??? about rulers
 

You all are so helpful....Thank you for all the help I have gotten already. My ??? is why do the square rulers only have 2 sides of the actual square and the other 2 sides are different? For example a 3 1/2 X 3 1/2 has 2 sides that are 3 1/2 and 2 sides that are 3 inches...How do I get a total 3 1/2 inch square???? Thank you so much for your help again

I'm not sure I'm following you - if the ruler is square - then all sides are equal, otherwise it is a rectangle ruler.

It's that way so you can put the edge of the ruler at the corner of the fabric at the measurement you want and only have to make two cuts to get a square. I don't like to cut large squares, I always mess up.

Because you usually start at 3.5" (unfinished square or block) and
finish and 3" after sewing...USUALLY. Of course there are a few patterns
that use the less common 3" but that would finish at 2.5".
When you trim you don't trim all four sides in one go. You trim two
sides, turn and trim the rest. Right? So you position your ruler so
that the 3.5" sides are on the sides of the fabric that you will trim.
Ignore the 3" sides. Does that make sense?
If I were to cut 3.5" square I would use a longer ruler and cut a
3.5" strip and then cut 3.5" the other way.

Go look at the Bias Square 8 ruler from That Patchwork Place. I require this one in most of my classes for squaring up blocks up to 8" in size, or any component within those blocks. It is differently marked than any other ruler on the market and this is how I use it:

Jan in VA

Huh? This time I'm confused -

The ruler seems to be in exactly the same position it was -

bearisgray - it is, it's the fabric square that you turn.

The 'fabric piece' still appears to be exactly the same size in the second illustration.

Just checked all of my square rulers and they are all perfectly square. You must have a special ruler of some kind.

when you trim the right and top edges, you then remove the ruler and take the square by the left bottom corner and turn it where it now is in the top right corner. then again lay your ruler where it needs to be and trim right and top side again. Eleanor Burns of Quilt In A Day does this all the time on her shows. i'm just used to it. http://www.quiltuniversity.com/squaring_up.htm

My square rulers are perfectly square too. I didn't realize this kind of specialty non-square ruler existed. I can see all kinds of ways that it would mess me up.

It would be interesting to learn how to use that ruler - I need all the help I can get when squaring up blocks.

Can you give the name of the ruler or a picture of it?

well you have to watch your ruler if you are using one larger than what you are wanting to trim. As in an 8 1/2 inch ruler but trimming a 3 1/2 inch block. and sometimes rulers with that 1/2 inch on the side can be irritating.

my square up ruler has the markings listed differently on different sides. two sides are listed by the even inches and the other two sides are listed by the half inches. perhaps this is what the OP means.

LOL. You are too funny!

My rulers are all perfect squares.
The best thing I have found is a 12 in rotary mat. With it you do not have to move the ruler, just turn the mat.

Thats how I do my squares

The ruler itself physically measures 3½"x3½", but the markings read whole inches on two sides and half inches on the other two sides simply because they start from the one edge. You're dividing the space by a whole number plus a fraction, not just a whole number. Whole inch rulers are marked with full inches all the way around.

If the center of the ruler were the center of the markings, with all four sides having ¼" around the edge, it might look prettier, but it would be much harder to use it for squaring or measuring of any kind. :)

some of my rulers are the same. your 3 1/2 inch one, my 8 1/2 inch one. not all of mine have the extra half inch and I tend to get confused depending on which ruler I pick up, so I know what you mean. it's still square, just starts with a full inch instead of 1 and 1/4 which it would have to do if marked the same on all four sides.

That's what I'm thinking. I have the Creative Grids rulers.

Here's an example ... is this what you're talking about??

it's printed like this so you can easily use either whole units or half units when measuring. Also notice that there are two sets of each, with one printed left to right and the other right to left.

You have a true 3 1/2-inch square ruler. If they put a 1/2 inch on all four sides your ruler would be a 4 inch square. If 1/4 inch was put on each side it would make your ruler more difficult to use if you wanted less than 3 1/2 inches.

TWO SIDES START AT ZERO AND TWO SIDES START AT HE 1/2 INCH. Dang Cap Lock!! Both end at 3.5 inches. On the ruler above as an example. The white numbers are even numbers, the black numbers are 1/2 inch numbers.

yep, those are the lovely rulers with 1/2 increments. so it is 3 1/2 inches square.

The picture made by Jan on page one of this thread (post no. 5), didn't show up, but I think it is messed up.

After you cut the first eighth off, you turn it around, but now the ruler should show 4 eighths that have no fabric behind, because you have cut an eighth off. Both rulers look exactly the same, and that is not correct.

You expressed that much better than I did.

Those are your seam allowances!

Bearisgray is right. It's a slight error in the illustration. Since the fabric was trimmed after the first picture, it should be up one and over to the right one mark from the bottom and left side of the ruler. But the instructions still make sense if you ignore that little detail and notice that point B and point A have been switched around.

Still, if I can, I much prefer to use a square ruler for trimming if I can find a ruler the size I'm trying to get. It allows me to put the block on a small mat that I can turn around, avoiding the problem of trying to pick anything up and put it back down, lining everything up a second time.

I think I understand what gobucks7 is trying to say: A ruler is usually numbered outward only from one end of each side, so if it is intended to provide a whole number of inches plus the 1/2" for seam allowances, you are going to get a situation where that half inch mark falls on one side but not the other. The only thing the ruler makers could do to make it possible for you to place the half inch on the side you want every time is put an extra set of numbers on all sides. This would be very cluttered and confusing. It's just better to put your "0" start point where you need it to be as you are making the cut, or learn to keep in mind that if you're looking from the 3 1/2" (or whatever and a half) point, then the full inch distance from that corner will be at the 1/2" marks. I have managed to make mistakes where I am thinking in terms of those full inch marks and trim off a half inch more - or if I'm lucky, less - than intended.

This is difficult to explain unless you're actually looking at a typical ruler that is square and includes the extra half inch. There are a few rulers around that are whole numbers of inches, but they're not common. When you use them to trim a block, the finished size of the block will be something and a half inch, which is usually not what you're trying to achieve.

My rulers are all square, if they're supposed to be square.

My hubby went to Lowe's and bought a sheet of plexiglass and had them cut into squares. triangles. strips and blocks to my size specifications.

they are square, that's not being disputed. well not now anyway. it is sometimes difficult to remember that the "extra" 1/2 is on the side. I make mistakes with that and I've been quilting over 20 years. so we all can get confused. just saying....

This whole thread is over my head! If I were not confused at the beginning of it, I surely am now!

All of you have great minds to be able to explain this.

I am lost, too, but underneath it all, I think I get it, because I've never questioned it. I do believe, the explanation is simpler than we're making it and the bottom line is, as many have said, so it adds the seam allowance and makes it easier to square up.

Now go square up your blocks, LOL.

Thank you so much for posting this link. It was exactly what I needed to know.

http://www.quiltuniversity.com/squaring_up.htm

This short video shows cutting actual fabric, and is easier to understand than computer generated graphs. Those graphs are so helpful most of the time, but on this one, we want to see the uneven edges that need to be trimmed off.
Also, you don't really need special rulers. People that have them say they are worth the money, but it is possible to do this with any rotary ruler. The big ones would be very clumsy, but it is doable.

I was getting quite confused too. So I went to my only square ruler which I use a lot, 6 1/2". It has 1/4 inch allowed on all four sides. So that is what I am used to...no wonder I couldn't understand the 1/2 inch on one side and none on the opposite side...My ruler is by Marti Michell. Have had it a long time.
There, I feel better now! :-)

well don't worry about it. if this confused you it only means you've never been confused by a ruler. that's a good thing.