How to Use Rulers for Quilting on a Home Machine
Let Rulers do the Design Work!
Rulers designed for free motion quilting are changing the game, and in a good way. You no longer need to rely on your eye and coordination to create beautiful repetitive designs. Nor do you need to mark complex designs. Let rulers do the work for you.
With the right foot for your machine (a ruler foot), and the right ruler, even beginning free motion quilters can produce beautiful quilting. In fact, rulers are perfect for beginners.
In the following video, master quilter Angela Walters shows how to get started with rulers.
Angela has designed a line of four rulers (from Creative Grids) that can be used in unlimited ways to create interesting quilting designs. While more and more rulers are becoming available, this line of rulers is perfect for quilters just getting started with them.
We’re impressed with how well-designed the rulers are and how easy they are to use. Watch Angela introduce her rulers, Shorty, Slim, Archy and Squiggy, in the following video. It also shows a few of the many possible design options (all of the rulers are available here).
Whether you choose Angela’s rulers or another brand, the videos below provide many excellent tips for working with rulers.
The one ruler you may use the most is a good straight edge. In the following video Angela demonstrates Slim, her straight ruler for both straight and curvy lines.
If you’re interested in creating serpentine designs, watch Angela demonstrate Squiggy in the following video.
The following video shows you how to use Archie to create arcs.
Angela’s rulers are perfect for getting started with rulers and will take you far with their many designs options – and they’re perfect for both home machines and longarms. However, there are many rulers out there. Her videos give you an excellent overview of how rulers are used and will help you choose what’s right for you.
