It is something hard to explain, unless you are on the cutting side of the table yourself. I try as much as possible to give straight cuts and treat fabrics as if they were mine. But I also have to remember that it is retail, after all, and the owner needs profit to pay your salary. Sometimes the customer wants a straight cut, make sure the get the amount they want, folded straight, but I have to remember they are in their lunch break and in a rush. And so are the 2 or 3 customers behind her, who are already rolling their eyes, and talking among themselves how slow you are, not how careful you are. I also give everyone an inch or two extra on the cutting side, and they still complaint that on the start side is not perfectly straight, since I can not control how the previous person cuts or how bad the start of the bolt is.They don't see that I am making it up to them on the other side. And then there are those that ask for a yard but when they see the price change their mind and say that you cut more than they ask for. And the lady that has you move that ruler from the one yard to the half yard line 50 times, while the line now has 7 people and they are all rolling their eyes, except for the little old man who is here for the tenth time trying to buy the floor sample of the cute pillow for his granddaughter. And then she comes back asking how much is left in the bolt and after you measure the 7 yards left she only wanted one but just wanted to know if there will be enough fabric left in case she needs more six months from now. And re-rolling a bolt is not easy. Or she wants the 7 yards and you need to fold it tight enough to fit in the bag she has, because she doesn't want to carry an extra bag. So, this is a description of a few hours at a busy fabric store. Don't get frustrated with the cutting person. I know some are bitter and lazy, but not all. Many are just thinking that they would rather be shopping themselves, but after being on our feet for 8 hours, there is no energy left, and no matter how good the shoes are, the feet hurt and that gives you a grouchy mood, regardless of how nice you try to be. By the way, I did promised the little old man to make him a pillow for his granddaughter if he buys the materials, but he didn't want to spend on an exclusive fabric line. The kit was $20 and the pillow form $8, plus my work, it would have been the most expensive pillow ever, according to him.

Yes, and you have to make sure they have the fabric folded to where you are getting the full amount you asked for.

uuumm...NO....but I wash and iron and starch my fabric before cutting it..makes a difference I guess!

Have we had posts before about cutting fabric? I was in the local WalMart about 9 pm shopping for fabric. I needed it cut and the bell was there to ring for service. I rang. A man from the department across from fabrics came and said that his department was to help in fabrics when the regular gal wasn't there and that she had gone at 8 pm. He was from sporting goods. Said he didn't know how to cut fabric. He hadn't done that before. All he was familiar with cutting was the meat on his plate and wood. I told him how to fold it, how to measure it, etc, etc. Only thing I didn't do was put my hands on it. Best cut I have ever had at WalMart.

Yes !! I immediately refold it !!! Once it's it's cut it's mine !!!

I was at a Joann's that was closing a few years back. The staff working was hired for the inventory liquidation, not the regular employees at this shop and I was stocking up on fabric at dirt cheap. I had a stack of bolts & the gal that helped me was doing her best to cut well but it was clear she knew nothing about handling fabric. One of the bolts was panels and I had to stop her before she cut away into the panels, not between them. I showed her how to cut properly including that you have to cut each side separately with panels and not assume the sides were lined up. She seemed to appreciate the assitance & I got fabric for 10 cents on the dollar!

It is upsetting when you get poor cuts with the price of fabric. Explain that you have had problems in the past and ask that they are careful cutting yours.

I don't think my heart would hurt. I would watch and make sure they cut it right to start with, or I would'nt buy it.

I am an employee in the fabric department of a medium size fabric/craft store. I treat each and every customer as I wish to be treated. I make sure the previous cut edges match up and if they don't then I start the measuring at the place where both cut side are even. I also add an additional one inch when I cut the fabric just incase! When it comes to panels, I pull out my Ofra Cutter, ruler, and pad. I open the fabric up and cut one layer of fabric at a time to make sure the customer gets exactly what they want. I also show the customer what 1 yard, 2 yards, 1/2 yards, etc looks like before I cut the fabric/ribbon/interfacing, etc. Many times the customers find out they don't need as much as they thought or they need more than they originally thought. After cutting, I always refolded the fabric neatly and the customers appreciate the extra care. I enjoy helping other quilters and non-quilter and as one customer said,"You must sew because you treat the fabric with respect".

I am so happy you brought up this topic. I went to JoAnn's today & I watched the clerk cut off a crooked 1" (at it's widest) pc. of the starting end of a bolt of fabric before measuring it. She apparently has been told to toss away that inch rather than give it to the customer. That really irks me.