fineseams Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 I don't have my machine yet - Heidi says about 2 weeks - but have been spending time reading books, watching videos and reading the APQS boards. I've already decided I need a base extender and some rulers, but the question is - which rulers should I start with? I notice that DeLoa has a package with all her rulers and several books - would that be a good way to start? It looks like there are MANY different ones from different vendors, and I'm sure one can't afford to buy them all.....what to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 In my HO, start by playing with your new baby, and see what fun things arrive in the mail too. You'll start to see what you need/want. However, I'll give a shameless plug for Linda Rech's (FFQ-LAR) cross-hatch rulers. They are the best, and work exclusively with APQS machines. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 For beginners small oval 3-6 inch straight ruler for stitch in the ditch http://www.accentsindesign.com accuguide for going around applique http://www.lovetoquilt.com apple core ruler http://sewfarsewgood.danemcoweb.com/shop/product/apple-day/ extended base plate http://www.lovetoquilt.com advanced quilters Linda Rech's crosshatch ruler Judy Allens judalator Deloa Jones crosshatch boomerangs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Bonnie, good advice by everyone above and just remember that rulers are a little tricky to use. So take baby steps. Don't get too many rulers all at once. They are expensive so start out with a few of the ones listed above (small ones) and work yourself up building your ruler stash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyAboutQuilting Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Hi Bonnie, I'm a newbie too and I really like the Itty Bitty Ruler from Off The Edge Quilting. It's a nice small size that is so easy to use and is great for SID and outlining, etc. It doesn't take very long to get the feel of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirleyl Posted March 6, 2010 Report Share Posted March 6, 2010 Remember if you want to use rulers you will need a base for your machine. I like my Hartley, but others like a different one. Of course I don't have the different one, so I can't compare. Don't rush buying too many toys just yet. Get like an Itty Bitty and see if you even like ruler work first. It takes some getting used to and you can invest a lot of money in Oh I like that. Ask me how I know. I have rulers, I have never used. YET!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 6, 2010 Report Share Posted March 6, 2010 My new favorite ruler and a must have in my opinion is DeLoa's Little One guide. It is about 6" fits nicely in your hand and also has the 1/4" tabs so it is easy to line up your foot to do SID. It is marked every 1/4" so you can use it to echo a line as well. You will probably want something that has a curve too. Other than that wait to see how much ruler work you will actually. I have a lot of rulers but the ones I use the most are my Little One guide, my archs and Deloa's boomerangs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Nearly all quilts are going to require some stitch in the ditch if you plan to do anything other than pantos or edge to edge. I got a Harley base, which came with a couple straight rulers. Take time and compare the extended bases. The Harley slides on and off very easily. I don't know about the other one. I chose the Hartley because it is larger and has a rectangular surface with a large area to rest your hands while holding the ruler. The downside of the Hartley is the plexiglass creates a little drag on the quilt, so I wouldn't want to leave it on to do free motion. Any extended base that you leave on all the time is going to decrease the amount of area that you can quilt without advancing the quilt, so for me, I want to be able to take it off easily. That's just a personal opinion, but something to consider. I'm a new quilter, too, and I bought the Itty Bitty, which is great. My next purchase will be the Appliguide. Thus far, the straight rulers that came with my Hartley base are also very helpful for SID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Originally posted by Zora Any extended base that you leave on all the time is going to decrease the amount of area that you can quilt without advancing the quilt, so for me, I want to be able to take it off easily. That's just a personal opinion, but something to consider. While it is true that most of us with the Ruler Mate probably do not remove the base at all times...it does not affect the quilting area. I still have 18.5" of usable area and my base only comes off for cleaning purposes. I may have lifted my levelor bar and quilt top bar a smidge when I added the base initially, do not honestly remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted March 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Thank you ALL for your helpful comments. I'm now sure I want an extended base and a SID ruler of some kind. I just need to decide what brand to buy - it sounds like there are several different ones that you all use and are happy with, so I probably won't go too far wrong no matter which I choose. Has anyone used drafting tools for rulers? No one does hand-drawn drafting anymore, but in our house we have had several engineers and architects and I have a number of abandoned plastic drafting tools - French curves, etc. that seem like they might work - although it appears that the plastic is somewhat thinner than regular quilting rulers. Thanks again for your helpful comments. These boards are a wonderful source of information - and I don't even have my machine yet!!!! Bonnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Drafting rulers are thinner than 1/4"...but if you have several of the same kind...you could glue them together to achieve the thickness you need. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Kristina is right. If it isn't 1/4" don't try it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Thanks Kristina. I hadn't thought of raising the quilt top bar. I may try that, because the Hartley base bumps into it otherwise. It isn't a real problem, since I don't like to leave the base on all the time anyway. I just don't like the feel of the extra "stuff" under the quilt when doing free motion. I'm short, so don't really quilt way back toward the take-up roller, either. However, I find the base tends to loosen the quilt sandwich because it sits up higher than the level of the quilt...unless I tighten the brake so much it is hard to set it. It doesn't solve any problem to raise the take-up bar, because the backing bar sticks straight out of the front of the frame and doesn't raise or lower. Again, it is a matter of personal preference. I chose the Hartley because of the larger surface and am happy with my choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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