nana2madmax

The Tri-recs ruler is a good investment....I've used mine a lot..... and like the fact that there are multiple sizes on each.

SooBDo

Tri-recs rulers are great for Storm at Sea. We were involved in a demo of this tool, and the people who had made a Storm at Sea before say that this tool makes it MUCH easier. This coming from a ruler junkie!

bigsister63

Sure if you can afford it! New rulers for a specific pattern is really a "gimmick" to make more money for the ruler/pattern designer and manufacture. Sometimes these rulers make life easier but many other times they are not needed. Only you can decide if you want to buy these rulers. A good example is "thangle paper" used to make HST. What a gimmick. I have found it easier to sew/cut my own then to buy these papers . Also you ned to buy specific sizes and of course the paper that you have is not the one you need. Other people really love these papers! To each their own!!!!!

sweetana3

Remember that often the books, patterns, ideas, etc. come from people who are selling the tools in their store or catalog. It is the same with fabric. The manufacturers give fabric to designers to have them show it in their designs so people will want to exactly recreate the top.

It is advertising. Just pick a pattern from the thousands out there that do not require a new tool or try a different method. I made my own type of Twister pattern with template plastic and my own measurements. It worked well and saved me about $10.

quiltmau

I buy the patterns, the rulers, the fabric and then in the middle of cutting I change my mind - change the pattern. Why can't I just DO IT THE WAY I AM SUPPOSED TO!!!??

quiltstringz

Most things you can do with your regular ruler or most of the patterns that request a special ruler also have a paper template in them that you can use (trace it out on template plastic). However if it is a look you like and will make life easier why not. I will say that I have the tri-recs ruler set and have used it many times - it was well worth the money to me. When I use templates I end up shaving parts of it off, etc. so I most of the time (unless I look at it and say this is a one time only deal) will go ahead and buy the ruler. But then I may be a ruler junkie!

GrannieAnnie

A dollar grade school ruler has the same inches as a $30 quilting ruler. In fact, I keep one handy for smaller jobs when I don't want to clear the whole table.

GrannieAnnie

My hubby PUT stuff away a while back when he was installing a new floor. I'll be lucky if I ever find it again. Then he went on a cleaning spree while I was in the hospital-------------------My power cords are gone, extension cords are gone. Boxes of books and fabric are gone. No doubt they are in his barn or upstairs or in some closet, but I don't have the time to investigate.

AlaskaAlice

Love to read all the op's! I know you can do it without special rulers..I do make most of mine with a basic ruler, a protractor and plastic from lids. but I bet after all is said and done I would save money just to buy the ruler and use it instead of all the trial and error. time it takes to do the math etc. (only thing I think I may be saving is my brain) at least the" Alzhiemers experts" say it works Happy Sewing!

katesnanna

These are just a ploy to get you to spend more money. The quilters of yesteryear didn't have all this paraphernalia. You don't need to be a maths genius to work out measurements. You can try out your calculations using paper. If you get stuck ask here, there is always someone willing to help.