Well...my bargain ruler was delivered to the wrong post office and delayed two days so I purchased a 6 inch ruler at class last night - 10% off on class materials so it wasn't too much.
In retrospect, I liked handling the shorter ruler. I'll probably keep the 12 inch as well since there were times I had to shift the shorter ruler to trim the full length.
Now that I've used it, I have to say I really liked using it and am glad I decided to get it. And I think I will really like this paper-piecing technique!!