Ruler Tips & Facts to Get Ready to Quilt!

Next week, I am beginning my Block of the Week sew along series that will result in a wall hanging or give you a jumping off point for a charming large sampler quilt. I will share tips each week and a little quilt block history too! To get ready for this sew along, I am going to review some ruler tips & facts  to help you to accurately cut fabric and keep yourself safe.  Let’s have some fun!

Ruler Sizes & Types

Here’s a photo of my most used rulers:

These are my favorite sizes. The long 6 1/2 x 24 1/2″ ruler is great for cutting long strips from yardage. I use the 6 1/2 x 12 1/2″ ruler next to it to help square up yardage and also for cutting strips from smaller pieces of fabric like fat 1/4s, fat 1/8s and layer cakes. The 6 1/2 square ruler is used to help square up those smaller fats and also to square up smaller blocks.. Finally, I keep my 4 1/2″ square ruler by my sewing machine to measure block units as I complete them to make sure they are the accurate size.

My favorite brand of ruler is Creative Grid. I like them because they are clear so it’s easier to see the fabric beneath and also because of their markings. 

• The markings between to 1″ lines are different lengths which I think helps me to read the ruler more quickly and accurately while I am cutting.

Notice how the 1/8″ lines are slightly shorter than the 1/4″ lines and the 1/2″ line is longer than both of those. This helps me find odd measurements like 2 3/8″ and 3 3/4″ quickly on the ruler.

• I also like that the numbers go in both directions so no matter how the ruler is turned, they are easy to read.

Finally, I have an array of square rulers from the smaller 4 1/2″ and 6 1/2″ ones already pictured to a 9 1/2″, 12 1/2″ and 16 1/2″ square. These rulers are great to measure completed blocks to make sure they measure the size they are supposed to be. They also help me cut larger squares that are needed for setting triangles for on-point quilts.

There are square rulers of all different sizes, but I use these the most for the variety of block sizes I make to help me square them up and measure correctly.

Ruler Safety Tips & Use

You will be cutting a lot of pieces for the upcoming Block of the Week blocks, so making sure your cutting safely and accurately is important.

Safety First. Safety with rulers can be achieved by using those “klutz” gloves you see in quilt shops. I also use the safety shields made by Olipfa that you see on my rulers in the photos below. 

I’ve had a cutting accident with the rotary cutter in the past, so that’s why I try to be super safe cutting. The safety shield only comes in a 24″ length for the longer ruler, but I ordered additional ones and had them cut to size to fit my smaller rulers. This shield keeps my hand away from the rotary blade if it happens to come over the ruler’s edge.

Another good safety feature that is built right into Creative Grid rulers: they have gripper dots and strips embedded on the back for less slipping. No need to buy anything to add to the bottom of the ruler.

Accurate Cutting: Remember that old adage “measure twice, cut once”? There are times that I have thought I was cutting a 2 1/2″ strip when I really had the ruler lined up for a 2 1/4″ cut … I was in a hurry and didn’t check!

Always line up the ruler with the edge of your fabric and double check that your ruler is placed correctly. Also make sure it’s not crooked. To help with that use some painter’s tape on the ruler’s measurement line, especially if you are cutting a lot of strips.

This next tip can fall under the category of accuracy and safety. Make sure you are holding your rotary cutter correctly while cutting. It should be straight and hugging the edge of your ruler all the way through the cut you are making. You want your rotary cutter straight like the photo on the left (below). If you angle it like the photo on the right (below), the blade of the rotary cutter can wander away from the edge of the ruler and your strip will be cut inaccurately. And, of course, always cut away from your body.

Finally, Keeping the ruler from shifting while you are cutting is also an accuracy step. A shifting ruler could send your rotary cutter “off course” and ruin your piece of fabric. Even pressure from your hand holding the ruler keeps it from shifting.

“Tent” your hand as shown in the photos above with your pinkie on the edge to keep the ruler from moving. If you place your hand flat on the ruler, you may inadvertently push the ruler forward. Tenting your hand makes the pressure your are exerting go down instead of forward. When you are cutting a long strip, you may want to stop briefly and move your hand up the ruler so you can keep the pressure even through the entire cutting of the strip.

Ruler Maintenance and Storage

Finally, your rulers need to be maintained and stored properly to keep them in tip top shape. Here’s some tips for that:

• Clean your rulers periodically by dusting with a soft cloth. Do not use anything abrasive, like paper towels, that can scratch the ruler surface and make the markings harder to read. Also don’t use any cleaning solution with bleach or ammonia. If you need to use a cleaning solution, use those that are meant for plexiglass.
• Store your rulers, like your cutting mat, away from direct sunlight and not in areas of your home with extreme temperature changes.
• Finally, make sure to store your rulers securely. If you drop them or they fall from a storage area, they will chip or break. I hang my rulers on a peg board that you can find at any hardware store. Mine was meant for a garage, but it works in my sewing room.

So that’s it for this week. I hope this review of ruler facts & tips helps you to cut out your next quilt with more accuracy and safely. If you are a beginner, I hope this helps ease some stress when cutting into your new fabric.

Join me next week for the beginning of the Block of the Week for 2024. The block patterns will all be free and at the end of the series I will have a free setting pattern for the blocks. However, you can use them any way you want.

See you next week!

Happy Quilting,
Deanne