cutting out a quilt top in 30 minutes

It used to take me around 3 hours to cut out one of my quilt tops. My back would be aching from standing for so long, my wrist would be fed up, and my feet would be telling me to sit down.

Now, as you know, there are a lot of squares and hst’s in my quilt patterns. Some of the larger ones have around 900 squares. So I had to find a better way to cut those squares out.

The game change for me was the Stripology Ruler by Creative Grids (and this is not an affiliate post)

It is not the cheapest of rulers - but if you are like me, and quilting is your passion, then it is definitely a good investment. I use this ruler lots - weekly!! So the money spent is definitely worth it for me.

I can now cut out one of my patterns in around 30 minutes. No more aching back, feet or wrists, and more time to sew.

It does take some getting used to - I must admit that I was terrified to use it at first, as your rotary cutter goes into the slots, and is guided by those slots as you cut.

It is non slip, and stays firm on the fabric. One of the great things for me is the markings on the bottom of the ruler, squares for every 2.5” rows and stars for every 1.5” rows. This means that I can quickly cut out 2.5” strips of fabric without having to count up where the next 2.5” is - I just cut where the squares are.

There are also 60 degree lines and 45 degree lines. I have started playing with the 60 degree lines, and they create some wonderful diamond patterns. I do need to explore this more.

You can square up blocks, and if you have the XL size, you can square up blocks up to 12.5”

There are some great videos out there on YouTube for you to watch.

So, if you want to invest in your quilting, then I would definitely recommend the Stripology Ruler. They also do a smaller version, which is great for travelling.

Please let me know what your favourite ruler is. I love hearing from you, and sharing ideas.

Happy quilting.

Tracy

xx