Fabric grain and stretch for sashiko
A woven cloth has lengthwise warp yarns and crosswise weft yarns. The diagonal crosses both. Before marking a pattern or cutting a patch, observe the directions on the actual material and keep it in its relaxed shape.
In this article
See the three directions
Sources: Cotton Incorporated: warp, weft and woven fabric construction
Compare the movement gently
Find the yarn directions
Use a visible selvedge or inspect the weave. Do not assume a cut edge or printed stripe follows a straight yarn.
Handle a scrap in each direction
Apply only a gentle pull and release. Observe whether it returns to shape; do not stretch the project to make a drawn grid square.
Plan patch placement
Compare the patch’s movement with the garment in the intended orientation. Keep care and layering differences in mind as well as direction.
A knit is a different structure
Looped knitted fabric should not be treated as a woven warp/weft grid. If a garment depends on stretch at the repair, a dense rigid stitched patch may change its movement. Test the actual layered area and do not promise preserved stretch from a drawing.