rulers for machine quilting
03-13-2021, 06:06 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 8
rulers for machine quilting
Hello everyone! I am trying to figure out what would be the best rulers to use with my longarm for quilting. anyone got ideas or favorites and I would love to hear the pros and cons of your choices. I just got my long arm about a year ago and have one done meandering to get use to it now I want to try rulers. I don't have a computer on mine so it is basically freehand.
Thanks for all the help and your ideas!
Thanks for all the help and your ideas!
03-13-2021, 11:04 PM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,379
I agree with Tartan, a straight edge and a curve are good places to start. The problem with longarm rulers is they can be fairly expensive and nobody carries them in retail stores, so you pretty much have to order them directly from the designer/maker. And the kind of rulers you will find useful depend mainly on what kind of quilting you want to do, so it's a very personal decision.
Lisa Calle, Bethanne Nemesh, Deloa Jones, Jamie Wallen, Margaret Solomon Gunn (I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I have purchased from) are all professional quilters and have designed specialty longarm quilting rulers. I think the first thing you should do is find videos on their websites, YouTube, and/or Facebook, and watch them demonstrate how they use their rulers. Ask around locally to see if you can borrow a ruler or two from a quilting friend. I was actually able to borrow a couple of rulers from my local Innova dealer and test them out.
Lisa Calle, Bethanne Nemesh, Deloa Jones, Jamie Wallen, Margaret Solomon Gunn (I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I have purchased from) are all professional quilters and have designed specialty longarm quilting rulers. I think the first thing you should do is find videos on their websites, YouTube, and/or Facebook, and watch them demonstrate how they use their rulers. Ask around locally to see if you can borrow a ruler or two from a quilting friend. I was actually able to borrow a couple of rulers from my local Innova dealer and test them out.
Last edited by Peckish; 03-13-2021 at 11:08 PM.
03-14-2021, 04:16 AM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Boothbay Maine
Posts: 9,518
Tartan is right, there are a lot of resources for LA quilting rulers and Peckish named a few good ones. I was fortunate to have received a straight and curved ruler with the purchase of my LA. I have then purchased a few rulers at quilt expos where I have taken classes from LA quilters. Deloa Jones has a great selection of rulers, Natalia Bonner has a great 4n1 ruler and has YouTube videos as does Amanda Murphy who is a Bernina ambassador, but the list goes on...
03-14-2021, 06:14 AM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: northern minnesota
Posts: 2,337
My advice would be to stick with only 2-3 until you decide if you want to do ruler work. Don't forgot you also need a ruler table attachment for your longarm to safely use the rulers. My advice would be start out with a fairly short straight ruler only about 6-8 inch long and two inches wide. That actually is my go to ruler. bigger rulers get in the way. make sure it is a long arm ruler (about 1/4 inch thick) I got one with a "sticky" type tape on the bottom that makes it very easy to hold in place without too much pressure and is also easy to pick up and move. I bought about 7-8 rulers over the years and yep...about 6 of them I haven't ever used. Once you get the hang of the straight edge rule, get one with a nice curve. Yes angela Walters does have a lot of nice rulers.
03-14-2021, 08:14 AM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 8,107
I like Quilter's Apothocary rulers. I have arthritis in my hands and these rulers have handles to hold them in place. I have a straight edge and a curve ruler and a couple triangle shape ones. I love their web site that had short how to videos. I can order them on line and have them in a couple days. They work well for me.
03-14-2021, 08:32 AM
#9
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,143
I've accumulated a huge selection of rulers over the years. Handi-Quilter makes some really good ones, including the Versa Tool. I prefer rulers that are clear and etched with helpful lines. I do not like rulers with handles. The ruler I use most is a SITD ruler. I use it for SITD to stabilize a quilt, and also for straight lines within the blocks. I also use circles of different sizes, and clamshell rulers. If you have an opportunity to go to a big quilt show, take a class in longarm quilting with rulers. The instructor usually has a selection of the rulers that she sells and you can get an idea of how to use them and decide which ones you're most likely to use.
