You were SO very careful and yet once again your points are not matching and your quilt block is not going together right and you want to cry. Or maybe you are already crying and have moved on to a drink ( quilting can do that to you sometimes).
The fact is that while there might be 50 ways to leave your lover there are possibly 100 ways to F*ck up a quilt block and some of them have nothing at all to do with you and everything to do with the tools you are using.
Getting things Straight-
My mother-in-law’s ruler is an excellent example of a serious accuracy offender. This ruler is well over 10 years old and has been used a LOT. I can say that with great confidence since it is about as straight as a politician and about as reliable!
Do your rulers pass the test?? – I personally had three that failed. I found that the longer the ruler the more chance it has been carved out over the years.
The Pass / Fail Quilting Ruler Test
You will need a nice flat, hard work surface and some index cards.
To check how straight ( accurate) your cut is going to be hold the ruler on it’s side and try to slide a single index card under the length of the ruler. With a well/ overused ruler you are going to find it easy to slip the card right under the center of the ruler and slide it back and forth to a certain point. With a terrible ruler you can even slide in a couple of cards! Being able to do this shows that over time rotary cutting up against that edge has worn away the plastic.
Generally speaking the older/ more used the ruler the more curve you are going to find. And while this might not look like much over the course of a quilt with lots of piecing it can add up to lost inches without much effort!
Possible Hope-
Check both sides of your ruler. Depending on the style, your handedness and use you probably have one side with way more wear than the other. If new rulers are not in the budget right now you can use the other edge if it is better condition.
Sucking it up – Time to Get New Rulers –
Which brand of rulers do you love?…. I am looking for a ruler brand to be a sponsor here at BAQS… who should I be talking to??
I don’t have a favorite – just whatever one works best for what I am doing at the time. My rulers are less than 3 years old but I will check them.
I just discovered your site! My sister sent me the link and I love it. I also love Creative Grid rulers.
I have noticed that when I use my 12″ square ruler to square up my blocks they are never square. I will have to give this test a look.
My most highly used rulers, Omnigrid 4×14, 6×12 and 6×24 all checked out fine. My biggest beef though is the wear on my Olfa cutting mat. I wish manufacturers would put grid lines on both sides of mats to lengthen their user life. If I ever find one that has this feature, I will buy it on the spot.
OLFA frosted rulers are the best. Maybe they will get in a ‘giveaway’
I am going to check my rulers today. I use my 6″ x 24″ a lot, but Since I have other sizes, I’ll check those as well.
I’m a Nifty Notions rulers fan. And… I’m a firm believer in sticking with one brand for your basics because that tends to keep the measurements consistent. Specialty rulers are a different story, of course.
Valuable information as we change rotary blades but usually never our rulers. My favorite are Creative Grids 61/2 x 24 and 6 x 12. I use both daily.
… yup, yip, yup…
I also prefer my rulers to be ALL the same brand, cor consistency.
Thanks for the reminder. I really should check my rulers. I think I’ve got about four 6x24s, but I have a ton of smaller ones that get replaced less often. Actually, the markings on the rulers tend to before the edges. I’ve tried several brands, and have had that issue with many of them. I’ve been using my little rulers a lot recently, but haven’t done a check on my larger ones for about a year.
This is such a relief . . . I literally had my eyes examined! I was sure the problem was me. Thanks so much for the article, Maddie! I’ll be needing new rulers ASAP, and would love some recommendations–my old ones are all different, so I don’t really have a preference. HELP!!
i LOVE creative grids!!!!! i bought all new CG rulers and donated my old ones to a quilt retreat. THEN CG CHANGED them for the better. better grippy dots and grippy on the edges too!!! UGH!!! so i have started AGAIN getting all new rulers. i try to save them for a LQS PJ sale when everything is 30% off. but sometimes i just NEED a certain ruler i haven’t replaced yet and i cave.
I fear my rulers are guilty of not really ruling anymore. I bought them in the 80’s when rotary cutters first came out. I am really looking for a review of rulers since they are so expensive and if they don’t hold up, why invest in one that is going to be frustrating. My favorite has always been the 6.5 x 24. I don’t even know if they make this size anymore. Come on lottery tickets, Mama needs some new rulers!
I seem to use my rulers enough that I wear off the markings and numbers on the corners.
And when I break down and buy a new ruler, it is a world of difference.
Great article! I have often thought that worn rulers were to blame. I prefer to use Creative Grids rulers and live the 8.5 x 24.5 size.
I have 2 favorite rulers. One is 6×24 and the other is 12×12. I haven’t checked, but I bet the 6×24 has a curve in the middle.
Wow, I did not realize rulers can lose its “straightness” over time. Thank you for the info. Does it help prolong it by how we store it? Is it better to hang it or lie it flat? If I can afford it, I think my next set of rulers will be olfa.
My absolute fave ruler has a no move lip. Thanx for this great info!
I just got a new ruler that has a rotary cutter attached to the ruler and it sides along to make the cut. Instant love for me.
Great article, and yes I found that I have some of those issues that I had to address on older Cheeper rulers. Creative Grids rulers are the ones I have been replacing the old style with. I love there new style with the larger numbers which are easier to read.
my very favorite is Judy Martin’s ruler, which, unfortunately, is no longer available. I use creative grids and Omnigrid mostly, but I do like Quilter’s Rule as well. I do try to use the same brand throughout the cutting process.
Over the last year I’ve been switching to Olfa frosted rulers due to ease of seeing with frosted finish and less lines but easier to differentiate the graduations…still looking for a 6×24… The regular olfa’s suck the yellow lines are just hard to see…
I have one where I have literally sliced into the plastic on one edge. I suppose I should replace it.
OMG. I have been pulling my hair out. My scant 1/4 in is right on so what the…Never did Ii think the problem was my ruler. I checked. They are going in the trash today.. Thanks for this info. Unfortunately I still have to deal with the issue trying to finish up my Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt Grand Illusion. Who knew the actual mystery was an overused ruler. Hah.
I have never thought about this but it makes sense. I will always use my rulers but I now have a die cutting machine which is absolutely accurate all the time. It is amazing how much better you piece when your fabric is cut correctly. I use Sizzix which is one of several on the market and a company that has been in business for many years.
I too have a small space for cutting and put selvage to fold for cutting so what I use is the 6×12 Easy Star & Geese ruler. I love the control I get holding it at the right angle!:)
Great information, as always. Today will be ruler evaluation day around here. About 10 years ago I started quilting and my first ruler I used in a BOM beginner’s class got sew chewed up on the corners from also learning how to use a rotary cutter that I had to replace it by the end of the BOM! I used Omnigrid rulers but when I discovered Creative Grids brand I slowly replaced all of them with Creative Grids.
My favorite rulers are the Trudy Hughes ones because the lines are very thin and allow me to line them up to the cut edge accurately. I also ys the Omnigrid 8 1/2 X 24 ruler a lot. I will be checking all of my rulers today! (I have been a bit frustrated lately, thinking I have been so careful cutting and then things are not quite right…….). THANK YOU for this great tip!
Good grief. Who knew. Love, love rulers and any excuse to get a new one. I will be testing my old faithfuls today. Thanks, Maddie.
my most used ruler is a 6″x24″ omnigrid. I seem to have mostly those and creative grids.
I use omni grip rulers. I love all sizes. You can never have too many rulers.
What a great article Maddie thank you very much I have checked two of my rulers and the one that I use the most which is the 6 by 24 definitely has a space which I marked and I tend to only use one side cuz I’m right handed so I will definitely be looking out to get another one as to which one I’m at a loss there are so many so it’s very much appreciated thank you
I just threw out one of my first rulers. I had not used it in a long time since I have some newer creative grids rulers. The one I threw away looks like the one in your photo.
I think the ruler you used in the photo is the biggest….wear offender. They are so much more brittle than many of the other brands, they used to be my favorite. I will give my current batch the test… later today… My recent favorite is the Creative Grids brand 6×14 and companion 6×24.
Oh I never thought of that. Thanks.
No! Not my rulers!!!
Thank you for this article! I have been so frustrated about my loss of accuracy in my blocks. My ruler has been carved out, so it’s no wonder the blocks are off. I have my confidence back and am determined to replace my 6.5 x 24″ ruler. Apparently, even Creative Grids won’t last 300 years.
Good tip! Also be sure to check your grid, any bending or warping of your cutting mat or gridded rulers can cause the same measuring inaccuracy! I check mine from time to time, and haven’t seen any discrepancy in the measurements, but some time back a blogger shared pics of her measuring marks not lining up with each other.
I first noticed this with a 9 1/2″
“square” that was missing quite a bit in one corner. It never occurred to me to check my longer rectangular rulers.
ouch! my favorite is out of whack. Now I understand that is not all me, just an tired out old warped ruler. Thank you for the help!
I love the Creative Grids rulers. As I replace the old, cheaper ones, I’m buying Creative Grids in the basic & most versatile sizes – 12″ square, 6.5″ x 24″, some triangles & my favorite 2.5″ x 12.5″ size.
My favorites are the Olfa frosted ruler, with the 6″ x 12″ being my main workhorse, except when I need to cut across the full width and need a 24″ length. The lines are finer and much easier to see than the Omnigrid with all those yellow ovals.
I love love love creative grids rulers! I’m trying to upgrade all my old rulers to these a little at a time!
I love my 6 1/2 x 24 1/2 inch ruler from creative grids. I especially like the grippy dots each of their rulers have.
Wow, I never have thought about this! I will check it out in the morning. Moving on right now to the drink you mentioned. Cheers!
Thank you Maddie! I checked my rulers, and sure enough, my 6×24 has a bad spot along one side. I’ve marked it for now, and can use the other side until I can get it replaced. To be fair, it is probably one of the very first rulers I’ve ever owned, and I’ve been quilting for about 30 years…
Thanks for the article. I have never thought about it, and recently my blocks have not been matching properly. I’ll have to check it out! You rock!
Any ruler with built in anti slide!
My workspace is small – a 28″ square table – so my go-to ruler tends to be the first one I bought, a 3.5 x 18.5. I fold my fabric twice lengthwise, so my 12.5 square also gets a lot of work, especially for cuts wider than 3.5!
I use a 6″ x24″ for almost everything. I have a lot of others, just never use them!