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How to Quilt Home>Tools for Rotary Cutting
Tools for Rotary Cutting
Because there are hundreds of acrylic rulers, quilters ask which of those rulers they need for their Quilting Toolbox to make cutting patches easier. While you could go out and buy every single one, quilting rulers aren't like wrenches, where you need to have the perfect size to fit the bolt. (I won't tell, if you want to use that as your excuse to get all of the different sizes, though!)
It is wonderful to have a bunch of different size rulers for your rotary cutting - it does make the tasks much easier, but it's better to add to your collection as you try different styles. In fact, I started with just one ruler. It is a 6 inch wide by 24 inch long ruler and has quarter inch markings going both directions. I have had to replace it one time in more than 20 years of cutting - because the lines wore out. I am assuming that this time around, the manufacturer got it right and I won't have to replace it again. After all of these years and several rulers later, that is still the one I would recommend you begin with - if you can afford only one ruler. It has 1/8 inch markings, but only slash lines at other major markings. I find that having 1/8 inch lines marked all the way across the ruler is too confusing for me. I have also found that the bright yellow and bright green markings are too distracting, so I go with the very simple mostly black marks.
They sell tons of the rulers marked with yellow and green, so test them out for yourself. You may like them much better than the ones with just black. My three most-used rectangle rulers are
All of these rulers are available at amazon.com
Beyond the Simple Rulers are like fabric, though, once you have one, you need more :-) So, beyond the simple, what's next? Maybe because as I started investing in rulers, the selection was fairly limited, the next ones I added to my quilters toolbox were squares.
And I really love my squares. While it's true that you can cut squares from rectangle rulers, it is much easier to cut squares from rulers that are square and smaller. It's like screwdrivers. Sometimes you can use a flat screwdriver to screw in a Phillips screw, but it's much easier if you have a Phillips screwdriver. So, I have two different size square rulers. One is 12 inches and the other is 6 inches. Both have a diagonal line through the center so I can also cut triangles, which is helpful. But mostly I cut square patches. And I use the 12 inch square to square up blocks. You can line up most any size block and trim two sides off, then flip the ruler around and trim the other two sides. The small square is great for cutting patches up to 6 inches. There are some squares that add 1/4 inch on all sides. However, I have found that sometimes I forget the 1/4 inch is there, and end up cutting a wrong size patch. And Then the Triangles
For years, the only triangle template I had was the one I got to cut those cute 3D boxes. It is a 60 degree triangle, and fairly simple. (It's the one on the top.) As I was checking out things at Rosie's a few weeks ago, I discovered a new ruler, and thought I would try it. The rectangle portion is 6 inches wide by 12 inches long. Then the triangle portion is marked every 1/2 inch so you can cut up to 6 inch half-square triangles. There are measurements on the left end for quarter-square triangles. I haven't tried those, yet, but I do like the half-square triangle end. I'm looking forward to getting Jan Krentz's diamond and half-rectange rulers. Maybe then I'll have every ruler I need. But probably not! And how do I store them? For years I was tempted by the wooden blocks with the slots in them. They are nice, and look like they would be pretty handy. In the meantime, my rulers just kept residence in a drawer and I pawed through them every time I needed one. One day I was at Office Depot, and discovered a file holder. I decided to take it home and try it. And I kind of like it. I think it holds more rulers in a smaller space than the wooden blocks. The only think I need to be careful of is leaving it with just one or two rulers in the back section - then it will fall over. But, I've gotten in the habit of taking one out and putting it back when I am finished. Hmmm - boring to be that neat! But quite useful in this situation.
Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren ©2009, Penny Halgren
This article courtesy of http://www.How-to-Quilt.com.
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