Favorite rulers for longarm quilting

Rulers are a great way to create lovely quilting designs.  In this blog I will cover some of my favorite rulers.

Straight rulers

The first ruler I recommend is a straight ruler.  You’ll want one that fits easily in your hand for stitch-in-the-ditch (SID) quilting of short distances (like within a block) and a longer one for longer lines or along borders.  Having a ruler with etched lines ¼” apart is very helpful for outline quilting, cross-hatching or spacing between lines.  I like this Lilac Lines ruler by Bethanne Nemesh because it has a straight section, but also is more versatile with different curves.  Watch her YouTube video here, demonstrating how to use one portion of the ruler.

Curved rulers

The next ruler would be one with lots of different curves, like this French Curve ruler called Lotus Lines from Bethanne Nemesh.  It’s perfect for outline quilting applique.  These rulers have a number of different types of curves and you’ll be able to find a section that matches the curve of the applique.  You can also use it to stitch the curves of feathers and other designs.  Watch Bethanne’s Youtube video here.

Specialty rulers

I’ve purchased a number of specialty rulers over the years (stars, circles, wavy lines, etc) and found that I didn’t use them nearly to the extent that I’ve used these more basic rulers.  My advice would be to purchase a specialty ruler when you have a specific project in mind and try it out.

Ruler base

Before quilting with rulers, you need to have a ruler base that fits your machine.  Available from your dealer or the APQS store, this provides a firm foundation to place your ruler on APQS machines with a square throat.  Your ruler base will come with a straight ruler.

Ruler thickness

Make sure your ruler is ¼” thick.  Do NOT use a rotary cutter ruler – they are too thin and can slip under your foot.  If the needle hits the ruler and breaks, you will likely need to have your sewing machine retimed.

Ruler feet

APQS machines come with true ¼” feet, which means that you can use the ruler at any position around your hopping foot and the needle will stitch ¼” away.  So easy!  You can also get a ruler foot with an open space for easier visibility, available from your dealer or APQS for APQS machines with a square throat.

Conclusion

Rulers are a wonderful way to add more designs to your repertoire and give a clean, professional edge to your quilting. Give it a try!

Enjoy and Happy Quilting!