Backing fabrics... which is better? Cut or torn?
03-18-2011, 10:50 PM
#91
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: East Hampstead, NH
Posts: 481
Originally Posted by ljgraham
Torn is fine. Sometimes when I tear fabric it does not tear straight. Is it me or the fabric.
03-19-2011, 06:58 AM
#98
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: currently central new jersey
Posts: 8,623
torn fabric also weakens the fabric around it, so whether or not i'm paying for it i prefer cut. considering the price per yard these days, an extra few inches doesn't make that big a difference in my total price.
btw, as you said, they all tear crooked anyway, and most stores wont give you extra inches for free, sometimes as many as 6, to compensate for that crookedness. 3 " on one end and 3" on the other adds up.
btw, as you said, they all tear crooked anyway, and most stores wont give you extra inches for free, sometimes as many as 6, to compensate for that crookedness. 3 " on one end and 3" on the other adds up.
03-19-2011, 07:15 AM
#99
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 367
Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics
Another thread on the forum has me wondering how most people prefer their backing fabric purchases to be handled.
We cut - not tear - our fabrics.
But... if a fabric is wrapped crookedly on the bolt, that creates a problem. And backing fabrics are folded not once, but twice, which magnifies any wrapping issues.
We once carried the inexpensive backing fabrics, and those were wrapped so crookedly that we swore we would NEVER carry them again. We would had to give an extra FOOT on every cut, to be sure that the customer was not going to come up short. (And yes, we actually did give the extra foot, for free.) And I'm very glad that those backings are all gone now. Good riddance!
Every shop does need to have some backings, though, and we chose to try again with a nice group from Wilmington. http://www.favoritefabric.com/cgi/co...t_backing.html
I did a test-tear on one of the bolts to check the grain, and it is still off, though not by as much.
So I'm putting it out to the forum, to ask what would you prefer? That we tear the fabric, giving an extra 3" on the cut to allow for the warped and wavy edges... or that we cut the fabric, giving an extra 6" to allow for the crooked wrap?
Please don't base your answer on "Gee, do I want 3 inches for free or 6 inches for free?" ... that's not the point. The question at the heart of this is, in order to receive the amount of fabric that you need and are paying for, straight and not warped, are you happier/more comfortable with tearing, or cutting, given that this is a backing fabric?
I know I can always count on the Quilting Board members for thoughful answers... so please let me know what your opinion is.
We cut - not tear - our fabrics.
But... if a fabric is wrapped crookedly on the bolt, that creates a problem. And backing fabrics are folded not once, but twice, which magnifies any wrapping issues.
We once carried the inexpensive backing fabrics, and those were wrapped so crookedly that we swore we would NEVER carry them again. We would had to give an extra FOOT on every cut, to be sure that the customer was not going to come up short. (And yes, we actually did give the extra foot, for free.) And I'm very glad that those backings are all gone now. Good riddance!
Every shop does need to have some backings, though, and we chose to try again with a nice group from Wilmington. http://www.favoritefabric.com/cgi/co...t_backing.html
I did a test-tear on one of the bolts to check the grain, and it is still off, though not by as much.
So I'm putting it out to the forum, to ask what would you prefer? That we tear the fabric, giving an extra 3" on the cut to allow for the warped and wavy edges... or that we cut the fabric, giving an extra 6" to allow for the crooked wrap?
Please don't base your answer on "Gee, do I want 3 inches for free or 6 inches for free?" ... that's not the point. The question at the heart of this is, in order to receive the amount of fabric that you need and are paying for, straight and not warped, are you happier/more comfortable with tearing, or cutting, given that this is a backing fabric?
I know I can always count on the Quilting Board members for thoughful answers... so please let me know what your opinion is.
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