Fabric & Materials
Grain Line
The direction of the warp and weft threads in a woven fabric.
Grain line refers to the direction of the threads in woven fabric. The lengthwise grain runs parallel to the selvage and has minimal stretch; the crossgrain runs perpendicular to the selvage and has slight give. The bias runs at 45 degrees to both and stretches significantly. Cutting patches on the straight grain (lengthwise or crossgrain) ensures stability. For quilt blocks, placing the straight grain along the outer edges of the block is ideal. Misaligned grain lines can cause blocks to distort even when sewn correctly.
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