i paper pieced for years without a special ruler- but now that i have the 1/4" ruler...i love it & wonder why it took me so long to try it out. it is not a must- but it does make things easier. just one of those things- and i must admit- i had it for probably 6 months (it was a gift) before i finally took it out & tried it...now i use it all the time! thinking about getting the 1/8" one next for the mini paper pieced blocks.