Originally Posted by Airwick156

I bought 3 peices of fabric from walmart, 1 yard, red, 1 yard white, 1 yard black all the palencia brand. Because I am going to make a quilt called "Ants go Marching" from McCalls Quick Quilts September 2009 Issue.

Not sure if the brand matters or not, but I have found that the palencia brand is thicker then some others.

Anyways I give the fabric to the lady to cut and I tell her I would like 1 yard of each fabric. So she opens the bolt to measure out a yard and I noticed that she had not butted it up to the beginning of the yard stick they use, she had went BEYOND the yard stick about 3 inches. I was stunned and I told the lady "Wow do you realize that you are giving me about 3 inches more then the yard". The woman says yes I do did you not want me to do that. I told her oh no she can do it however she wants to and I was just shocked that she was doing that. She told me that she is also a quilter and it makes her madder then a hornet when they measure the fabric EXACTLY for what you ask for. Then she says...And if Walmart wants to fire me over it ...LET THEM. LOL.

Originally Posted by Jates

Thank you for the info. I will have to give it a try, it should be interesting. Thanks again!

Burn test:
If I have several pieces to test, I light a candle.

Cut a small piece of fabric - only 1/4 x 1 inch is big enough - hold it with tweezers in the flame -

If it has black smoke and/or leaves a crispy ash or sticky residue, it contains polyester, nylon, or dacron.

The residue stays HOT a lot longer than cotton or wool ash.

Cotton (and wool) burns with white smoke or no smoke, and leaves a soft ash that powders in ones fingers.

Wool has a "burn feather" smell.

Rayon is made of wood pulp - and that also burns with a soft powdery ash.

Originally Posted by mjsylvstr

While purchasing fabric in a shop, I questioned an uneven cut and rather than give me that smidgen of fabric, they trimmed an inch off and threw it away......

and then there are the others who would will move their ruler over that inch.

In our Walmart, when they had bolts of fabric, one could purchase any amount from an additional inch on upward. I, many times, asked for that extra inch or two. Rather pay than be without when cutting later.

Other stores will not cut less than an 1/8 yard increments.

Originally Posted by Vickymomof6

We were in Walmart last week buying fabric and there was about 6 inch left on the bolt . The lady just threw it in with our order! I was in shock. I have never had that happen there before.

Originally Posted by dottientx

I want to get a straight measure when I ask for fabric by the yard but I hope this 'bell ringing' doesn't cause someone to be fired so perhaps it's better not to mention the location of the store. I used to work in a fabric store and could tell when the fabric was warped on the bolt - especially by the design - and would make an allowance when cutting. How many of you have bought a panel of fabric and not received the whole panel. When I was growing up, I remember watching my mother and grandmother pulling opposite ends of a length of fabric to get the 'warp' out of it prior to cutting out a dress or whatever.

Originally Posted by Rettie V.Grama

JoAnn always give an inch or two more. Fabric .Com never just give what you order. Several do this. It is not the person waiting on you, it's the unwritten policy of the fabric world.

This started in "The Good Old Days" when Sears was Sears & Roebuck.