Tools & Equipment
Quilting Ruler
A thick, clear acrylic ruler used with a rotary cutter to make precise cuts.
Quilting rulers are thick (typically 1/8-inch) clear acrylic rulers with printed grid lines, angle marks, and seam allowance guides. They are designed to resist the rotary cutter, keeping the blade from sliding over the edge. A 6×24-inch ruler is the most versatile general-purpose quilting ruler. The 6×6-inch and 12.5-inch square rulers are essential for squaring up blocks. Specialty rulers — flying geese rulers, Dresden plate wedge rulers, clamshell templates — make specific tasks faster and more accurate.
Related Terms
Rotary CutterA circular blade tool that rolls across fabric to cut precise straight lines, like a pizza wheel for fabric.Self-Healing Cutting MatA gridded mat that protects the work surface when using a rotary cutter and heals after each cut.Squaring UpTrimming a pieced unit to its exact finished size using a ruler and rotary cutter.
Practice makes perfect.
NiftyFifty connects quilters from all 50 states through block swaps, bees, and quilt-alongs. Great place to put new techniques to work.