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It may seem like a startling motion, and the tearing sound can be unnerving, especially to those new to sewing. But, truing is a technique widely used in professional sewing. It is squaring up woven fabric according to the warp and weft, which should be perpendicular to one another.

Say you were sewing dinner napkins or a set of curtains. Squaring up or truing your grain lines will make your fabric appear more square rather than a parallelogram or have squiggly, uneven edges. 

The bottom edge of the fabric may look straight but the stray weft yarns indicate the fabric was not cut accurately on the crosswise grain.

When we think we’re cutting a straight line across the crosswise grain of a woven fabric with a ruler and rotary cutter, we often end up slashing between the weft yarns causing the unsightly uneven edge. This is all about the anatomy of the fabric. The yarns need to be perpendicular, and straightening the edges simply won’t achieve that. Yarns that are not perpendicular may result in a distorted and skewed final piece after washing.

Snipped the bottom left with scissors, then torn across, reveals the true crosswise grain.

Snip about 1 to 2 inches perpendicular to the selvedge and a few inches off your crosswise cut edge, then pull it apart until you reach the opposite end. You may need some force!

Repeat if truing the selvedge or grainline—snip parallel to the selvedge.

You’ll notice that the torn edge will have some shifting, rippling, or rolling. This can be corrected by pressing the edges flat with some steam and stretching the opposite corners or the bias from side to side until you’ve manipulated the woven yarns to lie 90-degrees to one another.

Some fabrics may even look more diagonal and crooked after truing, but that’s not to say that the fabric has not been squared. Fabrics in a bolt can become distorted while in storage, or it was woven poorly. However, applying heat and steam with gentle stretching on the biases to manipulate and realign the weave should correct this.

Ripping a woven fabric to true is easier on plain woven fabrics. A twill weave might be tricker but not entirely impossible. It would be a matter of testing a little area first before tearing the entire grain line.

Depending on the thickness, you may need to apply more force. Though, with some lighter, more delicate fabrics like chiffon or organza, you may need to pull out one of the weft yarns to reveal a straight crosswise grain to have a controlled true.

Choose a strand of yarn on the grain line you wish to true and pull it out of the weave. It may be time-consuming, though it gives the cleanest results. Once removed, you can cut along the opening.

We don’t necessarily need to true every woven fabric we come across. It will need to be determined by the project. If sewing a garment, truing is essential, as it helps with the pattern layout and, once sewn, with the drape of the garment. Though if sewing a tote bag, it won’t be necessary.

Truing all sides may result in some fabric loss, so be prepared! Always purchase at least 1/4 to 1/2 yard extra fabric.

Many sewists don’t bother with truing, and there isn’t a firm rule on when to do it. However, if you want to ensure your project comes out as best as possible, true your fabric!

Happy Sewing!

Carla

Beginner's Sewing Course Instructor

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