A quilting ruler can easily be called the best friend of a professional or a casual quilter. They will help you on countless quilting missions and make sure your quilts as even and precise as possible.
We can only assume that you are a fairly new quilter as you are wondering what is a quilting ruler used for?
Worry not, as we are here to help. Continue reading to find out all about quilting rulers and their uses. After you are done reading, hopefully, you will know enough to carry on quilting work properly and successfully.
What are Quilting Rulers?
Quilting rulers are rulers that are specially used in the quilting process. For both beginner and expert quilters, maintaining accuracy is extremely important. This is where these rulers come in. To make precise and accurate cuts that will not mess up the design and pattern of the quilt, a ruler must be used.
Quilting rulers come in many shapes and sizes, such as rectangles, triangles, squares, etc. There are also customized and unique-shaped rulers to make patterns. Most are made of clear plastic or acrylic and have necessary measurements marked. Clear rulers are always more helpful as you can see your fabric through them.
What Is a Quilting Ruler Used for?
There several types of rulers available, and each of them serves different purposes. Below, we have listed some loved and frequently used rulers as well as talked about how they are used.
- 6.5X24 Inches Rectangle Ruler
This is the most basic quilting ruler out there and is said to be essential for beginners. Clear plastic or clear acrylic ones are recommended as they are easier to manage. If you want to cut fabric from a roll or trim large blocks, you will need this ruler.
A 24-inch ruler is a much large ruler that will especially help you with measuring and cutting large chunks of fabric. Do remember that for a long ruler, you should also have a long cutting mat. While buying a rectangle ruler, make sure that it has a diagonal line marked and measured on it.
- Square Rulers
Square rulers come in many different sizes and dimensions. The more commonly used ones are 2.5 inches, 4.5 inches, 6.5 inches, and 9.5 inches. They are mostly used for cutting square-shaped strips of clothing and even for creating angels.
The smaller squares, such as 2.5-inch ones, are extremely helpful for making little blocks for decorative purposes. As a general rule, quilters are often suggested to purchase a variety pack of square rulers with four different sizes of rulers in it.
- Triangle Rulers
Triangle rulers are also helpful while creating decorative pieces. These blocks come in a variety of degrees, such as 30 degrees, 60 degrees, etc. To cut angles and triangles of many shapes, there surely is no better ruler than a triangle ruler.
How frequently you will use a triangle ruler will very much depend on you as a quilter and the pattern of the things you make.
- Specialty Rulers
Specialty rulers are those rulers that are uncommon and are thus less frequently used. These are generally used by expert quilters for making quilts that are highly decorative in nature. Specialty rulers come in many shapes, sizes, angles and can not be used in a general way.
How to Use a Quilting Ruler?
Besides knowing what quilting rulers are used for, you should also know how they are used. Along with a quilt ruler, you will also need a cutting mat and a rotary cutter.
Just place your fabric on the mat and then positing the ruler on the fabric however you want to cut it. After that, use the rotary cutter to cut the fabric and use the ruler as a guide. A lot of users also prefer to mark on the fabric first with a pencil and then cut according to that.
Some Necessary Tips
We have listed some necessary tips that should be kept in mind while working with a quilt ruler. Take a look at them below.
- Purchase rulers as you learn and make quilts. Buying advanced rulers while you are still a beginner will only result in unnecessary spending.
- Acrylic rulers generally last much longer than plastic ones.
- Clear rulers are much more helpful when it comes to helping you navigate a fabric and make precise cuts
- Make sure that your rulers have precise, clear, and noticeable markings. Markings on some rulers tend to fade after only a short period of use. Try to steer clear of such quilt rulers.
- Try to purchase something from a reputed brand that is known to be good and durable even if it costs a little high. Some brands worth mentioning are – OmniGrid, Creative Grid, Sew easy, etc.
Final Words
We hope we have answered what is a quilting ruler used for.Have fun in your quilting projects making beautiful quilts.