The grainline you’ll see most often when cutting out your pattern is the one that runs parallel to the selvage. To find this lengthwise grain of your fabric, line up the selvages with right sides together.
Considering this, what is the grain of the fabric?
Fabric grain refers to the direction of the warp and weft threads used in weaving the fabric. Straight grain is in the direction of the warp threads, which run parallel to the selvages, and cross grain runs in the direction of the weft threads, which run perpendicular to the selvage edges.
where is the selvage on fabric? Fabric selvage is the tightly woven edge that runs along each side of a piece of fabric’s lengthwise grain, which is also called the fabric’s warp. Selvage edges can be seen on the edges of quilting fabric that are at the top and bottom of a bolt of fabric. In Great Britain, the same term is often spelled “selvedge.”
Similarly, how can you tell if a fabric is off grain or grain?
When a fabric is “on-grain,” the lengthwise and crosswise threads are at an exact right angle to each other. Woven fabrics always follow the grain because they are made with the actual warp and weft threads. With wovens, when the grain is off, so is the pattern.
Should quilt borders be cut crosswise or lengthwise?
If one direction stretches more than the other, that is the crosswise grain. Using the lengthwise grain to your advantage will mean that when you are sewing the border strip to the quilt top, it will stretch less and you will minimize not having the end of the border strip not matching to the end of the quilt top.