gramma nancy

Thank you for the picture. Wow, that looks complex. No wonder it's hard to figure out what to do with it. I will stay with my simple Omnigrids.

Barb in Louisiana

I sent an email from the Marti Michell website requesting info on the ruler. Patti Bachelder responded this morning. Her title is Graphic Designer.

Hi Barb,

That’s a pretty old tool! I’ve worked here 22 years and have never seen one. Marti designed the Second Cut Ruler for a notions company a very long time ago and we actually have none of those rulers or the instructions. I have a picture of one, however, and here’s how I would use it. The straight lines are obvious (the outer 1/4 inch is the seam allowance for whatever size strips or square you want, up to 2 inches). For the angles, I would use the Second Cut Ruler just to “find” the angles and cut with a regular longer ruler. It actually looks very handy for this.

Say you wanted to cut a strip with a 60-degree angle at the end. True up the end of your fabric. Align the 60-degree line on the Second Cut Ruler with the trued-up edge, so the ruler is at an angle on the strip and cut. If you wanted to cut 60-degree parallelograms, you would just cut that first angle and then align a regular ruler on the angle so the ruler is on the strip at that angle and cut against the regular ruler.

For bigger pieces of fabric, you could true up one edge and align the 60-degree line on the trued-up edge. Then align a second ruler (3 x 18 or 6 x 24 inches) along a long edge of the Second Cut Ruler and remove the Second Cut ruler so what’s left on the fabric is the bigger ruler. Then cut your fabric along the edge of the bigger ruler. You’d have to play around with putting the regular ruler at the top or bottom of the Second Cut Ruler to make cutting against the longer ruler feel natural. Being left or right handed would mean the fabric were to your right or left, and then you’d play around with putting the 45-degree angle on the trued-up edge to work out where the Secod Cut Ruler works best for you and where the regular ruler will make it easier to cut.

It would be easier to show you, but we don’t have a video setup. If you have trouble imagining what I wrote, let me know.

Create a great day,

Patti Bachelder

Geri B

How kind of her to answer and the explanation is very clear....I think somewhere on my pegboard I have a larger, more square version of that....and have never really used it....bought it from JAF when I first started and it was on a clearance rack.......

gale

I got a reply to my facebook inquiry as well. Sorry I didn't post earlier-we have all been sick here (except one daughter who is stepping up and doing all the chores for everyone else). Here's the reply.

Hi Gale, That was a ruler I did for a notions company over 20 years ago. We don't have any of the rulers or the instructions and the notions company has been sold several times.The short version is you use the second cut ruler as a "place holder" for a 1-2 inch strip width measurement or one of the angles marked on the ruler and then align a second ruler against it. You cut against the second ruler. I hope that helps.

dnadeja

I have this ruler. Found it and don't know what or how to use. I have tried utube and google. No one I know in my quilting circles know about this ruler. Still trying to find out how to use it.

Onebyone

I have this ruler and use it often. It's to use after you cut your basic size strip or square to cut the size of pieces you need from that piece. It's purpose was to be more user friendly then the bigger ruler. This was before many specialty rulers were available.

patricej

how odd that it was designed to line things up for cutting with a second ruler.

when i looked at the photo my first thought was "cut strips; use the angles to trim the ends (for binding, mitering, etc.)"

the other ideas shared by Patti Bachelder also make sense.