Roben

I actually prefer to 'tear' (gently, not a ferocious 'rip') for long pieces - a press and, rarely a trim, and I'm good to go. I like border prints, and this is the best way I've found to get them as accurate as possible. I only tear lengthwise grain, tho - I think it could possibly stretch the crosswise grain.

Eddie, here is a site that talks about fabric grains: http://www.sewaquilt.com/fabric-grain.html It might help to understand, at least :D

shaverg

Boy so much for typing trim not trip. LOL

Moonpi

I almost always rip lengthwise, seldom from selvedge to selvedge. Considering how out-od-whack fabric is cut sometimes, I don't notice any loss from ripping. I wash my fabric before using, and iron it, so it is fine before I use it.

Shemjo

I want my fabric cut! I haven't been anywhere that they rip for years. Every place I have been they use scissors or rotary cutters. I think my jaw would drop if they ripped my fabric! I think I would take a really close look at the ripped edges. I think they used to rip when we washed our fabric before sewing and then the ends would kind of self heal. I seldom launder my fabric anymore, so I don't want the edges ruffled! :?

shaverg

I agree rip does sound more ferocious than tear. I tear my long strips.

alaskasunshine

nope I wouldn't like my fabrics ripppppped either...no way! I know about the straight of grain but if you are buying quilt shop quality fabric it should be printed straight! Will you go back for another ripping?

farscapegal

Ripping doesn't bother me at all. Whichever way they want to do it is fine with me. I love to buy fabric at Mary Jo's and that is the only way they do it. I have one quilt shop that rotary cuts it and the other one rips.

I wash my fabric before I use it so I really can't tell the difference.

Sybil

pittsburgpam

I absolutely hate to cut long border strips of fabric. It never comes out perfectly but tearing it DOES. I started tearing border pieces after a discussion here and if at all possible I will. The last couple of quilts have been very definate border prints so I cut following my selected point in the print.

The two that I did by tearing I was very happy with.

omak

Read a few posts and figured it out!
If they want to cut it three inches longer than the three yards I ordered, by all means - - rip away, but consider this!

If you rip it from selvedge to selvedge, you will definitely skew the fabric ... it may be straight somewhere along the line, but selvedge to selvedge is not the most stable part to rip.

If you are going to rip your borders, then you have a really good chance of having little waste, little distortion, since the lengthwise of a bolt is more stable than the selvedge to selvedge.

I am not professional enough to tell the warp from the weft, but one of them is touchy, and the other one is stable.
Which explains why (when I tried ripping my backing straight while it was on the quilt frame, and I was NOT using the length) ... my backing was skewed, and I did some fancy piecing to make it all blend.

gramqlts

My grandmother quilted for over sixty years and always, always ripped her fabrics. After getting ahlzeimers and going to nursing home, she started ripping all her gowns to pieces. She would bring the bottom up and bite it with her teeth to get it started and then stretch her arms out to rip it. She had all the nurses baffled as to why she was doing it and after I walked in and saw her, I instantly knew that in her mind she was quilting again. lol