My current piecing project is almost finished(just the top). All I have left is the outer border. The directions say to cut the outer border along the salvages. I think I know why they suggest doing this - no piecing of the border to make long enough and more stable/less distortion for wall hangings (is that right). Any way, the fabric given in the kit for this is
2 yds. Do any of you actually do this? How do you cut a strip that long and have end up straight when your done?
Now for my binding question: The 2 yds. for the outer border are also for the binding. The instructions say to cut the binding just as you do the border. I was told in my beginning class that you should do the binding on the bias. How may of you do your bindings on the bias? This quilt is not a wall hanging so the binding will get some wear. Will I regret not doing it on the bias in a couple of years due to it wearing out? My mom says she rarely does it on the bias and hasn't had one wear out, but hers don't get used that much and are washed even less.
I'm going to throw a monkey wrench into this thread and tell you that I
*tear* my border strips along the lengthwise grain. There, I said it. Amid the howling, permit me to say that my border strips are all straight and true, and I don't have a bit of problem with this method.
Bev, I don't have any problem with tearing strips and I have heard that you get accurate strips that way. I only have one issue with that method - the sound of ripping fabric goes through me like nails on a blackboard! My first visit to G Street Fabrics several years ago was a real surprise on several levels, but the worst was finding that they have a cutting table staff that all rip! While waiting for my fabric to get cut, there must have been 6 ladies all ripping fabric! Ouch! But, Bev, if it works for you, go for it!
Ooo! A store that sells straight pieces of cloth. I'd love that. The only places around here all cut crooked. You need to buy a quarter yard more than you need because you will lose that much when you try to straighten up the ends. I doubt the cutters have ever sewn in their lives. Debra in VA
I still sometimes tear my borders. I know I won't end up with a V in the border and that it will be on straight of grain. When you tear a good cotton material, it tears really well. Give it a shot on some old stuff and see.
I often tear off the edge of new yardage. You really see how close (or how far) on/off grain the shop is cutting. If it is really far off -- I will often give them a call... and tell them. Once I lost about 6" of fabric just getting it on grain! I was not a happy camper!
OK, I have to fess - yesterday I purchased 12 different pieces of fabric (6 were for a swap I am in) from KMart. It was their labeled quilting material
100% cotton and it passed my inspection. I watched the sales clerk cut so I could be assured she did a good job.
Wellllllllllll - I just pulled them all out of the drier and each piece was a mass of strings on the cut edges. I knew there would be some because I am careful with this type of fabric. I started to tear off an inch on each cut side (this is also a good way to get rid of all the strings) and many of the tears didn't make it all the way down the fabric and I had to recut. Some of the pieces were off by 4" some by 2" and one by 6" ! I could not have evened these up by the use of the mat and rotary cutter. I know can be sure that my material is square and on grain.
I highly recommend this, especially if after washing you have a lot of strings.
You just cut the fabric a little and tear it across? I seem to remember my teacher showing us how to 'pull a thread' to make sure the fabric was square?
K-Mart has fabric again? I remember years ago when they got rid of the fabrics and yarn. I was so disappointed. I was in the K-Mart on Jermantown Road in Fairfax, Virginia.
Of course, now K-Mart is Sears. I have a K-Mart within walking distance here in Sparks, but I rarely go there. If they've got fabric back, I'll go!
OOPS - I meant to say WalMart. Anyway, I start at the selvage and make a little snip into the fabric, about 1 inch, then let her rip. If the piece comes off before getting to the other selvage you know the piece wasn't square. I then start at the other selvage across from where I started and do the same thing. I keep doing this until my tear goes from selvage to selvage. It will tear clean. I then go to the other side and do the same thing. I then know that the piece is squared. On a very rare occasion when I go to fold, I find that the weave is a bit skewed, so I go to opposite corners and give it a little tug. That usually fixes the distortion. If I don't do this with my fabric I find my pieces don't lay right.
A couple of things added to the demise of tearing yardage. (Putting on hat of educator, with degree and all that stuff....)
One, as has been said is the advent of the rotary cutter.
Two, the advent of synthetics. They don't tear worth beans. And even though we are back to using 100% cottons, for a long time quilters and everyone else, used blends.
And third, perhaps most importantly..... the advent of "non-wrinkle" finishes. When these finishes are applied and "cured" the grain is set. If you do the old "stretch to make the grain perpendicular, after tearing or pulling a thread" you will find that it returns to what it was after washing. By all means wash your fabric, then line up the selvedges so that the center fold is straight. That *is* your grainline. In most cases it will not be absolutely perpendicular "on grain". That is the trade off for not having to put up with the wrinkles and the horrible ironing needed to remove them after any washing, setting around, being folded away and so on.
Tearing also "bruises" the threads/yards of the fabric, stretches the edge you have torn, and can pull a thread occasionally which really can look bad in some prints. :(
Some fabrics, however, do react well to tearing. Good quality velvets tear wonderfully, and you don't have to worry about cutting the pile. (You may want to wear a dust mask though and do it somewhere easy to clean up the fuzz.) Same for, believe it or not, knit backed fake furs/plush. when these fabrics are folded and rolled around the bolt it gets way off grain. (Think about how many inside/outside curves we are talking about here. with one half of the fabric always on the inside of the curve and the other on the outside of the curve. And remember how thick the furs are. There is quite a bit of difference there. ) Decorator fabrics are also tearable. These are more expensive because they under go a lot more stringent quality control and are not folded and rolled on a board. They are on a tube, and should be absolutely on grain all the way. Lots more quality checks and so on.
LOL, guess the hat does have an effect. And it is amazing what you do learn in school. And how much you can retain when it is important to you.
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