If there's one thing I learned from four arduous semesters earning my fashion draping certificate, it's that a fabric's grain is one of the most important factors in the way a garment hangs.

Grain is basically the threads, lengthwise and crosswise, in woven fabric.

There is a lengthwise grain -- the threads that run along the selvage (the long edge of the fabric). And there is a crosswise grain which runs perpendicular to the selvage.

If you tear your fabric along the grain line (it will tear easily and quickly), the lengthwise threads on the tear line will be long, while the crosswise threads will be shorter and fuzzy. (Here's a great explanation of grain.)

If a garment doesn't hang right, it doesn't look right, and grain is what makes the difference.

My mother, an accomplished seamstress, would shudder to think how little I thought about grain when I first started sewing.

Oh, sure, I would measure from the grain line mark (a long straight arrow) on the pattern piece to the selvage and make sure that the two were more or less parallel, but I didn't think about what the grain of the fabric really meant.

You make that measurement because you want that lengthwise grain to be straight, which makes your garment hang properly. And if there's one thing that I can pass on to beginners, it's that your projects will look so much better if you pay close attention to the grain.

When you drape a garment on a dress form, everything is similarly based on that plumb line of the center front and center back of the garment -- the line that is exactly perpendicular to the floor, and which you normally want the lengthwise grain to be parallel to.

Fabric can often get distorted during the production process and may not come off the bolt with the grain perfectly straight. It's critical for fabric to be on grain for a sewing or draping project.

To check the grain properly, take some time to prepare your muslin or cloth pattern by stretching the cotton fabric into a square of perfect right angles. Once the tiny right angles appear, the grain is straight. Learn more about getting your fabric on grain here.

Just this little precaution will make such a difference in your handmade garments and get you closer to sewing like a pro!

Amber Eden is the former editor-in-chief of Threads magazine and founding editor of SewStylish magazine and CraftStylish.com. She has studied draping and haute couture techniques at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and according to her, will probably be a student there for life.