If your ruler has been used a lot - - -
 

ube quilting mentioned on this thread

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...e-t288400.html

about her ruler getting worn down and then her strips had a curve in them.


I have had this happen with my rulers, too.

It took me a while to figure out why - when I moved my ruler - and had not moved the fabric - why the edge of the fabric was not "straight" on the measuring line.

Turns out that i had worn a curve into the edge of the ruler. When I finally set it on a straight surface - like my kitchen counter - I could see that my ruler was making a shallow arch.

Of course it caused me pain to discard the ruler - but it caused me more pain to have wonky strips.

My 6 x 24 is quite old and I do need a new one. I have been thinking about it for several years. Maybe now is the time.

I haven't followed that thread so glad this came up as I would never have thought about my ruler getting an arch to it, but it makes sense.

I haven't worn an arch in the edge, but have had several of my favorites wear off the printed numbers and lines.

Wow, I would never have expected to have that happen.
I did noticeably wear out the starting corner on one of my rulers. So now when using the rotary cutter I don't begin at the end of the ruler (and slice off the corner). Instead I begin ahead of the corner a bit, roll backwards just to the end of the ruler, then forward with the cut.

I just bought a new one for this very reason.

excellent idea!

I bought the new Quilter's Select rulers. They are nice. No glare and non slip, none. Most of my rulers are Creative Grids. I have a lot of other brands that I never use.

This is how I was taught to cut too in my first quilting class at Paducah quilt show. It's automatic to me now.

Mine was really old, about 20yrs. I put a piece of masking tape on top of that side of the ruler and marked it ,
NO NO NO. The other three edges are still good.

It never occurred to me to mark it - but I tend to use whichever side when I cut.

I'm so glad this topic came up. I've been using two 5x24" rulers for yrs. & had never considered that happening. I had to check them & find they are still flat. No curve. I have sliced little knicks off the edges with rotary cutter but have affected their use.
Thanks for bringing this up. I will now ck. them once in awhile.

The new rulers are so much better now then the old ones with the raised black lines, yellow markings or printed measurements. Some things are better updated.

Very glad your cutting problem is resolved. However, I am confused by this sentence,

"When I finally set it on a straight surface - like my kitchen counter - I could see that my ruler was making a shallow arch".

I retired a craft table that was a great space saver because it had two roomy hinged leafs. After the pressure from countless cuts, the leaves curved downward from the center (where the support was) to the edge of the leaves. It took me a long time to figure out why my cuts all curved. The cutting mat was curved to the shape of the top of the leaves, too.

New ruler, new cutting mat and using the dining room table solved the problem. Thank God!

I check my 6x24" ruler on my granite counter top every few months too. I've had it since 2010 but I think I'm ready for a new one.

Starting the cut a few inches from the end and rolling backwards is especially important when you are cutting through eight layers of fabric at once, as you do when you make a Stack 'n' Whack. I always teach my students to do that.
If you push in from the edge, the pile of fabric is likely to wrinkle up from the pressure.

Thanks for mentioning this. I had no idea that that could happen. I'm going to check my older rulers.

I had to replace one of mine too for this reason. It was very hard to get rid of that old friend.

I think some of the plastic that they use in making rulers is softer than others. I have a favorite ruler that needs to be replaced as my new rotary cutter has shaved some filings off the side.

Marcia

When I first read this posting early this morning, I pooh-poohed the idea. I've been cutting and sewing all day. Just now, while waiting for my iron to heat up I decided to hold the edge of my ruler vertically against my dining room table. Well, no more pooh-poohing from me! The middle of my ruler swings easily back and forth while the ends stay flat. I would never have thought this could happen. Luckily I have a new 24" ruler that I bought when Hobby Lobby had a huge coupon. Thanks so much to the original poster!

It does make sense. I will have to watch for this.

I have no guilt when replacing my quilting tools. I have a bin full of old rulers that I waver on taking to guild free table. They are old and used so do I want a new quilter to try to use them? None of the long time members will take old used rulers.

If they are still straight - I would donate them.

If they are curved - a newbie would not think to check for that - and I would hate to add to a beginner's frustration.

I totally understand about the rulers.
FYI: At our Sew day on Friday one of the girls was talking about the Accu-cut go??? Don't have one, may have used wrong name. She explained to be careful when cutting layers of strips because they will stretch and then be too short to use. The roller does the stretching. One layer cuts fine.

I discovered this with my rulers pretty much the same way you did. Strips are not straight. But if we all cut & sew like maniacs, we need to keep our tools up to date too. GOOD REMINDER.

LOL Good reminder!! Going to check mine now :)

I've had the Go for years. It's as important to me as my sewing machine. Like any other machine, there is a proper way to use it. It's the grain line that determines if the fabric stretches not how many layers. Always cut lengthwise grain.

This makes me think I should check my main rulers. They're about 4 years old now and have had a lot of use - entirely possible they're getting a little worn!

I tend to cut "in the middle" of my rulers, rather than starting at an end - which may explain why they wore down more there than at the ends. :shock:

I think I noticed the most "wear" on the Quilter's Rule rulers- the ones with the big, thick ridges on the bottom.

Those were the first rulers I bought when I started quilting. Compared to the new ones now, they are awful. The lines are too wide. Right down the middle of the marked line is the true measurement. No wonder my first quilt blocks were so bad!

And those were the ones that the LQS recommended that I buy when I took my first quilting class!!!