Quilt in a Day Forums

Does it bother any of you when you unfold a fat quarter at home and find a large (almost an inch) salvage that you have to throw away and your fat quarter is not fat any more.

I think all of my fat quarters have a selvage on one edge. It doesn't bother me - I just whack it off and get on with it.

As long as you have an 18x22" piece of usable fabric, then it's OK. Amie

I don't always get the selvedge. More times than not, It isn't there. If it is, I just treated it like I usually do and cut if off.

I never measured to see if I still have a fat quarter left after I remove the selvage. Hmmmm

What really bugs me is:
I buy a wide backing fabric (not from QIAD I might add!) and get it home and they have cut it so crooked that it isn't wide enough after all!
AND:
I buy a set of charms that is suppose to have a certain number and find three of them are only half pieces. (again...NOT from QIAD).
I have had only good luck ordering from Quilt in a Day....I have learned my lesson!
Susie

A fat quarter is by definition a piece of fabric half a yard by half a width. That would include the selvage and should always measure 18" by half of the width of the fabric - sometimes that is as little as 20", but usually 22".

You know, back in the day before rotary cutters, the fabric stores always "ripped" the fabric instead of cutting. That way you knew for sure that you were getting the right amount. Today I always ask for an extra 1/4 yd. to make up for the horrible cutting jobs they do.

100% cotton will tear right on the grainline with no problem. Sometimes the pattern of the fabric was printed on and not woven in, so not always straight... so that was a problem, but if you wanted it to "hang" right when you wore it or hung it, you had to be sure to cut it on the grainline not for the fabric's print.

I still rip my fabrics because I can't get that durn cutter to cut strips without a big V. El used to tell us to rip our strips in her first books. Except for being very stringy, it works well for me.

I find myself ripping a lot just because the fabric is never straight...

To grammiequilts, regarding your FQ salvage question; I also had the same problem, so what I did to get around this is to just buy 1/4 yard. I have all the fabric I need and the salvage is no longer a problem; and for me, the price is still the same as a FQ.