Selvage, Crosswise Grain, and Bias

Before I dive into a later post about how to read a pattern I figured it might be more important to know some of the terms as it relates to fabric and also how to think about prints as it relates to a pattern before diving right in. So without further ado.

Selvage is the ends of your fabric that is opposite the fold when they cut your fabric at the cutting counter. It might show the brand of the fabric and companion colors and has little bubbling on it to keep the ends from fraying. You might think of this as the lengthwise grain. If you were to put your fingers on the fabric and try to stretch it - it would not move at all (unless it was a stretch fabric but that's a whole different story for another time.) Think of it like the X-axis on a grid.

Crosswise grain is the width of fabric from the selvage to the fold. If you were to put your fingers on the fabric and try to stretch it, it might move a little but not a lot. This is important when cutting apparel fabric as you want the most amount of give to be going around you rather than going up or down and making an uneven hem. Think of it like the Y-axis on a grid.

Bias is the 45 degree angle between selvage and the cross-grain that offers the greatest amount of stretch if you were to try and pinch it between your fingers. Pay attention to your pattern pieces they will have arrows for up and down and they may have you place your piece diagonally to benefit from this stretch. If you fail to follow directions with this it could be that your piece will be too small to fit you so definitely pay attention to your arrows and any cutting layouts they provide to you. This is greatly beneficial to know if you decide to make your own bias piping or bias tape (more on that another time.)

Let me know in the comments below if there are any sewing terms you'd like clarified!