grain, I no longer fold by selvage. Rather, I eye the grain line and make it straight to my eye on the bottom section (which is wrong side up, making the grain even more visible), then line the top piece the same way. Once I've trimmed the edges and removed the selvage, I can check if it's correct by re-folding after it is trimmed. I often have to do a slight second trim. The only time I've found off-grain to be a real a problem is with plaids and checks. Sometimes they're so far off, they're not salvageable (at least, I can't figure out a way to do it).

GingerK

No amount of washing, starching or stretching is going to change the nature of a pattern printed off-grain. I have ignored the grain and cut using the pattern as my guide. These would be smaller sized pieces or strips, not something I would be using as a large filler piece. I found no problem.

But I would be looking at that well known quilter's products with more critical eyes.

peaceandjoy

Usually, it's not actually printed off grain, but has gotten off grain through the processes it goes through from printing to moving onto a bolt.

I will try to get it back on grain through stretching from opposing corners. I detest stripes or patterns that are meant to be straight by are not when they are in a block. Mostly, though, I prefer on grain bc it frays less, so less of a mess throughout the making of the blocks and top.

Stores do not often cut on grain; the method that most quilters use - lining up a selvage and shifting until the fold hangs straight - doesn't get the grain straight. In the old days, when a snip was made, then the fabric torn, it was back on grain. Now, people cringe when anyone says they do this and talk about loss of fabric due to the torn edge. Well, if I have to trim an inch or two off of one edge to get it straight, I'm losing more than I do from that torn edge.

cashs_mom

The only thing I've figured out to do with plaids or checks that are off grain is to use them by cutting on the bias (which doesn't necessarily have to be true bias depending on what you are doing with it)

annievee

I prefer the tearing method to find true grain. Sometimes not much lost but then again, the grain is way off !

sewingpup

RE: I lost respect for Sharon Schamber when she said one could "stretch" a quilt block to size. I always wondered what happened when the item was washed.

I don't know how many of Sharon's quilts would be washed. The ones I have seen are "Lady in Green", Lady in Red" and "Sitting Bull"