Be sure to cut with your rotary cutter straight up and down, not leaning in at an angle and pushing on the ruler. If I can, I keep my little finger off the edge of the ruler to give it some stability. And moving your hand along the ruler is good advise. If you think of it like this- if you don't move your hand, it ends up becoming a pivot point, just like if you were using a compass. If you move it along, your hand stays next to the cutting and there is a smaller chance your ruler will move. Also, when you do that, leave the blade IN the fabric, slowly move your hand, being careful not to jostle the ruler and put it down carefully, again so y don't jostle the ruler. I also like invisigrip.

My favorite way to keep the ruler from slipping is to use an 8 pound hand weight (like you would use for exercising). I place it on top of my ruler and it does a great job in preventing the ruler from moving. I have 2 of them and use both on my longer rulers.

I too use the spider method of walking my hand down the ruler...it definitely keeps the ruler from moving and if I'm using a narrower ruler (my 6 inch wide one or one of the smaller ones) I can put my pinky off the far edge and give it even more stability.

I'm one who uses rubber cement - it solved all my ruler problems. It's nice because the ruler holds snug all along rather than just in a few little spots. It's easily removed/redone if it gets too linty. It does take time to dry, especially when the humidity is high.

As you walk your hand down the ruler, as others have mentioned, be careful never to let your hand get ahead of the blade. The blade jumped the ruler one time and I learned my lesson about that! It was just a little cut, but could have been much worse.

DITTO about Quilters Slidelock..... I have both sizes and worth the money ,I only wish they had come along sooner.

Use the classic method. Lay your opposing pinky along the edge of the ruler on the opposite side from where you are cutting. Press straight down with your rotary cutter instead of pressing against the edge.

I bought Grip Strips to help with this issue and I found they made the ruler up too high and I would get an incorrect cut. btw I also bought their gadget to make two rulers stick together to make a right angle cut -- they had the suction cups upside down. I kept wondering what I did wrong, lol!

When I made a pinwheel tree skirt I followed the advice to put packing tape on the back of the ruler, that worked! Apparently the edges of it were sticky enough to keep the ruler in place. Good thing since it was a homemade ruler.

When I cut I put one finger off the ruler to the left-I am right handed. This one thing has really saved me the slips.

None of my Creative Grid rulers slip, so I'm slowly moving to that line. Also, if I'm cutting large numbers of strips, I SWEAR by the June Taylor Shape Cut Plus rulers. I found out about them on this board and I swear I don't know how I lived without them. I can cut 6 strips accurately with no slippage in about 30 seconds or less!

Wow, seems like a lot of work just to cut a strip(s) of fabric, but on the other hand great exercise for arm, back muscles!

I have used those clear "buttons" that you put on the bottom of things to protect the surface, on the ruler too. You can also find them at the dollar store. Then I found this clear sheet (at Joann's) to put on the back of the ruler, it just clings on. It works well, but recently it starts to peel at a corner of one of the rulers, I think it's from me trying to shove it in the crowded place.

Put your hand flat on the ruler with the little finger touching the fabric, press down and cut some, move your hand and reposition little finger and cut some more. I also use small pieces of self stick sandpaper on the ruler; each corner and in the middle of the ruler.

I have used a lot of things to help solve this problem, but part of my problem is that I'm short and have shorter arms than taller gals. So as I cut the fabric, the farther away from my body I get, my hands angle away from my body and I lose downward pressure that I get when my hands are right next to me. Especially when I am using longer rulers or I'm cutting on a higher cutting table. So sometimes the fabric will slip some at the end of the cut even with using different gizmos to help. Stopping and moving my hand along the ruler, leaning forward to extend my reach...without bumping the fabric/ruler, avoid using rulers longer than 12 inches, and cutting half way up from my body, then half way down toward my body helps me to keep the fabric from slipping. When I use a dull rotary blade, it tend to push the fabric around instead of cutting it too.

I just purchased the slide lock ruler a few day ago. It seems so easy. Will let you know how I like it. If anyone out there has it would you let us know how you like or dislike them. I am going to force my self to like it I don't want to buy more rulers.

Here is another product you can use to keep your rulers from slipping. Bonnie Hunter blogged about it here. It is Nexcare Flexible Clear Tape.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/search?q=nexcare

OK - so that is a cool tip!! Even better, I think, than my rubber cement. I will have to try it.

I am so glad you asked! For weeks I've been thinking I would write and ask this quetion.

Along with adding sticky stuff to the bottom of the ruler try this trick. The photo shows just one layer of fabric but it works for folded fabric too, like four layers. I use this trick all the time.It stops that wondering edge at the end of a cut.
peace

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...p-t136061.html

I have tried the sandpaper dots and they didn't work for me. Plastic work ok. Recently tried painters blue tape small pieces and love them. You can cut about 30 times without changing them. I will have to look into the slide lock ruler.

Years ago when I started quilting, I tried those little sandpaper like circles. They just got in my way and I picked them off.

Since then I do not use anything on the bottom of my rulers. I do not have any problems with the rulers slipping on the fabrics!


Nan - Indiana