Ruler recommendation

[ann c.]

Hello bomers
I am so happy March is here and hope the sun will start to shine soon!

Question - any recommendations for a ruler with 1/8 inch marks that is easy to use when cutting fabric? I have learned how important precision cutting is for this project by having some ill fitting pieces. One of my rulers really long, the other narrow and neither makes cutting easy or is easy to see.
Thank you for any suggestions.
ann

[ann c.]

Ann, I would recommend that you audition some rulers. Go to your local store and see what their selection of rulers is. Since you are looking for a 1/8-inch for cutting, make sure the rulers you select have those markings. Try all the brands available.

Next, grab three or four bolts of fabric in colors/shades that you normally use. Make sure one is a light and one is very dark. Lay them down on the stores cutting table, or wherever you can have good light. Place the rulers you have selected on top of each piece of fabric and decide which ones have markings that you can see the best. Remember, many rulers have marks that can be seen better on lighter fabrics than on darker ones.

Once you determine which ruler's markings you can see the best, you can then decide on which sizes to purchase. This will depend on your normal way of cutting your fabric.

Personally I prefer my Omnigrid rulers (the older yellow and black printed ones) as I can see them the best. Other people like the newer Omnigrid rulers that are more of a neon green and are said to be no slip. I have a hard time seeing the markings on these rulers.

Hope that helps.

By the way, if a store will not let you audition the rulers, go someplace else, as they are not interested in making an informed sale.

[Judy M.]

I like the yellow & black Omnigrid rulers, too. If you buy rulers from different makers, be sure to compare the markings to be sure they are the same. Judy in Torrance

[Myra U.]

Boy, is JudyMC ever right! I made a pieced quilt 3 years ago and had an absolute nightmare trying to get the corners to meet correctly. I had to buy more material, finally! AARRGHH -- anyway, I found that I was using two different brands of cutting rulers and they were just the most wee bit off each other. I thought I was losing my touch :lol: . I had over 1/3 of the pieces cut by that time. I had to go back and decide which ruler to use (the one I could see best) and then re-cut all those I had cut with the other brand. I almost hated that quilt by the time I was finished! And, if, like me, you are 'getting on in years' (although not THAT much), you need to be extra careful because you need a LOT more light to see well. Growing old isn't for the faint of heart -- you have to be TUFF! Hope you take the advice here and go to the store to audition several different brands, colors, etc. Everyone has their own colors they see well and colors that they have a hard time seeing, so it's very individual. Hope you find the perfect one for you!

[Jill B.]

Myra thanks for this information, I also have had some problems as I use different brands of rulers, I think I will have a look and buy some all in the same brand, will be worth it in the end I think .