Talk to me about rulers

[Lisalou1965]

My birthday is coming up, and my mother has asked what I would like. I have a 24 x 6 inch which I use a lot. I have heard that the 6.5 inch square ruler is great, and also that the 2.5 inch is good. Which ones do you all have and which ones would you not be without?

[Iminei]

Forget about a 2.5" square ruler .. far too fiddly and restricted ...

My must haves are a

24" x 6" for cutting WOF and
12 1/2" sq for trimming  blocks.

Next up are ...

6" x 12", very handy and less cumbersome than the 24 x 6 and
6 1/2" sq

You really don't need anything more than that unless you are wanting to make Dresden Plates or Triangular cuts ... which you can quite easily cut with any of the previous rulers using the marked angle lines and strips of fabric

Hope that helps .. and Happy Birthday in advance xxx

[Lowena]

Totes agree with Iminei. That's the definitive list ( although I do have a -2.5" sq, I don't use it much )

[Acorn]

I don't have a 2.5in ruler, and I know that if I did I would never, ever be able to find it. 

[Pearl]

I agree with the others.

I can’t see your birthday on the calendar.  Please add it so that your TSP friends can send greetings on your special day.

[wrenkins]

Same as Imi except that I do have a 2.5" square which I use a lot. I have a funny wee way of doing my dog ears and I use it all the time for that.

I recently caved and bought a non-slip 12"x 6" and I don't know how I lived without it. 

[Lisalou1965]

My birthday is November 9th - how do I add it? By the way, thanks for all the advice. I think I will be asking for the 6.5 inch square...or

[WildAtlanticWay]

Obviously, I’m no quilter but I do use a plastic triangle ruler for cutting out bunting triangles.

[Deafoldbat]

You could also ask for a book on rotary cutting. This one is very good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Martins-Ultimate-Rotary-Cutting-Reference/dp/0929589041/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=judy+martin&qid=1572113783&s=books&sr=1-6

As to rulers - 24x6 inch; 6½ inch square; 6x12 inch; 9½ inch square; 15½ inch square. Get the first two and add others later. Omnigrid are the best I've come across.

[Acorn]

My birthday is November 9th - how do I add it? By the way, thanks for all the advice. I think I will be asking for the 6.5 inch square...or

It gets added automatically from your profile - I've just checked and your profile had the months and years the wrong way round, so you were listed as September 11th.  I've changed it, and you now appear on the calendar in the right place. 

[RJR_38]

Definitely 6.5 it is my most used ruler for patchwork!

@Francesca - if you want a quilting ruler for quilting and patchwork it will need to be in inches as that is what almost all patchwork patterns are designed in.

[Lowena]

As long as you're consistent it doesn't really matter

[Iminei]

Just to add (in case you dont already know)

Omnigrid are the best ... clear markings that show easily on most fabrics.

AVOID like the plague any rulers with RED or FLUORESCENT YELLOW markings...

The firsts markings don't show on most fabrics, the second completely obscures the fabric underneath as the entire ruler seems to have a weird sickly yellow tint.

You will also need to add some anti-slip feature to your new ruler; I recommend adding sandpaper dots on the underside of your ruler to hold it in place, just be careful where you position them ... Ask me how I know?!? 

Omnigrid also make Omnigrip which have integral anti-slip markings ... tho' some say this is not as good a thing as it seems as it makes the markings too thick ...

[Lisalou1965]

Aw, thanks for all the advice - so I will ask Ma for the 6.5 omnigrid and add sandpaper markers myself, right? I have an omnigrid 24x6 and love the damn thing, so will continue with the brand.
@Acorn Thanks for the date correction - sounds typical of me to put it in skewwiff, I sometimes think I have a degree of dyslexia as I have always done that sort of thing and hated maths as a kid, found it terribly difficult. Who knows? Back then, nobody knew about the condition, and if they did, they didn't test for it nearly as much as they do now. Added to that, my son is dyslexic, and I think it might run in families.

Lx

[Puzzler]

Omnigrid gets the vote from me too. I have a 24”x6”, a 12”x6” and a 1”x6” and use them all. I also bought a Creative Grids metric square for a major group quilt project I worked on a few years ago. I like this brand too. I have various other rulers ie pattern drafting but I don’t rotary cut with them. As for cutters, I prefer Olfa, but I have been out of loop for some years so there may be other good brands now.