How to Prepare Fabric for Sewing Projects

[meryl]

Thanks so much. I haven't sewn since I was about 14 and that was 50 years ago. This is so helpful.

[emilyallen]

What is it about this woman that I absolutely love!?!? I could listen to her teach me all day! And God knows I need all the instruction I can get!

[TheDailySew]

@Majoofi hello, My work table is actually a hollow interior slab door with two layers of thin quilt batting and one layer of muslin over that. I staple gunned the batting and the muslin to the underside of the door/table. The padding let's me iron on it. The size of it let's me lay out my fabric for cutting and drafting. I love working on this surface. I was recently thinking of adding a little more batting but the two layers are adequate.

[bananababy]

This helped so much! I have a difficult fabric that isn't laying flat and I needed advice on how to get it to lay flat. Thank you!

[chinewmarie]

Thank you for this information. I did have problems lining my selvages evenly. I attempted to straighten them by pulling on the bias angle and that only helped a little bit, however I think it may have been the fabric I bought (very cheap) from Walmart! lesson learned for me.

[clarathiry]

thank you for this!!!! I am appreciate you being so explicit.

[TheDailySew]

That's correct you do not have to have the cut ends even with each other. The different pattern pieces you cut out need to fit completely on both the top & bottom layer of your folded fabric. It's rare that a pattern piece goes across the entire cross grain in a straight line (ruffles, tiers of a tiered skirt, a boxy skirt front or back are the only garments I can think of this happening). Even then you'll be ok if your fabric is smooth & selvages are lined up & pattern fits on both layers.

[BellaJae]

Omg thank you so much for explaining what is a nap and the differences too. I had no clue.

[alfredaswinney]

Thank you, you make it so/sew☺ easy..very good tips. ..please bring more...☺☺☺great .!

[chinewmarie]

So I don't have to cut the "cut ends" to make them even? like when quilting fabric? Do I just make sure the selvages are lined up correctly? Am I understanding this right?

[prodigalus]

lol!! i love the first few seconds. 😂😂❤

and thank you for all this info. i needed it. we all do. 😊

[subliminalphish]

what about the stretching on the diagonal to straighten the grain line of fabrics?

[golderB]

so helpful. Do you have any words of wisdom if just making curtains, and lining up the non selvedge edges before cutting the material? There's a lot of material and I really do not want to do the stretching technique. Thank you.

[Majoofi]

what kind of surface are you working on?

[gsohnly]

do I have to wash the fabric if it's going to be a coat? coats usually are usually dry cleaned and I just cut out a bunch of the pattern :(

[TheDailySew]

The cheaper fabrics are produced with cheaper thread so you're more likely to have the warp threads (lengthwise on the loom) skewed as they just don't stand up to the tension on the loom. There's really no fixing it so just pull the fabric across the bias (as you did) and steam that sucker until you can get it as straight as possible. Sometimes you can get a good deal with cheap fabric but learning a lesson is important too - I just hate the costly lessons.

[Mamahubes]

You need to fold it with the wrong side out. You never cut a commercial pattern on the public side of the fabric because when you mark it you can end up with stray markings, especially if you use waxy tailor's chalk.