What is the grain of fabric? What is the grainline? And how to find and use it!

So just what is the grain line in fabric? Is it important? How do you use it with a pattern? These are all the things we are going to cover in today's video.

The GRAIN of the fabric is the directions that the threads/yarns run that actually make up the fabric.

Let's explain a little further. Fabric is made up of lengths of yarns (yarns are like strands of threads) that are woven into each other to create the fabric.

If you think of a basket how it is woven one over, one under, fabric is just like this. You have lengthwise yarns and then crosswise yarns that are woven into each other to create the fabric.

The direction of these yarns is the grain  of the fabric. More about this is explained in the video

It is very important to know what the straight grain is so that when you cut patterns you can use the grainline to get all sides looking even. For example if you cut the left side on straight grain and the right side on bias grain, they would hang completely differently! Not what you are after!

Watch the video for a more in depth look at how to find the grain line and why it is important!

And remember to look at all the other sewing terms in the series so you can learn to speak dressmaker!

Until next time...
Bye

Evelyn  xx