I have often had this same problem. Even after making 25+ Bow Tucks Bags, I still find myself referring to the directions. Of course my excuse is I'm having a "Senior Moment" now that I'm 66 - that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Seriously, I would keep directions when you buy a specialty ruler, go online to tutorials, web sites of the specialty ruler, etc. We all need our memory refreshed from time to time. Good luck, but I'm sure you will find the best way to conquer a special ruler, patterns, etc.