quiltmaker

Amazing....remember those measuring machines they used to use at the fabric (material) stores years ago. They always tore the fabric where the machine made the cut mark for the amount of yardage you desired.

I tear the larger piece of fabric, then line it up to cut the rest of the fabric. We didn't have rotary cutters back then and used our scissors and didn't have problems. The main problem people have now is that the fabric is not always put on the bolt correctly which makes the fabric off design.

There are many opinions on which method is preferrable.....whatever works for you. There is no one correct answer in quilting...only preferred methods for each of us for by our own methods of trial and error way of learning.

Not to get off subject.. but I've read on here that even quilting patterns were off on their cutting measurements....that's why I create my own. I'd hate to run out of fabric because I cut according to someone's wrong measurements especially in a published article. I have used patterns before but I always made trial blocks out of muslin before committing to my fabric.

I'm just trying to say that there is a method for everyone and no right or wrong way.

mimisharon

me, too, and the customers at the shop would tar and feather me if I ever tried to tear. That's a sure weakness to the fabric and a definite way of causing loss of fabric with all you have to cut off to get to good use able fabric!

janb

I agree with the masses...tearing ruins the edges.

bigsister63

Cut! Tearing distorts the edge into the fabrici in for inches. I often use sissors to cut fabrics. If you tear then you still have to cut off edge to to get rid of the stretched fabric so what have you gained? As for Joann's tearing I would have refused fabric and insisted that it be cut. My LQS does not seem very concerned about quilting fabrics/blocks being with straight of grain.

natalieg

I always cut, but at the LQS at my moms, they only tear. When we go there to shop-I tell the ladies if I buy fabric that if they won't cut it, I don't want it. I bought a panel from them once and they tore into the panel and didn't see it. I did-made them cut one!

piepatch

I like to cut mine, but I remember seeing women tearing their quilt pieces when I was growing up, and that method seemed to have worked well for them. However, that was at a time when most fabric was woven straight, and in today's world, that is not always the case.

mpspeedy

With arthritis and a bad back I prefer to tear anything longer than 24". When I was in HOme Economics class many years ago our teacher told us not to purchase fabric that was offgrain or if the pattern was printed crooked. She told us as long as the customer was willing to pay for bad fabric they would continue to sell it to us. If I am purchasing a plaid or a striped fabric I will insist that the store tear it. That is the only way to be sure it is woven or printed correctly. With the price of fabric constantly going up we should be able to purchase quality.

Murphy

Cut

Lori S

I tear only to get to a true grain on fabric that has been hopelessly off grain, then trim the torn edge. I cut everything else.

Carron

when they start to ripe I ask for the material to be cut, if they manage to ripe before I get the words out I refuse to accept that section. Don't be afraid to speak up, after all you are the one putting out the $$$$.