selvedge?

[Dixiecat]

Ok. So, totally normal then. Nothing that needs 'fixing'. This is the way fabric is when bought.

The cut ends are where the fabric has been cut from the bolt. Just imagine a roll of toilet paper. Your fabric comes on a roll (or bolt). The 55" ends are the ends of 'sheets'.

You'll need to either hem it or bind the edges.

[The Wizard of BC]

OK, this is normal. It is what we all start with.

If your fabric is 55" wide, how long is it?

[Barb T]

The cut ends are where the fabric has been cut from the bolt. Just imagine a roll of toilet paper. Your fabric comes on a roll (or bolt). The 55" ends are the ends of 'sheets'.

This is a great way to think about it. The "roll" was made on the loom with the warp threads parallel to the long dimension of the roll. The selvedge was made on the loom by sending the weft threads back and forth. As the weft wrapped around and went back the other way, it formed the selvedge edge that doesn't ravel. There isn't any way of weaving a piece with a selvedge parallel to the weft threads, only parallel to the warp threads. When you cut a length of fabric, you're cutting across the warp threads, and the cut edge will ravel.