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Rulers – The Essential Quilting Tool

You can’t quilt without them.. rulers! Since they are so important to our craft, I thought I would cover the types of rulers I use and some of the interesting specialty rulers too. Also, I will share tips on care and storage of rulers. Let’s get started!

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. Here’s a few of the ones I use a lot.

  • 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. 

There are square rulers of all different sizes, but I feel these three will cover the variety of block sizes I make and help me to determine that they measure up.

Specialty Rulers

I don’t use a lot of specialty rulers but I will show you a few that I like. First up is the Quilt in a Day Triangle Square-up Ruler.

This ruler is great for trimming half-square triangle (HST) squares before pressing them open, so you only have to trim two sides instead of four.

I simply place the line of the ruler that corresponds with the size of my HST square on the stitched seam and then trim. Then I press open the HST and it measures the correct size!

The next ruler I use is actually not a quilting ruler, but one that was designed for scrap booking.

With all the appliqué I do, both fabric and wool, I often need circles… accurate circles that I can not draw free hand. Trust me, this template ruler is great! I recommend using one of these if you do a lot of appliqué that uses circles in the design. It’s easier than rummaging through a drawer looking for an circular object to trace around!

There are a lot of specialty rulers on the market. Just be sure it’s a ruler you will use a lot before committing to spending the money. If a ruler is designed to make a specific type of block and you think you will make it over and over, it is definitely worth the money. Others may not be. The best advice I can give is borrow a specialty ruler from one of your quilting buddies before purchasing one to make sure you like it and the quilt blocks it creates.

If you have a specialty ruler you can’t live without, share in the comments below or on my Facebook page that shares this blog post.

Ruler Safety, Storage and Care

Of course to go along with a ruler blog post, I think it’s essential to talk about cutting safety. Also, storage and care for your rulers is important since they are not cheap.

  • Safety:

I speak from experience. I sliced off a small bit of my finger a few years back, so I want to share my safety tips.

Tip#1: Use safety items to help keep your hands safe. I use a “klutz” glove and have rotary cutter safety shields on my rulers (see photo below). These are optional, but I highly recommend them to add to your safety. The ruler guard prevents the blade of your rotary cutter from skipping up onto your ruler where your hand is.

The safety shields come only in a 22″ long size for the long ruler, but I bought extra and had them cut to size to fit my smaller rulers.

Tip #2: Keeping the ruler from shifting while you are cutting is also a safety step. A shifting ruler could also send your rotary cutter “off course” and headed for an unprotected hand. 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.

Tip#3: Finally, this may seem obvious, but I make sure to keep the rotary cutter closed and locked when not in use, even between cutting pieces. If I set it on the table, I close and lock it. This may seem like a simple thing to remember, but you would be surprised how many people have left their cutters open and then dropped it on their foot! Also it’s a good idea to do this so you, or someone else, doesn’t accidentally grab the blade side of the cutter.

  • Storage & Care:

Finally, storage and care are important for your rulers. Like I said earlier, rulers are expensive and you want to avoid having to replace them as much as possible. Here are some tips:

  • 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 can be found at any hardware store. Mine was meant for a garage, but it works in my sewing room.

If you do not have a dedicated sewing room to have wall storage like mine, you can hang your rulers from a hanger designed for ties:

Use a jump ring (you can find at craft stores) to hang the ruler from the existing hole. You can even store them slid under a bed with your cutting mat or flat on a closet shelf, be sure to cover them with an old sheet to keep dust off.

So that’s it for this week. Next week will be a special post as I am taking part in the SEWPink blog hop for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Click on the graphic above to be taken to the SEWPink page. There is a schedule of all the bloggers participating in this hop with clickable links to those who have already posted. There are some wonderful projects from these designers and I will have one next week!

See you next week,

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Fabric Cutting Tools and Tips for Quilters

The last few weeks we talked about squaring up fabric and cutting strips to make strip sets. This week, I want to cover fabric cutting in general,  specifically cutting mat, rotary cutter and ruler tips. Some of these tips you may already know but some may be new to you. Keeping your cutting supplies in good working order is important to making your cutting experience a good one. Let get started on this week’s tips.

Cutting Mats

Lines on the Cutting Mat: I have heard this advice and I am sure you have too. “Never use the lines on your cutting mat to cut fabric”. I don’t like absolute statements like that. There are times when it’s perfectly fine to use the lines on the mat, especially if you know they are accurate according to the ruler you use.

As you can see, my Creative Grids ruler lines line up with the 1/2″ and 1″ lines on my cutting mat. So, I can use my cutting mat with confidence as a measurement guide if something I am cutting exceeds the length of my 6 1/2 x 24 1/2″ ruler. I generally use my mat if I have a long strip to measure or when measuring a length of fabric. I also use the line on the bottom to line up my fabric when I am squaring it up (this is before I place the rulers for squaring).

As you can see in the photo above, I can tell that I matched up my selvages well in the first step of squaring fabric because the fold of my fabric lays smoothly and evenly along this bottom line.

Mat Maintenance: The caution for above falls under maintenance of your mat. The reason most say not to use the lines for cutting, especially over and over in the same place, is it can create a worn area even on your self-healing mat. Yes, even they can wear out! Rotate your mat often and avoid cutting in the same place. Some mats are even double sided so if yours is, flip it occasionally and use the other side. If you take care of your self-healing mat, it will last years. Here are more tips for cleaning and maintaining your mat:

  • You can remove bits of fabric fiber that get caught in cuts in your mat by rubbing a gum eraser (artist’s eraser) over sections you have just used to cut. You can also use a soft toothbrush. Make sure it’s soft so you don’t damage your mat.
  • You can also remove bits of fiber or lint from the surface by wrapping your hand in packing tape and lightly running it over the mat

You can see in the photo on the right all the lint I picked up!

  • Always store your mat flat. Now, you have no problem with that if you have a dedicated sewing space, but if you do not, be sure not to store your mat leaning against a wall or anywhere on end. This will cause your mat to bend out of shape and warp, possibly beyond repair. If you don’t have an area where you can lie it flat when not in use, consider hanging it in a closet using a skirt hanger:

I put a little piece of scrap batting over the top edge of the mat to protect it from the clips on the hanger.

  • Keep the mat away from extreme temperature changes, especially out of direct sunlight. Never iron on your mat.
  • Finally, you can moisturize your mat to keep it supple and healthy. Put 1/4 cut of white vinegar per gallon of cool water in a tub and soak the mat for about 15 minutes. Use a very soft toothbrush to remove the fiber bits. You can also add in a few drops of mild dish soap. Rinse with cool water, gently towel dry or lay it flat on a towel for drying.

Rotary Cutter

Safety first! The rotary cutter has a very sharp blade, as we know (I know from personal experience and a trip to the ER!). The first safety tip is to make sure you have a fresh blade. The blade might look good to the naked eye, but if you feel like you have to press down hard to cut through all the layers of fabric, it’s time to change the blade. Also, if you notice “skips” in the cutting, that’s another sign that your blade is dulling. Once you change the blade, store the used one in an empty rotary blade container marked “used blades”. Once it’s full, you can safely toss it away.

Also, a dull blade can also damage your cutting mat!

To make my cutting experience even safer, I never leave the blade open. Use the lock button as well so no one can accidentally open the cutter.

I also use a klutz glove and ruler safety shields on my rulers for added safety:

The safety shields come only in a 24″ long size for the long ruler, but I bought extra and had them cut to size to fit my smaller rulers.

Finally, anchoring the ruler correctly while cutting will keep your rotary cutter mistakes to a minimum. Tent your hand instead of laying it flat on the ruler. If you hand is flat on the ruler, there’s more of a chance of you pushing the ruler out of place. The tenting of your hand focuses your pressure down to keep the ruler in place.

There are tools like this Little Gripper that helps you get a better grip on your ruler if you are unable to tent your hand with enough pressure.

Rulers

Using the Ruler: When it comes to cutting, most of us know about the straight lines and a basic reading of a ruler. But there are other markings on the ruler that can come in handy. I’m using my favorite rulers, Creative Grid, for these examples. Here’s a few of these markings:

  • You can use the ruler to find the center of a piece of fabric or block by using the markings on the ruler. Those intersecting white lines and the circle where they meet is the exact center of this ruler shown below. This comes in handy when squaring up blocks or when you are fussy cutting a piece of fabric.
  • The 45 degree line comes in handy when you are trimming a half-square or quarter-square triangle squares. Place the 45 degree ruler line on the diagonal seam of your square to guarantee that you are trimming the square evenly on all sides. The 45 degree line also comes in handy when cutting bias strips to make bias binding or for making stems for appliqué motifs.
  • Use the extra lines between the 1″ lines to quickly identify where to place your ruler. On the Creative Grids ruler, notice the lines between the inches are different lengths. The 1/8″ lines are slightly shorter than the 1/4″ lines and the 1/2″ line is longer than both of those (see photo below). This helps you find measurements like 2 3/8″ and 3 3/4″ quickly on the ruler.

Caring for Your Rulers:

  • 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 or 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.

If you don’t have a dedicated sewing space where you can mount something to the wall, you can store your rulers hanging from a hanger:

So that’s it for this week. With all this information on cutting mats, rotary cutters and rulers, you should be ready to get cutting! Leave me a comment or ask any questions below and be entered into a drawing for a 6 1/2″ square Creative Grids ruler! 

Also share some of your cutting mat, rotary cutter and ruler tips. You never know where you can pick up a great tip!

The drawing will be on Monday, August 30th. Good luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Karen!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne