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Member since 3/26/17
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Posted on: 4/12/19 7:11 AM ET
Hello PR friends,

I was watching a documentary of the making of the Dior Couture collection Spring/Summer 2011.

A woman was cutting a piece of fabric to send for 'pleating' and they clipped the selvages because otherwise the fabric wouldn't shrink evenly....

This was such a simple tip, but a real 'Aha!' moment for me. Yes, I did notice that the selvages come out wavy after washing and better to stay clear of them when laying out pattern pieces. But never did I think of actually clipping the actual selvages.

Am I a dummy? Do you all do this for years and years? And then why didn't anyone tell me??
  
Member since 12/8/04
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Posted on: 4/12/19 7:35 AM ET
I never heard of this either.
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height 5'2" bust 36, waist 31, hip 39.
I have way too many yards to count, and I will never use them up, but I will die trying!
  
Member since 1/27/15
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Posted on: 4/12/19 7:36 AM ET
In reply to tinnibinni
I have never heard of this either. I learned at a sewing class years ago to clip the selvage before sewing with the fabric, or else it might not lie flat on the cutting table.
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Posted on: 4/12/19 7:52 AM ET
I can’t recall when I learned to clip or sometimes remove the selvage edge, but yes, do so. When possible, I just rip the selvage off.

For those in the early stages of sewing, the selvage is woven tighter than the body of the fabric. There is often a tiny ripple at the fabric edge whether youprewash your fabric or not. It is due to the way the fabric is woven tighter at its edges.


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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

“Be curious, not judgmental.” Ted Lasso
  
Member since 10/17/14
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Posted on: 4/12/19 8:08 AM ET
In reply to tinnibinni
Great tip, thank you! I can see that this step will really help with fabric prep and cutting. Simple too. And no, it's not you, I have been sewing for years and I never heard of this, nor did I ever figure it out for myself.
  
Member since 2/4/17
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Posted on: 4/12/19 8:16 AM ET
When you clip instead of removing the salvage, is it every so many inches, half inch, or quarter of an inch?
  
Member since 1/12/04
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Posted on: 4/12/19 8:20 AM ET
In reply to tinnibinni
If you’re a dummy then so am I. I can see how it would be useful sometimes, but maybe it depends on the fabric as to whether or not an unclipped selvedge prevents even shrinkage. I just prewashed some rayon/nylon ponte and the whole piece shrank by 10%, selvedge and all. The selvedge is still flat. Actually the whole piece is still flat, just 18 cm shorter!

At Dior there is probably no time to shrink a fabric for the second time if the first one did not come out evenly, but if it appeared to me that the selvedge seemed to prevent even shrinkage on a piece I’m working with, and if I couldn’t avoid the edges, I would just deal with it then.

Iow, this has never been a problem for me with the types of fabrics I work with and I have always done what you do. So, carry on...

(I do clip the corners off my woven fabrics before washing, though. This greatly reduces the amount of fraying on the cut edges. I used to serge them, but now I only serge the really ravelly ones.)

ETA: Correction: I just went into my sewing studio and looked again at my length of ponte, and the selvedges are indeed a bit rippled. So I guess I am so used to this that it really didn’t register. When I cut out the pattern pieces I will just stay away from the very edge of the fabric. I don’t think I want to start clipping those edges because I depend on them to establish grain; I’d rather accept a little rippling than mess up grain. But, to each her own.


-- Edited on 4/12/19 at 8:44 AM --
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Canada Plant Hardiness Zone 5b
USDA Zone 4
  
Member since 11/5/13
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Posted on: 4/12/19 8:31 AM ET
In reply to mhk
You don't staystitsh the cut edges? If not, exactly what does "clip the corners" mean?

Not to worry--I am goin for my second cuppa--it's still early, I might wake up soon!
  
Member since 1/12/04
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Posted on: 4/12/19 8:48 AM ET
In reply to alpenrose
No I don’t stitch the cut edges of fabric before washing. Clipping corners just means cutting off a triangle from each corner, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inches, on wovens only.

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Canada Plant Hardiness Zone 5b
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Posted on: 4/12/19 8:57 AM ET
That surely is a lot easier than stay stitching the cut edges.
  
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