Pulling a thread to get a straight of grain
#21
Good demo- but I am not convinced it is necessary for quilting to get "straight of the grain"--pieces are small, they are attached to other fabric- then stitched into place with the quilting so there is nothing left to "hang straight" as there is in garment sewing, where SOG is very important. IMHO
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 502
Pulling a thread is necessary when using linen for needlework but not for yard goods. So many times a design is not printed squarely. A woven plaid would need a pulled thread but anything with a printed design doesn't, it's a waste of time and fabric.
Carol J.
Carol J.
#24
I like your tutorial. Thanks for posting. Personally, I always tear. It is also nice if my fabric is long (3 or 4 yards). I estimate how much I need with strips, multiply to find length, add 1.5-2.0 inches and tear. That way I am working with a smaller section to rotary cut.
#25
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: 25 yrs in TN; now back home in MI
Posts: 1,871
Originally Posted by Rose Hall
great job explaining this! I remember learning how to do this years and years ago in my Home Ec class before laying a pattern out on the fabric. Brings back happy memories.
thanks for sharing!
Rose Hall
thanks for sharing!
Rose Hall
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nawth o' Boston
Posts: 1,879
Originally Posted by Carol J.
Pulling a thread is necessary when using linen for needlework but not for yard goods. So many times a design is not printed squarely. A woven plaid would need a pulled thread but anything with a printed design doesn't, it's a waste of time and fabric.
Carol J.
Carol J.
thank you
Sue
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 502
I try to follow the grain as much as I can when cutting, this is acceptable if the design does not have lines or stripes. If the fabric is printed right and the lines follow the selvedge, you won't have a problem with cuts going askew. When you sew seams the fabric is held captive and I haven't found it to pucker or get frayed if cut a bit off-grain.
If you wash your fabric first and get rid of the starch or whatever they use to stiffen it so it looks firm when buy it, you will be able to tell if it is printed according to the grain.
I have found some fabric is pulled unevenly onto the cardboards and there is nothing you can do to straighten it and I only hope there isn't a definite pattern to the design.
We used to pull the fabric diagonally to make it straighter, that helps if you find once you cut it off a bolt and take it home, the selvedges don't meet. Has anyone else found that to be true? The clerks don't cut on the grain or even try so it is best to get a little bit more than you need.
Carol J.
If you wash your fabric first and get rid of the starch or whatever they use to stiffen it so it looks firm when buy it, you will be able to tell if it is printed according to the grain.
I have found some fabric is pulled unevenly onto the cardboards and there is nothing you can do to straighten it and I only hope there isn't a definite pattern to the design.
We used to pull the fabric diagonally to make it straighter, that helps if you find once you cut it off a bolt and take it home, the selvedges don't meet. Has anyone else found that to be true? The clerks don't cut on the grain or even try so it is best to get a little bit more than you need.
Carol J.
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