Straight of Grain

One of the challenges facing me when it comes to cutting these new strip and square packs is the pattern alignment (for lack of a better description) on the fabric. As you know, fabric is folded in half on the bolt and shop owners are at the mercy of a) the fabric printing process and b) the cutting and folding process.

The printing process affects the print alignment between the centre of the fabric and the selvages.  The fabric is clamped down (that is why you see those little holes along the selvages) and it is goes through the printer at a fantastic speed. The fabric must be taut during this process and that tautness must be related to fabric's weave. If this tautness isn't correct, you will have the fabric printing at different speeds across the width. You can test this printing process on a  piece of your own fabric by clipping the selvage and pulling a width-wise (woof or weft) thread and then checking how the pattern lines up along the pulled thread. If it doesn't line up, there is nothing anyone can do. I am happy to say that this is an extremely rare occurrence with Andover's Jo Morton fabrics.

The cutting and folding process (getting the fabric on the bolt) is what gives me nightmares as a quilt shop owner. Here in Canada, we purchase our fabrics through distributors and it has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that they deal with customs and pay the duties and for a small shop like Three Ducks they let me order half bolts of fabrics. The disadvantage is that distributors have to make money, too; and, they have to manipulate the fabric. My distributor can receive the fabric three ways: precut packaged bolts; full bolts; and, directly from the printer unfolded on large tubes. With the full bolts and large tubes, my distributor unwinds the fabric onto huge tables and cuts off my smaller lengths and rewinds them onto a blank cardboard insert, or cuts my length, folds the fabric and rewinds it onto the blank insert. These last two processes can have an impact and here are images to prove it.

In the first image, the red arrows points to how the fabric has been folded. Obviously, this can affect how the print pattern lines up width-wise. It is usually worse at the beginning of the bolt, so I cut the first half metre off and set it aside for my scanning and it goes into my own stash. After that, I will unroll a metre of so and try to even up the that fold as best I can and hope it will now be somewhat consistent with what remains on the bolt (and I will keep checking with each cut). I then square up the cut end and if there is an obvious stripe to the pattern I line up the ruler marks at the same time, cut and hope for the best.

Now, for some inexplicable reason, I have been getting my last few shipments of fabric wound backwards on the bolts; maybe they are all left-handed in the warehouse?...LOL. I will have to call and ask about this - it's on my list. In the meantime, after squaring up the end, I have to flip over the bolt and line the end with the cutting mat grid. For my strips and squares, I line up the ruler slightly beyond the 10" mark and see if I am following the print.

 Working this way, I have decided to concentrate on the "warp" or the lengthwise threads which is the "straight of grain". Anyone who has sewn their own clothes knows that the "straight of grain" is critical to how clothing hangs and old habits die hard. Besides, it is impossible for me to guarantee that both the width and length are in perfect alignment.

Starting with the Cocoa Express, Ravenwood and Indigo Berries 5" x 10" strip packs, the 10" side is along the straight of grain. With the 10" x 10" squares, two sides will be along the straight of grain  and you will be able to discover which by looking at the pattern.  By knowing this, you can choose how to place your appliqué templates. The 'straight of grain' has the least stretch and is therefore the most stable direction (this is why patterns recommend you cut your quilt borders length-wise). If you are using these strips and squares for piecing, again you can decide how to rotary cut so that you have this stability where it is needed most.