From my sewing and quilting days, I remember how “off” fabric can be. Tearing fabric often damages the edge but when quilting, especially backing fabric, I’d tear it to get a straight edge, then trim off the damaged area if it mattered. For backing fabric, it usually didn’t matter because I needed 3 or 4 extra inches on each side for the longarm so any damaged area was cut off. I’ve never had more than a fraction of an inch that was damaged.
With linen for cross stitching, it’s pretty easy to see that a lot of it is not straight. Before using the latest piece of linen, I pulled a thread to get a straight line, and then cut along that line.
This is from a 55″ piece of fabric. Can you imagine how much off this cut is if I had pulled all the way to the bottom of the 55 inches? I only needed 20″ and you can see I started right at the top and that’s over an inch that it’s off.
When I go to use more of that fabric, I’ll start hear the edge again so I won’t lose as much but if I had just measured over from the very top, I would have ended up with maybe a 1-1/2″ margin on that side instead of the needed 3″. And, if I cut exactly 20″ across that side, the other side would have been off too.
It’s always good to check that before starting to stitch and that’s why I always get extra fabric. When we’re counting stitches, there’s not much we can do to correct it if we start out with crooked fabric.
Susan Nixon says
And it’s most important when you are stitching that the grains all be straight! So you make it sound like your quilting days are over now. I can’t imagine ever being there. =)
Nelle Coursey says
This is a great idea. Helps in making it easier to straighten the pattern or keep it straight.
Claudia Duke says
Looong time ago, I made most of my clothes. There was a place here in Houston that pulled a thread on every piece of fabric they sold unless it was knit or some weave that they could not. I loved it! Always had straight of grain on both ends of the fabric. So much easier to make sure my pant legs did not twist after washing. Always hated blue jeans that did that.
Judy Laquidara says
Oh, goodness . . I had forgotten about bias legs on jeans! 🙂