Quilting Rulers 411

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Do you ever get to the quilting ruler isle and your head starts to spin, feel a little woozy, or just break into a sweat?……Well, don’t panic!

We are gonna break it down for you.

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Some basic ruler info:

1.They align and hold fabric firmly to your cutting mat for proper cutting and measuring.

2. Made of acrylic and are see-thru. If too thin, rotary cutter would jump the edge and…you could be visiting the E.R. with a finger in your pocket.

3. Printed vs. Laser Cut. Markings can be printed, or laser cut. Laser cut is more accurate.

4. The more markings the better. Thin lines that measure down to 1/8″ are great.

5. Grip is good. One side may be rougher for more grip on your mat. Rubber pads or sandpaper discs can be added to help.

6. Consistency within a project can help. Different brands can vary, so use the same rulers during a project.

Here are some popular brands available:

OmniGrid, OmniGrip, June Tailor, Quilt in a Day, Fons and Porter, Get Squared, Creative Grids

3 basic patchwork rulers you can’t live without are:

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• 6 x 24– this long ruler covers the WOF and keeps you from having to fold the fabric to get a nice straight cut. You will also use it for just about anything you need to cut or measure. Some like to also have a 6 x 12 for a shorter ruler when the length is not needed. 30/45/60 degree lines marked.

6.5 X 6.5– great for squares and triangle squares, diagonal markings. Common smaller block size. The one in the pic above has an additional square size in the center…bonus!

12.5 x 12.5– this one is also great for squares and triangle squares, includes all smaller square sizes, and is a common larger block size. And, yes it does include the 6.5 x 6.5, but is a lot bigger so having the smaller is still beneficial.

 

Specialty Rulers???

These are rulers for……yes, you guessed it…special shapes and projects!

The list of specialty rulers can be never ending, but here are some basic categories and examples.

strip cutting– ShapeCut, ShapeCut Pro♥

triangles– HST, QST, flying geese, setting triangles, corner triangles

1/4″- marking…1/4″ seams, straight lines

circles-will need 18 or 28mm rotary cutter

wedge-Dresden plate, tree skirt

wave edge– scallop borders

shapes– apple core/axe head, tumbler, hexagon, diamond

Just in case you wanted to know…my favorite specialty ruler is the ShapeCut Pro! I can cut all my strips in a jiffy and even whip up my own “sassy” jelly roll!

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Happy Measuring and Cutting! Safety First:)

What’s your favorite ruler???

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Comments

  1. The first long ruler covers the WOF. What’s a WOF? I’m pretty sure it isn’t a dog barking. ;). If the answer is soooo obvious, please bear in mind I’m writing this at 5:30 in the am.

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