Why One Good Ruler Changes Your Cutting
Most quilting mistakes start at the cutting table. A strip cut slightly off, or a block that was never quite square, will follow you through piecing and quilting. The Quilters Select Non-Slip Ruler 8.5" x 12" is made to help you get that first step right, with clear markings and a surface that helps keep the ruler — and your fabric — in place while you cut.
What This Ruler Is
The Quilters Select Non-Slip Ruler 8.5" x 12" is a quilting ruler for marking, measuring, and cutting fabric. It features easy-to-read lines for marking and measuring, as well as multiple angles to help you position fabric and check angled cuts. Each ruler has a unique non-slip coating that makes for more accurate cutting.
One thoughtful detail is around the edge. The one-inch lines have two sets of corresponding numbers placed around the perimeter, readable left to right and right to left. You never have to lose your place or count backwards when you cut from the other side, and that design makes squaring blocks easier than ever. This is one of multiple sizes available.
Why Quilters and Sewists Use It
Quilters reach for a ruler this size for everyday work: trimming and squaring blocks, cutting strips and pieces to size, and checking that a unit measures what the pattern says it should before it is sewn into a top. The non-slip coating is especially helpful when fabric wants to shift under pressure — a common cause of wavy edges and pieces that do not match at the seams. Sewists use it for measuring pattern pieces, marking seam lines, and making straight cuts on smaller projects.
How to Use It
- Start with flat fabric. Press your fabric first, lay it smoothly on your cutting mat, and remove any folds that could throw off a measurement.
- Place the ruler. Set the ruler on the fabric and align the line you need with the fabric edge or with a previously cut edge. Press down firmly so the non-slip coating can grip.
- Read the numbers from your side. Use the perimeter numbers that read correctly from where you are standing — left to right or right to left — instead of counting backwards from the far edge.
- Cut along the edge. Hold the ruler steady with one hand, fingers kept well away from the cutting edge, and cut along the ruler with your other hand in one smooth pass.
- Square a block. Lay the ruler over a finished block, align the markings with the block's seams and edges, check all four sides, and trim only the excess that extends beyond the ruler.
- Use the angles. Align the angled lines with a seam or fabric edge when you need to check or mark an angled cut, rather than guessing the angle by eye.
Practical Tips
Measure twice before you cut, and re-check your place using the perimeter numbers if you are interrupted mid-cut. Keep steady, even pressure across the ruler rather than pressing only in one spot, and always cut away from your holding hand. If a piece is slightly oversized, trim a small amount at a time — you can always remove more fabric, but you cannot add it back.
Care and Storage
Wipe the ruler clean with a soft, dry or slightly damp cloth after use, and keep it flat on a shelf, in a ruler rack, or hanging where it will not be bent or buried under heavy supplies. Store it away from direct heat, and check the surface before cutting so dust or thread does not lift it off the fabric.
Project Ideas
Keep this ruler beside your mat for squaring pieced blocks, trimming units to a consistent size, cutting binding and sashing strips, and measuring fabric for tote bags, pillow covers, and table runners.
Shop the Quilters Select Non-Slip Ruler 8.5" x 12" at Linda's Electric Quilters.
