How to cut accurate 6 1/2" squares?

[SewRuthieSews]

For my scrap quilt I need to cut 48 lots of 6 1/2 inch squares.

My ruler is 6 inches by 24 inches, and I have an inch gridded cutting board  (23 x 35).
I'm comfortable cutting things up to 6 inches but am a bit stuck on the 6 1/2 inches. Any tips?

[toileandtrouble]

Isn't the board marked in 1/2 inches?
Put a strip of insulating tape on the left side, up to the half inch.
Line the cut edge of fabric up with that and then cut at 7 inches.

Or if you are happy to do it, you can use a sharpie and mark the half inch between 6 and 7 on the board.

[SewRuthieSews]

The board is marked at half inches, but I normally just use it as a cutting surface and go off the ruler for cutting.
For these I'm going to need to use the grids on the board which I'm not used to doing (yet). I guess after 48 of them I'll have the technique down!

[Ploshkin]

I never trust the grid on the cutting board, I don't think it would be accurate enough.

I think I would fold the fabric into 4 lengthways ( ie selvedges together then in half again) then measure down and mark 6½" each side to cut wof strips.then leave each strip folded in half and do the same to cut pairs of squares.  A bit laborious but with a quilting ruler you can at least be sure of getting 'square' squares.

or
I would buy a 12" square ruler 

[StitchinTime]

If you don’t see yourself leaving the darkside anytime soon, I would recommend buying a bigger ruler. You can get rulers that are 6.5” wide but I prefer to have an oversize ruler for the size I’m cutting so I don’t have to line up the edge of the ruler with the edge of the fabric.

A 12.5” square ruler would allow you to cut 6.5” WOF strips if you fold the fabric in four and would also be useful for squaring up blocks and quilts. For cutting the squares from the WOF strip (or from scraps), a smaller square may be more manoeuvrable.

If you do decide to get another ruler, I would recommend sticking to the same make as your existing ruler.

Edit -  Ploshkin has similar ideas.

[Sheilago]

I’d definitely be tempted to buy a smaller ruler : either 6.5” square or 9.5” square.

[Celia]

I bought these last week for the same kind of reason https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CG9Y7JVV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details. They are really nice and good quality

[SewRuthieSews]

I had been looking at the larger square rulers....

[Acorn]

Ooh that's a nice set of rulers @Celia - good diagonals, too.

I. Do. Not. Need. Any. More. Rulers.

[Deafoldbat]

@SewRuthieSews I would look at getting a 9½ square ruler. That's big enough to cut or trim many sizes of blocks, but not so big as to be awkward in a limited space. Also it will give you a long enough edge to cut wider strips. EG if you needed an 8½ wide strip, you would use the square to measure 2½" in then place the long ruler against that edge, taking care not to nudge it over, and you can cut a long strip, iyswim. As @Stichin Time says, if you staying in the darkside, buy the same make of rulers, and add to them as needed.
At risk of hearing eggs being sucked  , if you're cutting folded fabric try to get it as straight as possible first  or you may end up with V-shaped strips.

[SewRuthieSews]

I seem to be being sufficiently drawn to the darkside that its worth getting the square rulers - have ordered some from ebay which I should be able to collect from the corner shop on Wednesday.

[BrendaP]

You definitely need a second ruler - one above the other.  The bigger square rulers are OK but no good on their own if you are cutting width of fabric.

With the bottom edge of the fabric towards you place the first ruler so that it would cut a half inch strip then place the 6" wide ruler above it and cut your 6.5 inch strip.

[Bill]

I bought these just over 2 1/2 years ago and they've been used a billion times since. Accurate (I've checked with my engineers steel ruler) and more grippy then the posh omnigrid ones I have. More durable too. There's a 6.5 x 24 inch one there in the options 

[KayK]

My only suggestion (for what it's worth) is, when buying a ruler, make sure the markings and lines are in black (or bright green!) I bought a Fiskars ruler some time ago, the markings were all in orange, and the very devil to see.  That has now been donated to a Charity shop!

[realale]

I bought these just over 2 1/2 years ago and they've been used a billion times since. Accurate (I've checked with my engineers steel ruler) and more grippy then the posh omnigrid ones I have. More durable too. There's a 6.5 x 24 inch one there in the options 

I have the self same ones @Bill and use them a lot. They are very useful.