Which size rulers are a must?
 

Which size rulers should every quilter have? I am restocking my quilting room and only want one brand of ruler. I think I am going with creative grids. What size is a MUST HAVE for you and why?
MA

The ruler I actually use the most, would be my June Tailor Shape Cut. I use it to cut strips and to trim blocks. With a regular ruler, my cuts often varied by several threads, depending upon which side of the mat line, I placed my ruler. With the shape cut, there's no guessing. As for regular rulers, I don't really have a favorite but do like the fact that my 36" reaches all the way across my cutting board.

I use my 6 x 24 and my 12.5 inch square the most. I also use my June Tailor Shape Cut a lot.

For decades the rulers I have used the most are:
6" x 24" for cutting long strips, mitering borders, and helping to square up the long sides of quilt tops
6" x 12" for cutting shorter strips, subcuts, and just about any other task
8" That Patchwork Place Bias Square ruler for HSTs, squaring bu block segments, cutting snowball squares, keeping each round of a log cabin block square, etc.
12.5" square ruler or larger for squaring larger blocks, squaring up finished tops, etc.

Jan in VA

Depends on the types of quilts you make. For t short quilts, I use the 9 1/2 square and 12 1/2 square. Great for fussy cutting big blocks. For cutting almost everything else, I use my 6 1/2 x 18 inch ruler with shaded/colored 1/2 inch edge. It works well given the size of my cutting board. No need to run out and purchase a tone of rules.

I also use the 6.5 by 24.5 and the 12.5 square the most. The 8.5 by 24.5 could also be substituted for the 6.5. It is just as versatile and gives a few more options since its wider. We also like CG rulers.

6"x24" and 12 1/2" square

I sometimes use my 4"x18" for cutting smaller things

My favorite small ruler is the 4x8 inch. Omnigrid with the 1/8 inch markings. I use that one a lot when cut pieces from scraps

8.5x24 - two of them are better - and something smaller like 6x12. With those 3 I am quite happy. Oh, and the add-a-quarter for paper piecing. A 60 degree ruler (tips not cut off) is nice for OBW, but not totally necessary.

To avoid duplication, I agree with all the ones listed by Jan in VA, plus my June Tailor shape cutter. I have others but I never get them out.

I mostly use my JT shape cut as well also along with my 5 x 18 inch optima. You can hardly find optima rulers anymore which is sad because I love them. Than I just have my square up rulers

All the above with the addition of a small 1 by 6 so useful. If you buy one keep it safe mine has a habit of going for walks and I live by myself.

these are the two that i use the most as well. but my favorite type is the fluorescent laser cut/marked one. i wish all of mine were like that. they are so easy to see through and the laser markings are thin but very visible.

I use my 6x12 and my 6x24 on pretty much every project, but I use several other rulers regularly too.

my favorite is also 8x24. Use it the most. The 2nd fav is my 6x12. I hand quilt, and at my quilting frame, I have a 2x6 that I love for drawing lines across blocks, etc.

And the 6x12 for me. I also LOVE my 16x16. I use it a lot!

Sandy

Besides the basic 6 in rulers the one I use the most is Quilt In A Days triangle square up ruler. The largest square ruler I have is 16 inches and I use it to square up quilts. Also have a few smaller square rulers from 6 to 9 in ones that I use to square up blocks. I have the shape cutter but never use it, don't want the bother of folding my fabric smaller to use it.

I think I have as many rulers as fabric. LOL. If I'm cutting 4 inch strips, I want a 4 inch wide ruler not a 6 1/2" wide ruler. I know I could use the 6 1/2" ruler to cut the 4" strips but I don't want to. I have one ruler that only has 7/8" markings. Great for hsts. Most of my rulers are Creative Grids. The company keeps up with quilt trends and provides the specialty rulers that save time.

Creative Grids is definitely my ruler of choice. Love them more than any other brand. Easy to read and marked well plus have the little anti slip dots built right into the ruler. I use my 6 1/2 x 24 1/2 more than any other ruler. Next comes my 12 1/2 square then I use my 6 1/2 square quite a bit as well for squaring up HST because I use the grid method of making HST and I make them a full inch bigger than my finished size and trim down. I find that makes the most accurate HST.

I use my 5.5" x 24" (I think that is the size--maybe it is 6") plus my 3"x18" the most.

I'm one of those quilters who loves rulers. I'm sure I have way too many. The one ruler that I use on a daily basis is Kimberly Einmo's EZ Jelly Roll Ruler. It is 5" x 10". It is great for pre cuts. I use my 6" x 24" ruler pretty often. I have 3 June Taylor rulers: Shape Cut Plus, Exact Eights, and Shape Cut Pro. I love those June Taylor rulers! They are such time savers! I also like rulers for squaring. I know you can get one square and use it for all sizes; but I like the exact size from 2 1/2" to 15 1/2". Of those, I use the 12 1/2" most.

I'm a Creative Grids ruler junkie. I have a bunch of them... and am planning on getting more.
For me, I got a set of squares 4 1/2, 6 1/2, 8 1/2, 10 1/2 and 12 1/2. I also got the yardstick which is fabulous for cutting width of fabric. I got a 4x12 as well. I got some triangles too..
I have several specialty ones for cutting curves, kaleidoscopes and whatnot and am planning to get the pineapple and the 45 degree ruler one.

I plan on selling all of my old rulers. After using Creative Grids, I want nothing to do with my old ones... and the ones that I have that aren't CG I lament the designer's choice of ruler companies lol.

I would say that every quilter probably has a list of ones they like the most. You'll have to figure out what you need along the way.. and even that changes. My theory is that if a ruler makes my life easier on making a quilt, I'm all for spending the money to do that. I don't need any more grey hair than I already have :D

I have the shape cut by June Taylor and I really like it also.

I use my 8 1/2 by 24 more than any others, since most of your strips or blocks have to be cut by the 1/2" example 1 1/2,2 1/2, etc.

I love my 5x24 inch Olipfa ruler. It hugs the edge of my cutting mat, ensuring that the ruler is perpendicular to the mat. . Straight cut every time.

I love my June Tailor Shape cut too, great for consistent sized cuts and I use my 6x24 a lot. I had a 2 1/2x 6 ruler that I used for small projects but Oliver ate it 2 days ago! His accomplice, Dave the cat, must have knocked it off my table and once anything hits the floor it seems it's fair game for Oliver. Of course I wasn't home and that's when Oliver and Miles give me pay-backs.

June Taylor shape cutter and a 6x24inch ruler.

My hands down favorite and mosted used ruler is.... 6.5 square. I have used it so much that I need to replace it because one cornor is no longer square but worn to be slightly "off". Second most is the old 6.5 by 24.

I have a Betty Gall 6.5 X24 that I bought in the 70's. I love that ruler, but the markings are wearing off. I don't like those thick yellow lines, but am unable to find one with nice thin black lines like the Betty Gall in that size. I do like the 3 X 9 Quilt Sense, but that brand is very hard to find.

Shape cut
 

I'm with you on this. I can't cut a straight line to save my life. I do EVERYTHING with shape cut unless it's a circle or other special template. I sprung for the SC plus. It's a little wider. The pro looks intriguing at 20x23 with 1/8 slots but I don't do a lot of traditional quilting and at its price I'm holding off on that for awhile. There are demos on the June Taylor website showing how to do geometric shapes in all sizes and dimensions. I've almost worn out the 12x12!

The ones I use the most are my 6" x 24", my 6-1/2" square, and my big square one (think it may be 16"). Any others I have are ones that pertain to special shapes, like 60• triangle, set of semicircles, etc. that come in handy for specific uses.
I would like to get the next size up from the 6"x24" for cutting wider fabric. Not an essential but I would find it helpful and would use it regularly if I had it.

My favorite ruler is 6"x 24" and the 8.5" square. I am doing a lot of simple charity quilt, I find myself making 8.5" blocks.

Hi marand, I would say the 6''x 12'' and the 12'' square to start with, followed by the 61/2 square. So many of the other rulers are really not needed. Letty xx

Creative Grids are my favorite, size 6.5 x 18 and 12.5 square are my always go to. I think I have every size in the Creative Grids and use most of them.

Well these are the rulers I use the most as well. In fact I have doubles just in vase.

I'm just getting started, and I had a 6 x 24 I bought secondhand, then a couple of years ago I got Omnigrid square ones some of which came in a set. I have squares 2-1/2", 4-1/2", 6-1/2", 9-1/2", and 12-1/2". I also got a 4 x 14 because it seemed like it would be handy when I didn't need to drag out the 6 x 24. I'm cutting squares in anticipation of making my first Four Patch top.

Triangles are beginning to intrigue me as the next step and I'm eyeing the Fons & Porter ones that have markings for both half-square and quarter-square triangles. Hoping JoAnn's has them in stock at the same time I have the best coupons! :)

At some point, too, I'm going to need to look into getting a bigger and nicer mat. I have a mini mat which works good for cutting small pieces, and a mid sized June Taylor one that's okay but I'd like a nice Olfa or Fiskars. Finding a space to put it where I live is a challenge, though, as I share space with a roommate and some "inquisitive" kitty cats . . . :D

For half sq triangles the Quilt In A Day triangle square up ruler is a must have. ONE cut. I always make mine larger then square up so they always come out perfect. Fons and Porter are much more time consuming to make. I have it but do not even use it.
For 2 1/2 in sqs use 2- 6 in squares right sides togather draw an x sew 1/4 one each side, cut in half both ways then on lines. Makes 8. Add two in for each size larger.

Well, I bought the Fons & Porter triangle this weekend. And then - since I'm a newbie - experienced "that awkward moment when" I was looking up triangles online and kept running into the reality of how that bias side of the triangle might stretch during cutting and sewing. And how most people make them by sewing two squares together then cutting.

Thing is, though, I may be using it to cut individual triangles from scrappy bits of fabric. Is there anything I can do to make sure the triangles don't distort on that bias edge?