Storing Quilting Rulers for Long Arm or Domestic Quilting
 

How do you store your long arm or domestic machine rulers. I may be an odd one out, but I have quite a few.

Currently, I have them in plastic containers about 14" square x 1" high. Each type in their own container. (For example a Sew Steady Spin-E-Fex set goes in one and a different Spin-E-Fex Set in another, etc.) I like to keep the full set of rulers together (I usually buy all the sizes of them or get the full set of different sizes) But, I now have container after container. I like them as I can store them flat to keep the rulers flat and I store the containers stacked on a wire shelving unit. The containers are numbered and I have a notebook with the list of rulers and what number container they are in, so I don't have to look through the containers to find the one I need.

I am just wondering if there is a better way to keep them. My cutting rulers are on a stand with grooves cut in it, so they are easily accessible, next to my cutting table. But this would be impossible for my quilting rulers as I have so many of them. As expensive as they are, I don't want them getting chipped or have them fall and break.

Maybe I'm overthinking this and should leave them as I have them. At one time I thought about getting a type of drafting storage drawers (thin and wide and deep) but, alas, it would take up too much room.

How do you store your quilting rulers?

I have a couple of slotted stands that hold the cutting rulers that I use a lot. Others that aren't used as often are in an Ikea cabinet that fits under the longarm. (I store thread for the longarm in two more of those cabinets.) Most of my quilting rulers are also in slotted stands right by the longarm - ones that accommodate the thicker rulers. The round ones are just stacked up, since they would roll out of the stands even if there was room for them there. I've purchased way too many longarm rulers, and find that I use the same ones over and over. I need to expand my quilting repertoire.

I keep mine in binders. I have purchased extra heavy page protectors that have a flap on the top. I put my rulers in and they are safe and I can find them when I want them.

I keep my ruler work type of rulers in a drawer beside my longarm - It's one of those 5 drawer type of carts. My cutting table rulers go on their pegs on the back of my cutting table

I prefer to store my longarm rulers and templates flat. They live in an IKEA Alex drawer unit that fits perfectly under my longarm. My pantos are also stored in the Alex unit.

I like mine stored flat, especially since a lot of them have inserts and 'keys' that would fall out if stood on edge. I really don't like to keep tape on them to hold in the keys or inserts, because it leaves a sticky residue. I have a square of felt in the container on a piece of foam board to keep them completely flat. If I have more than one layer in the container, because some have quite a few different sizes of the same ruler, I also place a piece of felt between the layers so they don't scratch or nick each other. I feel like I am over thinking it. Probably because of the number of containers I have for them on the shelves. It's nice to hear other ideas for storage.

My standard cutting rulers are in a stand with grooves. It sits on my cutting table. I have a couple of specialty cutting rulers that are stored in a drawer.

My quilting rulers are stored in a drawer unit right by my Sweet Sixteen. The ones that I use the most (straight, various arc rulers, a couple of circles, and waves) are in the top drawer on edge in one of those grooved ruler holders (extra wide grooves to hold the 1/4" thick quilting rulers). I can open the drawer and grab the one I want very quickly since I can see all of them immediately this way. Others that I only use occasionally are stored flat in the next drawer down. I keep the keys taped to the ones that need them.

Rob

I hang mine using offset hooks in the closet. Amazon calls them purse hangers. I have mainly Omnigrid and the Eleanor Burns square up rulers, along with some other miscellaneous ones, and they all have a little hole on the top for hanging. I have them all organized by shape on the hangers, and it is really efficient and takes up very little space. The other small ones without holes go into a drawer and I have an old CD case that houses my little charm rulers like the half clamshell and tumbling blocks. I have limited space, so I had to get creative.

I was watching a lady this morning with items from the dollar store. One of her suggestions was the use of a dish drainer basket to keep rulers. Is it a possible help? I am not a long armer, only passing on a possibility.