Pam Lintott - Quick Quilts with Rulers: 18 easy quilts paterns for quick quilting

We know that quilters love gadgets and rulers are the ultimate gadgets for quilters. Somewhere we all have clever rulers tucked away which we have bought as they looked so quick and easy to use. We also know that many of those rulers are not used very often, but what a waste. Rulers really do make cutting and creating easier it is just important that we know how to use them.

In this book we have chosen three rulers that certainly make life easier and although we have used the Creative Grids brand of rulers there are many other brands on the market which do the same job. So we beg you to search through your cupboards and dig out rulers you havent used for a while and the chances are you will find rulers which do the same job. If not, then you might think about treating yourself to one rulers really are worth their weight in gold.

Now dont think for a moment we have fallen out of love with jelly rolls. Our jelly roll quilt books have sold over 350,000 copies worldwide and we love the strip method of quiltmaking. All the quilts in this book start with strips although strips of many different widths. You will also see that a number of jelly roll quilts have popped into this book as well how did that happen!

Our first ruler is the Creative Grids Two Peaks in One ruler. Now this ruler might be called by a different name so do have a thorough search for it in your cupboards. This ruler makes the clever unit found in the Storm at Sea pattern and it was also called Peaky & Spike by the late Doreen Speckmann. The Tri-Recs ruler can also be used. It is important to remember that when using different rulers you need to make sure you are cutting on the correct markings.

Our second choice of ruler is the Creative Grids Double Strip Kaleidoscope ruler. There are lots of kaleidoscope rulers and any one of them will make the quilts in this book. This really is a great one to impress family and friends with your speed and creativity. Our quilt shows the different effect created when you use jelly roll strips.

Our third ruler is the Creative Grids Multi-Size Flying Geese ruler. We love the simplicity and versatility of this ruler. It has a 90 degree triangle that is used to make the centre of the flying geese unit on one side of the ruler and a 45 degree triangle that is used to make the side triangles on the other side. This means that as well as having a flying geese ruler, you also have a 45 degree triangle that is perfect for making half-square triangles from strips, and a large 90 degree triangle that can be used for strip-tube cutting and lots more. Check out our quilt to see how to use it for strip-tube cutting.

So have we inspired you to go searching for those rulers? We hope so and we hope you like making the quilts in this book.

All templates can be downloaded from: www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk/patterns

All the projects in this book require rotary cutting equipment. You will need a self-healing cutting mat at least 18in x 24in and a rotary cutter. We recommend the 45mm or the 60mm diameter rotary cutter. Any rotary cutting work requires rulers and most people have a make they prefer. We like the Creative Grids rulers as their markings are clear, they do not slip on fabric and their Turn-a-Round facility is so useful when dealing with half-inch measurements. We recommend the 612in x 24in as a basic ruler plus a large square no less than 1212in, which is handy for squaring up and making sure you are always cutting at right angles.

We cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining an accurate 14in seam allowance throughout. We prefer to say an accurate scant14in seam because there are two factors to take into account. Firstly, the thickness of thread and secondly, when the seam allowance is pressed to one side it takes up a tiny amount of fabric. These are both extremely small amounts but if they are ignored you will find your exact 14in seam allowance is taking up more than 14in. So, it is well worth testing your seam allowance before starting on a quilt and most sewing machines have various needle positions that can be used to make any adjustments.

Take a 212in strip and cut off three segments each 112in wide. Sew two segments together down the longer side and press the seam to one side. Sew the third segment across the top. It should fit exactly. If it doesnt, you need to make an adjustment to your seam allowance. If it is too long, your seam allowance is too wide and can be corrected by moving the needle on your sewing machine to the right. If it is too small, your seam allowance is too narrow and this can be corrected by moving the needle to the left.

The specialist rulers we have used are all marked in inches, therefore all our instructions are written in inches. To convert inches to centimetres, multiply the inch measurement by 2.54. For your convenience, any extra fabric you will need, given in the Requirements panel at the start of the quilt instructions, is given in both metric and imperial.

The size of each of the quilts in this book is given in the Vital Statistics information at the beginning of the project instructions but you could, of course, use more fabric and increase the size of your quilt.

All of our patterns are based on fabric being 42in wide. If our requirements use half yards then we assume that you have 42in x 1712in of usable fabric. If we use fat quarters we assume you have 21in x 1712in. This allows a little leeway for straightening up your strips, but not a lot, so take care not to be wasteful when trimming selvedges. If you are working in half and quarter metres rather than yards then you will have a little extra fabric to work with.

Diagrams are provided to help you make the quilts, normally beneath or beside the relevant stepped instruction. The direction in which fabric should be pressed is indicated by arrows on the diagrams. The reverse side of the fabric is shown in a lighter colour than the right side.

The quilts in the book can also be made with templates, which we have supplied at the end of the book. These arent as versatile as the specialist rulers but will allow you to make the quilts in this book.

Before you dive into making a quilt please read the instructions fully and dont forget to keep that scant 14in seam allowance. Most of all have fun. We designed these quilts to be easy to make and we hope they will be well used and loved. The techniques we use do encourage accuracy but no one is going to be judging you on every last point!

The Multi-Size Non-Slip 2 Peaks in 1 Triangle Ruler is an innovative ruler by Rachel Cross of Creative Grids. The unique concept that sets this all-in-one ruler apart is that just by rotating it you can create many well-loved block units quickly and easily with minimum fuss and fabric wastage.