Get your fabric on grain and prepare for cutting and sewing

Should you wash your fabric before sewing? Learn 3 reasons you should! What is fabric grain? Learn all about lengthwise grain vs crosswise grain, plus how to find the grainline on your fabric. Learn everything you need to know to prepare fabric before sewing.

7 Must Have Sewing Tools: Confused about the tools you need to get started? This helpful PDF guide from Sew Sew Lounge details the basic tools you need to start sewing now. Buy the essentials and stop wasting money on tools you won't use right away.

Click here to sign-up for your free guide:

Hi, I'm Toni! Welcome to Sew Sew Lounge! I teach sewists basic sewing techniques to build skills and grow. Learn to sew one pattern at a time.

I started sewing in college when I majored in Textile & Apparel Design. There were years of sewing disasters and embarrassing low grades. Learning to sew was a long process of trial and error...LOTS of errors...and seam ripping! But after all that I can now sit down and sew commercial patterns and ones I’ve designed myself.

At Sew Sew Lounge, you'll find step-by-step beginner sewing techniques, tips, and all the info you need to start sewing and lay the groundwork to sew whatever you want!

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:07 Welcome to Sew Sew Lounge
0:16 Why you should wash, dry, and iron your fabric
0:30 What is sizing?
1:18 Get your fabric on grain
1:26 How fabric is made
2:10 Why you need to know about fabric grain
2:38 What happens to a garment when the fabric isn't on grain
3:36 How to get fabric on grain
3:58 Close-up cutting across selvage
4:45 Tear across the width of fabric
5:38 Fabric tears along the true grain line
6:38 Iron the top edge of fabric
7:48 Fold fabric in half across width to match selvage
8:16 Pin selvage together while keeping top edge lined up
9:36 Continue to pin down the length of fabric
10:58 Iron fabric, pushing towards fold
12:26 Close-up bottom edge of fabric
13:10 Cutting the yardage you need of a project
14:46 Buy a regular yardstick and mark 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 etc. to measure fabric
16:16 Cut across selvage to tear fabric to 1 1/4 yard
17:30 Conclusion

[saraaronzon]

I’m a newbie, so much to learn and I’m 65 ❤. So glad I found you, am thanking you with all my heart ;)

[sewlady]

Hi Toni, thanks for that video. I've been sewing since I was 8 (70 years! I'm 78 & sewing is part of who I am.) I have reorganized my sewing studio including rewashing my fabrics that were hanging on hangers in my 2 closets. While refolding a beautiful print I discovered that it was totally off-grain since it's at least 3 yds. long I didn't want to pull threads, so I was looking for one that had the tearing method, yours was the only video of several that had what I wanted & you pronounced "selvage" correctly! The others pronounced it " salvage" I wouldn't be able to watch more of those videos! So I'll join your FB group.

[clare]

Oh that was very useful and helpful, thank you for taking the time to explain about the grain. I’m new to sewing and wondered why ‘the grain’ is often talked about and I simply ignored any mention of it ! Now I know. 😄

[LizMapes-hh]

This was very helpful. Thank you for going into detail and modeling what we are to do. It's been about 40 years since I took home ec and haven't sewn much since then. Now I am starting again.

[Rima-vjtp]

Thank you for this video, very helpful! I cheered when you tore across the top of the fabric to straighten it and said, "So satisfying!". Yes! A girl after my own heart! ❤ But I cringed when you tore across the bottom😢 I like to keep as much extra fabric that I can intact. It is amazing what can be done with a little creative pattern placement to get another project out of the leftover fabric. I know you were doing it to demonstrate, so I understand. 😊

[wdrqzro]

Hey Toni! Is getting on grain important for non-apparel items as well, or is it mainly for clothing?

[catherinem]

Well I did this as instructed and it ruined my fabric. Not sure what I did wrong. I am attempting to make a take home Baby outfit and I’m due in 2 weeks. Been watching your videos and haven’t made a single move except this. I am trying to learn as I have zero zero knowledge

[marlenejones]

Can I wash my fabric by hand? I have to pay for my laundry down the hall. I want to, get my fabric washed but I can't spend a fortune on it. I have a dark fabric now and a light. I don't want any fading onto my lighter one

[pamelalc]

sorry, I do not understand. First of all I don't know why it has to be on grain. I have watched so many sewing videos and not one mentioned on grain, second how do I know when it is on grain. I doubt I will get a response. I will check if there are other videos

[dcwatashi]

So yes, your video was very helpful. Great lighting, great audio, but is there any chance you can put a bobby pin in your hair so your hair doesn’t keep falling in your face? You have such a pretty face, but your hair that kept falling was a little bit distracting. Just trying to be honest.😂❤