Ruler quilting
 

I'm almost completely self-taught when it comes to quilting and learned pretty much everything from the internet. Therefore please excuse my ignorance on this! :o

I just learned in another thread about ruler quilting. I had come across that term before (probably here in this forum), but have never seen a picture, so I always thought "ruler work" means someone is using a ruler to draw a line and then follows that line - most likely with a walking foot.

Now I have just learned that it is actually FMQ, using a special foot and following the ruler with that foot. I also learned that although straight lines may be quilted, it means one doesn't have to turn the quilt around. Intriguing... I have to confess that I have done that kind of quilting before with my walking foot, and all that turning around of the quilt has been a Lot of work! So I think I want to try this.

I did find the foot here: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm...d=569879026761
The vendor tells me that for my machine (Juki) I would need the one on the left (EN-01).

Now my question to the experts: Can I just use my plexiglass quilting ruler (about 3mm or ⅛" thick) or do I also need to buy a special ruler for this?

You need special rulers. They are thicker so they don't slip under the foot.

How thick are those special rulers? Instead of buying a special ruler that says "ruler quilting", would it work to use maybe a wooden board or something of that same thickness?

Some of the rulers are not straight but give a curve or a leaf shape. Look for Angela Walter's rulers. She has about 6 rulers with YouTube videos and PDF files about what you can do. It is not just straight lines.

Not only do you need special rulers, which are 1/4" thick, and a special foot, you need to make sure your machine has a ruler base. It is usually a plexiglass piece that snaps onto the neck of your machine head which gives you a rigid surface to place the ruler on. If you attempt to do ruler work without a ruler base you will not be able to hold the ruler flat for guiding the LA foot next to it. You also run the risk of damaging your LA or yourself.

Absolutely do not use your 1/8" rulers for ruler quilting. It is dangerous and scary. If the ruler slips under the foot (which it will) it can chip the ruler, throw out the timing, and possibly result in injury to an eye or a finger.

There are lots of youtube videos and classes on how to do ruler quilting on both domestic sewing machines and longarms. Craftsy has classes. I've accumulated a huge assortment of rulers of different shapes and sizes for use with my longarm. The clear plexiglass allows you to see through the ruler to the quilt, and they often have etching that helps in aligning the ruler for a more precise quilting pattern. Most rulers are 1/4" thick, but a few for the longarm are 3/8".

Sorry, I don't have a LA. I thought I could do this on my DSM?

For a DSM, do I still need a ruler base?

My dealer offers classes on the use of these rulers. I was told the average ruler just does not have the thickness (height) to stand up to this type of quilting. Hence the need for the thicker, taller foot which meets the side of the ruler. Makes sense to me.

That makes sense to me, too. But I'm wondering if instead of using a specially designated "quilting ruler" I could use something of the same thickness that is smooth enough and use that? At least for straight lines... I do understand now that there is also rulers of other shapes. My problem is, I'm not in the US and nowhere near a quilting shop and I'm on a budget... So I'm always trying to find cheaper solutions :o