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The day I stopped ignoring grain direction in fabric cutting
Been sewing for about 4 years and always just cut patterns any which way to save material. Last month I made a skirt from a linen blend and the left panel literally hangs 2 inches lower than the right after one wash. That's when my grandma pointed out I'd been cutting against the grain the whole time. Anyone else have a basic technique they ignored until it ruined a project?
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brians2721d ago
Read somewhere that grain direction affects way more than just how fabric hangs, it also changes how the seams hold up over time. Apparently cutting off-grain can cause puckering and weird stretching that you don't notice until after a few washes. Your skirt thing makes total sense now that I think about it.
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ross.jason21d ago
Yeah have you ever seen what happens with like a cheap t-shirt that twists after a few washes? Thats exactly what cutting off-grain does, that fabric just pulls weird. I remember reading some old sewing blog back when I was trying to hem a pair of work pants, and the lady explained how the weave has those straight lines and if you cut crosswise it creates all these tension points. The puckering really sneaks up on you too, not just right away but like after a couple trips through the dryer it all settles in wrong. Seems like such a small thing but it really decides how long something holds together.
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