That just stinks. I am sorry you couldn't even get acknowledged. I would return tell the store about this one but I don't remember where I got it since when on a mission to collect certain patterns I grab and go :)

:oops: ditto

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.

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.

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.

At the LQS I go go, the FQs generally are priced higher (per yard) than the bolt fabrics.

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"

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!).

Sometimes that helps. Sometimes the fabric definitely has a mind/memory of its own.

It's always worth trying.

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.

What makes me angry is when I get home and instead of a rectangle of fabric, I have some kind of a trapezoid. Which means I didn't get what I paid for!