Confession time here. When I first started quilting and had no idea what I was doing, I use to cut my fabric by using the measurements on my cutting mat, not from the ruler. Only used the ruler as a straight edge. Lots of lining up the fabric with the grid lines, counting out the inch increments, hoping I was in the right spot for a 1/4 inch mark. So being right handed, I started cutting on the right and working left. Then I saw where you used your top ruler to measure the strip you wanted to cut, probably here on QB. Light bulb over the head moment! So even though it took some relearning on my part, I switched it all around and then started cutting from the left. Took a bit to retrain my brain but eventually I got it and my cutting was a lot more accurate. Then after doing it that way for a few years, I saw someone using a Slidelock ruler and I loved the way it gripped the fabric as you were cutting. It went on my Christmas wish list that year and DH came through. But guess what, now I had to retrain the brain again to cut from the right. So in this case, the something new was really something old, just way more accurate.