Defining the Grains - of Quilting Fabric, that is.

Maybe you've heard about straight grain, cross grain and bias cuts of fabric, and wondered what it is all about.

Here is a brief description of what it all is and what it means in the quilting world.

When fabric is woven, manufacturers place the lengthwise threads (warp) tightly in their loom, to prevent stretching which would cause the fabric to be mis-shapen.

The crosswise threads (weft) are then woven into the lengthwise threads. However, they are not stitched as tightly as the lengthwise threads, allowing some "give" in the finished fabric.

Selvedges are created as the crossgrain threads are woven back and forth through the straightgrain (lengthwise). The selvedge is extremely tightly woven, and often has the name of the manufacturer printed, as shown in the picture below.

The bias is a 45º angle cut between the cross grain and the lengthwise grain of the fabric. Although it may look somewhat confusing in the photograph above, bias can be cut in either direction.

A true bias is cut at a 45º angle, however, cutting at a 30º or 60º angle to make triangles or diamonds will also result in a bias cut.

The bias has the most stretch, and fabric cut on the bias frequently used for binding and decorative fabric. Bias can be easily used for making circles, squiggles, and zigzags.

Happy Quilting!

Penny is a quilter of more than 24 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

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©2006, Penny Halgren

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