Good tools can make a huge difference! This is especially true for patchwork rulers. If you’re not careful with your cuts, the pieces won’t fit together, and the seams won’t align. It’s frustrating, but it can be avoided with a high-quality ruler. In this article, I’ll tell you what to look for when buying patchwork rulers. I’ll show you my top five favorites and explain why I think they’re so great.
Creative Grids
Four years ago, I discovered the English brand Creative Grids, and I’m still completely convinced by these rulers. They have everything that makes a good, high-quality ruler. There is a huge range of sizes and formats available, both in inches and centimeters. Fortunately, Creative Grids rulers are now also available in Germany. You can find the most common sizes and many interesting specialty rulers at Verena’s shop, Einfach bunt Quilts.
Of course, Creative Grids rulers are not perfect. Who or what is perfect? For example, I don’t understand why they decided to omit the second 60-degree marking on the rectangular rulers. But that’s just a minor flaw. It doesn’t affect my love for them. The positive characteristics of the Creative Grids rulers outweigh the negatives, which is why I remain loyal to them and would buy them again and again.
What Makes a Good Patchwork Ruler:
1. Anti-Slip Function
One of the biggest problems with poor rulers is that they slip when you start cutting. It’s annoying, and in the worst case, you can ruin the entire fabric. An anti-slip function helps prevent this. These are areas on the back of the ruler that are roughened or “frosted.” When you lightly press the ruler onto the surface while cutting, it won’t slip.
My tip: Never buy a ruler without an anti-slip function. In English, they are called “Non-Slip Rulers.” And forget about the anti-slip stickers that clever manufacturers have brought to the market. I can only advise against them. I have found that rulers with sandpaper stickers on the back no longer glide smoothly over the fabric and become unusable.
2. Readability and Clarity
A good patchwork ruler must be made of transparent plastic. You still want to see the fabric underneath in order to align the ruler precisely with the pattern. The units and markings on the ruler must be easily readable. This is best ensured with fine black lines.
Thick markings and colored bars are very poor choices. Both make it difficult to align and position the ruler accurately. If you only occasionally sew small things like pouches, this may still work. But when it comes to patchwork, where every millimeter counts, you can’t work with such rulers. So, look for fine marking lines and clarity!
Rulers can be made very cleverly and provide incredible support during the work process. The Creative Grids rulers are a perfect example of this. On them, you can quickly read whole numbers (white circles) as well as numbers plus 0.5 inch (black circles). We patchworkers often work with measurements like 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches, etc. That’s why it’s super useful and very intuitive once you’ve internalized the system.
3. Break-Resistant Material
The quality of the material is also important, of course. You don’t want a corner to chip off just because the ruler accidentally fell on the floor. Nor do you want to cut off a slice from the ruler when using the rotary cutter along the edge. Of course, you can’t necessarily tell from a newly purchased ruler whether the plastic is any good. But I think the price is also an indicator. Personally, I don’t trust rulers for a few euros from a sewing discount store to be very durable. I’d rather spend a little more money and buy a ruler that will bring me joy for many years.
4. Angle Function and Useful Markings
It’s an absolute must-have, and I haven’t seen a rectangular patchwork ruler without it: markings for 45-degree angles and 60-degree angles. You need the angle function, for example, when you want to cut on the bias. You can also use it to cut geometric shapes like triangles or diamonds.
What I really appreciate about the Creative Grids rulers is the dashed line for the 1/4 inch seam allowance. It is marked on two sides of the ruler and can be quickly found. In patchwork, it often happens that you have to cut away a 1/4 inch seam allowance next to a seam, for example, when doing foundation paper piecing or making corner triangles. It’s precisely these little things that make your work much easier and that you quickly get used to because they facilitate the work.
Here are my top 5 favorite rulers:
1 | The Classic: 6.5 x 24.5 Inch
This format is the most common and understandably the most popular. The ruler is an indispensable all-rounder that you can use to straighten fabric edges and cut long strips. It’s the standard ruler that you always need for sewing and patchwork. → Creative Grids 6.5 x 24.5 Inch (Affiliate-Link)
The equivalent in centimeters is almost the same size → Creative Grids 16.5 x 61.5 cm (Affiliate-Link)
2 | My Absolute Favorite: 8.5 x 8.5 Inch
I have never used any ruler more often than this square one. I always reach for it first when it comes to small cuts. It’s very clear and wonderfully handy. You can use it to cut square patchwork blocks in common sizes like 4 inches, 5 inches, or 6 inches. The diagonal marking line is essential for trimming half-square triangles (see photo on the right). I love this ruler! → Creative Grids 8.5 x 8.5 Inch (Affiliate-Link)
Because I find the size so practical, I eventually bought it with centimeter markings as well. → Creative Grids 21.5 x 21.5 cm (Affiliate-Link)
3 | Can’t Do Without: 4.5 x 18.5 Inch
I only bought this ruler later, but I quickly learned to appreciate its advantages. For me, it’s the smaller version of the long standard ruler. Sometimes, the 6.5 x 24.5 Inch ruler is too bulky for me, and I prefer a slightly narrower, shorter version. The 4.5 x 18.5 Inch format is ideal. I can comfortably cut 40 cm wide fabric strips and fat quarters with it. I use it all the time and wouldn’t want to be without it in my ruler collection. → Creative Grids 4.5 x 18.5 Inch (Affiliate-Link)
4 | For Quick Measurements: 1.5 x 12.5 Inch
This ruler is approximately the size of a 30 centimeter ruler. Except that it’s in inches. Whenever I quickly need to measure something, I reach for this long ruler. I don’t always find it immediately because I often leave it lying around – on the cutting table, next to the sewing machine, or on the ironing board. I constantly have it in my hands. → Creative Grids 1.5 x 12.5 Inch (Affiliate-Link).
By the way, why isn’t there a flexible measuring tape with inch markings? That’s a real gap in the market! I’ve been waiting for someone to produce it for years.
5 | Nice to Have: 12.5 x 12.5 Inch
Lastly, I want to introduce a ruler that is very useful for larger patchwork blocks. If the square 8.5 x 8.5 Inch ruler is not sufficient because you want to trim blocks in sizes like 10 or 12 inches, this format is invaluable. It’s too bulky for smaller projects, so I only use it for larger ones. → Creative Grids 12.5 x 12.5 Inch (Affiliate-Link)
Conclusion
As you can see, you don’t actually need many rulers to be well-equipped. If you’re on a tight budget, I recommend the long standard ruler, 6.5 x 24.5 Inch, and the square ruler, 8.5 x 8.5 Inch. With these two, you’ll be well-prepared for most sewing and patchwork projects. If you do a lot of patchwork, it’s also worth investing in the other three rulers. They make your work easier in many cases.
The important thing is to make sure that the patchwork ruler you purchase has anti-slip surfaces and a clear, minimalist design. An ideal ruler is transparent with fine black lines and numbers. It should have markings for 45-degree angles and 60-degree angles and be of good, durable quality. It’s definitely worth spending a bit more money in this case.
Coming Soon: How to Use an Inch Ruler?
I hope I was able to give you a little orientation in the ruler jungle, and I would be happy if you stop by again soon. Then, in another blog post, I will explain how to use an inch ruler. Many people are hesitant to work with inches. But it’s not as difficult as it seems and brings many advantages, which I will show you next time.
Click here for the tutorial: Tutorial | How to Use an Inch Ruler?
Special Rulers
Which specialty rulers are interesting and useful? You can find rulers that I have tested and written detailed reviews about here:
- Folded Corner Clipper by Creative Grids – With this super useful ruler, you can sew easy corner triangles without marking them beforehand. I love this ruler and can recommend it to everyone who does patchwork.
- 60° Mini Diamond Ruler by Creative Grids – I made a children’s quilt with hexagons using this great ruler. It’s a beautiful sewing project that I can recommend to anyone who loves graphic patterns and fussy cutting!
If you don’t want to miss any blog posts, feel free to follow me on Bloglovin’. You can also find news on Instagram and Facebook.
– Info: The links marked with an asterisk () are affiliate links. They lead you to partner shops that I would like to recommend to you. If you like my recommendation and make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small compensation without you having to pay more for it. Thank you for your support.*
