Quilting Rulers Every New Quilter Must Own
The Four Quilting Rulers every new Quilter must own
Rulers are one of those items that the longer you quilt, the more of them you will have. I have a rule that when I go to a quilt show, I do not allow myself to buy any more rulers (that rule only works half of the time). Right now I own 41 rulers, and several of them are still in its packaging. There are so many nitch rulers that allow you to make that one wonderful block or quilt, but there are only four rulers that every quilter has out at all times.
Before we talk about the ruler sizes we need to talk about the basic difference in rulers and what you should think through. You will keep your ruler for a long time, decades. About 10 years into my quilting life I had to replace a ruler because my youngest sat on it and it broke. I found I was able to read the new rulers lines so much better than my older rulers I replaced the other three rulers just for ease of use. I keep my old rulers in my travel/workshop bag.
Omnigrid is the most common manufacture of these rulers, they have the Omnigrid and Omnigrip in each size. Let’s talk about these options:
The Omnigrid came first, it’s a two color option with yellow for the measuring lines. Omnigrid used this color combination so you will be able to read the grid on all fabric colors.
The Omnigrip features a lime green color, that is mixed with a slip resistant solution to help you keep the ruler in place. The Omnigrip also has a green 1/8th of an inch strip that goes around the ruler to helps give you a visual when checking your ¼ seam.
I have used both, and I like the Omnigrip. I can’t say if it really grips the fabric better but the green lines are easier for me to read. I have now had these rulers for at least five years, and they still look brand new. There are several other brands out there for you to pick, this is such a personal decision I would really spend the time on Amazon or at your craft store looking at them all before you make a purchase.
Now for the top four essential rules:
12.5 x 12.5 Square:
This rule is required squaring up your quilt, to cut anything over 6 inches and so much more. Regardless of the brand you pick, make sure it has the 45-degree angle you will need this in squaring up half square triangles.
6.5 x 6.5 Square:
You always want to use the smallest ruler for the job, this will prevent the ruler from moving while cutting and makes things easier in general. I use this ruler to square up my fabric and half square triangles. Again make sure it has a 45-degree angle, you will need that line is a lot of the most basic projects.
6 x 24 inch ruler:
You will use this to cut strips for binding, and anytime you need something that is the length of the fabric. You will also use this when you square up your quilt. If you are not sure you want to invest money in all four rulers, start with this one and the 6.5 square, these two are what you will use the most.
6 x 12 inch ruler:
You might not reach for this one every project, you will need it often enough that it’s a must own. You could use the 12×12 inch ruler if you don’t have this one, but once again for ease and safety reasons you want to use the smallest ruler for the job. I use this to square up fat quarters, or anything that is larger than 5.5 inches.
Bonus ruler. If you are going to taking paper piecing you must own an Add a Seam ruler
This will help you cut down on bulk and helps you cut the perfect ¼ inch seam. This ruler is strong enough to cut through multiple layers of fabric and small enough that you will always have control of the ruler. It has a great notch in the ruler for your fabric too but against for the perfect seam. Trust me this a must have when paper piecing.