Squaring a backing

Good advice!

Fabric that comes off the bolt with the grain all catty-wampus can often be "walked" into having a truer square grain. It takes two people at diagonally opposite corners, gently tugging and moving along the length of the fabric.

Monique in TX

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Well...... If the fabric is untreated that may be true. With most of today's fabrics, there is a "non-wrinkle" finish that is applied. If the fabric is off grain when that finish is applied and set, then the fabric will be permanently off. If you do the diagonal pull thing, then when you wash the fabric it will return to the original state. If you notice in the given instructions, they say to cut *not* tear in order to keep the grain as even as possible. When cutting relatively small pieces and sewing them into a quilt the grain differences don't really matter all that much. (Look closely at some antique/vintage quilts. Grain of the patches doesn't really matter at all.) However for backings you don't want the wash to "adjust" the set of the grain differently than when it was quilted. That is a mess not to be contemplated. (Shivering here about that one>)

Clothing is another place where you want to wash the fabric, then use the grain as it will be when washed/dried. Very important there.

Pati, > Good advice!