Beginner quilter here. I had bought a rotary cutter & mat when I started but didn't have rulers. My wooden ruler is now nicely carved into a curve. It taught me the power of the rotary blade so I haven't (as yet) tried to cut myself. Thank you for this channel, I am learning lots!

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

Wow, I'm impressed that you used a wooden ruler and didn't cut yourself! Have fun quilting--glad to have part of the quilting family. :-)

My husband can't understand why I need so many different rulers but then when I ask why he needs so many different screwdrivers (or hammers or...you get the idea :-) ) he stops moaning for a week or two :-)

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

:-) When I worked in a quilt shop and women would talk about their husbands' grumbling, I would always ask what the husband's hobbies/interests were, from golf (which is probably even bigger where you live than here?) to woodworking to cars. It seemed to always come out that the quilting was the less expensive. :-) The heart wants what the heart wants, and for us it's fabric and tools and patterns. And ever it shall be. lol.

I'm going to update my comment for a couple of more rulers. (1) Quarter inch ruler....this allows you to set the center line on the diagonal and mark on each side...this is for folks who like to sew on a line as sometimes the center mark fades under the foot. (2) Wing Clipper Ruler for making Flying Geese. I recently had to make 160 Flying Geese for a quilt. I use the 4 at a time no waste method. Deb Tucker's ruler is a must have. It does multiple sizes (v. some that only do 2). Her method for construction and trim down is brilliant and every goose is cooked to perfection.

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

Yay! Thanks for the additional suggestions, Elle.

I like the clearly perfect slotted ruler for half square triangles. I use all the ones you discussed. Love the bloc loc for flying geese. Thanks for an excellent, well thought out informational video.

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

YES! Love the bloc-locs, and the Flying Geese set is fantastic--it makes it so easy to hit all the points perfectly. Thanks for watching ad commenting!

I have that very same ruler (5:27) - the one that you thought might have been Eleanor Burns. I love that ruler and still use it. Otherwise I love my creative grids, my Studio 180 (Deb Tucker) rulers, and the slotted stripology rulers. I, too, am a ruler freak!! And proud of it!

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

Ruler freaks unite, I say!!! Deb Tucker does have some pretty terrific rulers. I've made SO many LeMoyne Stars--the method and ruler make it so easy and fun.

@notesfromleisa-land

2 жыл бұрын

@@WarpedSpinster I have her ruler too, but I MADE MYSELF traditionally piece a LeMoyne Star to get it to finish perfectly. ( I also did some other nebbish pursuits such as working all the math out for all the different sizes of stars to get the components). Frankly, I like the traditional piecing finish better as there are less seams. (I don't put two HST's together to get a goose either!) It was a point of pride (and skill building for me)--it was a manifold hour investment though. Tip: if you oversize your square and triangle insets, and work from the y seam corner out, the block is almost a never fail. Also, if you look at S. Johnstone's Dutch Rose Carpenter Wheel (many years old), you will see her method of insetting that is easier than the traditional method..(sew off the seam but pull the corner of opposing seam away). That was a real game changer for me. If one were expert (I'm not) any method should be skillfully accomplished. For manifold biased seams (Flying geese, stars), I prefer a little room for error.

I have a bit of a ruler fetish (I like kitchen gadgets, pens and paper too!) Here are some thoughts. I agree on your GE Designs stripology ruler. I have the XL and it is a must have for cuttting strip sets accurately without picking up and replacing a ruler. They are straight and true. It is expensive, but worth every penny. I'll add a few rulers that I consider indispensable the basics square/rectangle rulers but will begin with a preamble: Some essential things that were not self evident to me in the beginning: For any ruler you are considering, you are balancing ease of view (e.g. marking type and frequency) with intended use and need for sizing/accuracy. For example, the Clearview 60 has markings as I note above PLUS the companion angle seam allowance. Not all 60 degree rulers have both. But, the lines can be kind of busy because it is in 1/8ths, and other rulers will have 1/4 inch markings or even half. You don't have as much flexibility with such sparsely marked rulers, but for more standardized "stuff" you have what you need without visual confusion of other lines. Further, worth noting that some triangle rulers have blunt tips and some pointy tips....make sure that if you are using a pattern you understand how the pattern maker sized the strips. Having said all that.... (1) Antler Designs Simple folded Corners Large---in addition to folded corners etc it doubles as a flying geese square up ruler (so many specialties for that). It has 1/4" 45 degree registration marks which allows it to be very useful. (2) CG folded corner clipper is what I use to join binding strips (to include the tails for the final) (though you could use a triangle ruler for this..but larger size). Cutting binding with included seam allowance (e.g. folded corner!) creates the most accurate and quickest way to create binding. No futzing about with right angles and hoping you sew straight to the corner. It also allows you to EASILY do a professional 45 degree final join. It is small and maneuverable (AD Simple FC does same but is large, though they also make a smaller one). (3) CG Diamond Dimensions ruler...great for cutting 45's accurately as there are 1/4" registration lines and you can line up straight and 45 for perfect cutting. Much easier than using a square ruler for this IMV. (4) Clearview 60 degree ruler...has more markings at 1/8" marks than any other. Allows you to do the companion 1/2 triangles as it has the centerline with the seam allowances. (5) Marti Michell's Deluxe corner trimmer..has holes to do any angle marking for making those dreaded Y seams in addition to trimming corners for everything, to include Peaky and Spike. (6) Good right (90 degree) triangle ruler (I have Omnigrid). I use this to square up my HST's using the seam line. Some misc comments: I have 2 June Tailor rulers and I find the quality is subpar (really cheap acrylic compared to others). But their price point is lower, and I respect that it may be more budget friendly. I am basically a two ruler cutter. I'm right handed and cut from right to left (I don't like to spin fabric that I've made a clean cut on. I measure from the right with ruler that I like to measure with. I butt with the left hand ruler and make my cut on the right edge of that. I also like to mark my rulers with dry erase pen which comes right off. Deb Tucker's Studio 180 designs has many specialty rulers. Her techniques and rulers (e.g. Diamond Recs, Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star) help make more difficult blocks accessible to finish perfectly. P. S. Small antique iron makes a good ruler weight. Slip Doctor transparent tape will render any ruler anti-slip...but don't use on any ruler where you need to glide it over fabric.

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

Elle, I don't know what happened to the notifications for your comments--I'm not ignoring you, honest!! These are great suggestions, and there are a couple rulers that I want to check out. I've tried so many methods for making the rulers non-slip, but nothing seems to work so well for me as Quilters Select--but they are pricey. As you say, though, they don't glide across the fabric, which can be both a blessing and a curse! Thanks for you very thoughtful and useful comments!

@notesfromleisa-land

2 жыл бұрын

@@WarpedSpinster Hah! You don't to reply to every comment...you are busy creating content. I comment and throw some ideas out as some may find them useful--or it happens to be something that I'm moved to write about having had some great or distasteful recent experience! I've not tried Quilter's Select rulers. I care more about non-slip on trim up tools. I cut my fabric using the two ruler method and work from right to left. (Not a common method, as I rarely see any use it).

@michelleinScotland

2 жыл бұрын

@@notesfromleisa-land I can visualize your two ruler method. I suspect it is similar to how I measure and cut when I need a strip wider than six inches. I never realised until I just watched this video that you could get rulers wider than six inches - something else I need to buy :-)

@notesfromleisa-land

2 жыл бұрын

@@michelleinScotland My 2 ruler method is different than that. It's not a helper ruler to get a wider size...rather one ruler to measure, and the other ruler simply to be the cutting edge. Therefore, as long as you have a ruler of the length for the width that you want to cut, as long as you have one ruler that goes width of fabric (in my case the left ruler) you do not need further ruler. Let me explain. I always work from right to left (I'm right handed). I true up the right hand side of the fabric (as any right handed person would do!) However, what is different is that I don't rotate may fabric afterwards (as most do). Rather, I continue to work off of the right-trued edge. I measure my clean cut with a ruler of the width that I need from the right edge. I use a second ruler that butts up to the LEFT edge of the right measuring ruler. The right edge of the left ruler is the edge that I'm rotary cutting against. This is an efficient and accurate method for me. Also as long as you have your cutting edge ruler as long as the width you are cutting, you can deploy your other rulers which may not be width of fabric, but have the width you need to line up your left ruler. It may require you to slide the right ruler along the length of your left to ensure you get your true measure on the right from bottom to top. Once the measure is trued and the left ruler in perfect position. Cut against the right edge of the left ruler. I have a Quilter's Slidelock that is wonderful. I use this as my straight edge mostly (it is not a ruler but a cutting edge) It does not shift, and It has a substantial and comfortable wooden handle. It is also thicker acrylic than a regular rotary cutters. It is very safe and effective. Hope that helps. It may not be a method for everyone, but I adopted it early on because truing and rotating fabric never made any sense. Also, I cut from bolts frequently where such is not practical.

@michelleinScotland

2 жыл бұрын

@@notesfromleisa-land thanks I'll have to have a go at that as I too hate moving my fabric once I've trimmed it on the right.

I prefer to press my seams open. Does the Block-Loc ruler work with seams pressed open?

@WarpedSpinster

2 жыл бұрын

Good question, Jenny; I'm afraid it doesn't work very well with blocks whose seams are pressed open--there just isn't enough to "catch" in the channel.

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