Poorly cut fat quarters
#41
Originally Posted by bearlea
I had this happen...we travel alot...I bought some beautiful fq's at a quilt shop in Florida...when I got to my hotel a couple hundred miles further out I took them out to make a bag...I need exactly 1 fq for the main part of the bag...my fq measured 18 X 22 on one end and 17 X 22 on the other...it was diffently a miss cut by the shop...so I did email them and tell them about it as when I measured the other 5 fq's I bought in the same line only 1 was cut right....do you know they never returned an email of apology or anything....I always mark in my Traveler Companion books about the shops I visit...although it was a nice shop I went back in and marked it as a not to return because of fq incident...I didn't expect anything in return...I just thought she could have taken a minute to apologize....so now when we travel through that area I skip her shop and go to a couple of the others in the same area....sad...blessings
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Live in Littleton, CO via Rapid City, SD
Posts: 2,187
Isn't the fabric on a different bolt at Joanns than manufacturer. Haven't checked lately, perhaps where they get their bolts from warehouse,cut off the co. name. Hobby Lobby, never know who I am buying.
#44
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver CO
Posts: 93
When I worked part-time for a nationally held fabric outlet, we had a good part of our business in quilt fabrics. We did not tear, but tried to cut accurately and add a little for assurance. Sometimes an obvious stripe or print was not printed on the straight grain, so a choice has to be made sometimes--do you want straight printing or straight thread cut? For small cutout pieces, grain may not matter a good deal, or one can make adjustments easily, but for larger cuts (like the back of a table runner), one would want good accurate thread eveningness. Rotary cutting can be more accurate for on-grain, but don't expect much more than what the sales person can and does with scissors. Frankly, the reason we were given for not tearing (a former common practice with cottons) is the loss along the torn side that customers did not want (and I am sure that the company did not want to allow for by those 2 more inches expected) I was surprised at how often a customer was not aware of the practice of pulling a guiding thead to cut through for absolute grain accuracy When wanted.
#45
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver CO
Posts: 93
Since fat quarters are generally at a less-than-regular price per yard, I suppose we can expect some inaccuracy in cuts. Some are an inch or two more (which we like) some a little less (which we notice when we are trying to get every bit of fabric into a template design cut) so maybe we should accept these as "close estimates" of what is available that we can use. End of bolt pieces, precut/returned pieces can be cut into FQ, if done in the shop. Most, I notice lately are from factory outlet precut packaging.
#46
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,666
Originally Posted by Doris Sumnicht
Since fat quarters are generally at a less-than-regular price per yard, I suppose we can expect some inaccuracy in cuts. Some are an inch or two more (which we like) some a little less (which we notice when we are trying to get every bit of fabric into a template design cut) so maybe we should accept these as "close estimates" of what is available that we can use. End of bolt pieces, precut/returned pieces can be cut into FQ, if done in the shop. Most, I notice lately are from factory outlet precut packaging.
The "regular" FQs were $2.50 and most of the fabric on the bolts was less that $10.00/yard.
I did notice on a JoAnn "FQ" label, that it said "approximate size is 18 x 22 inches"
#47
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver CO
Posts: 93
That "rip" from tearing does not create the uneven short end edge because of an uneven roll of the fabric on the bolt. After washing, pull gently on the diagonal through the piece to get the ends even, something we learned in basic sewing classes (for some of us, that was many years ago!).
#48
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,666
Originally Posted by Doris Sumnicht
That "rip" from tearing does not create the uneven short end edge because of an uneven roll of the fabric on the bolt. After washing, pull gently on the diagonal through the piece to get the ends even, something we learned in basic sewing classes (for some of us, that was many years ago!).
It's always worth trying.
#49
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1
I have had the same prob with off-cut fat quarters fortunatly not to often.
My complaint is getting a kit with a panel and have one side cut wrong because they cut through 2 layers instead of opening the panel. I had 2 baby recieving blanket kits like that and I have stopped people from cutting with out opening the fabric.
My complaint is getting a kit with a panel and have one side cut wrong because they cut through 2 layers instead of opening the panel. I had 2 baby recieving blanket kits like that and I have stopped people from cutting with out opening the fabric.
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