Review: Quilting Ruler with Locking Fabric Guide
Adjustable Rulers for Accurate Cutting of Quilt and Patchwork Pieces
Aug 6, 2008
With 30 years of quilting experience, Leonie West of Westalee Design understands the importance of accurately measuring and cutting material for quilts. Inspired by her own frustrations with this time-consuming and tedious task, and with assistance from her husband Bill, she has designed a quilting ruler to reduce the workload and improve accuracy for quilters of all skill levels.
As Leonie herself explains, “Quilters are constantly faced with the challenge of difficult maths and precise measurements and cutting 1,200 identical bias strips can test anyone’s patience. There had been no change to this process since the rotary cutter was invented in 1979, so I felt it was time to address the issue.”
The Importance of Accurate Cutting in Quilting
The task of accurately measuring and cutting material in large quantities is a necessary but time-consuming step before a quilt can be assembled.
Inexperienced quilters who rush through this stage often find that seams in their quilt do not meet together correctly, ruining the appearance of the end product. Even experienced quilters, who are more likely to attempt more intricate designs, can become careless, ruining what can be hours of preparation work.
An Innovative Range of Adjustable Quilting Rulers
With a twist of the old adage “measure twice and cut once”, Leonie has developed a range of rulers that she laughing describes as able to “measure once and cut a 1000 times”.
With straight and triangle formats available in a range of sizes, the clear Perspex adjustable rulers reduce both the time and effort required for accurate cutting. A black, locking fabric guide is attached to each ruler with two easily adjustable screws, allowing quilters to set the required measurement once and repetition cut fabric accurately every time.
Westalee Design rulers enable quick and precise cutting of strips, squares, rectangles, diamonds, bias strips, sashing and borders. The adjustable triangle range assists with accurately cutting setting triangles for diagonal set quilts, and half square triangles and quarter square triangles for blocks.
Rulers are marked with guide lines at quarter-inch increments, allowing easy measurement of the final block or strip size including the seam allowance.
Westalee Design Product Range
Adjustable Rulers with Fabric Guide
- 24” x 6.5”
- 18” x 6.5”
- 12.5” x 12.5”
- 12.5” x 6.5”
- 7” x 6.5”
The following triangles indicate size of finished block including seam allowance.
- Adjustable Setting Triangle - 6” to 12” and 2” to 6”
- Adjustable Corner Setting Triangle – 6” to 12”
- Adjustable Half Square Triangle – 2” to 6”
- Adjustable Quarter Square Triangle – 2” to 6”
Prices for rulers and triangles range from AU$27 – AU$45.
Westalee Design also produces a range of long-arm machine cross-hatch guides and provide an accurate 45º, 60º and 90º guide for long-arm machine quilting for use from left or right.
With the cross-hatch guides marking is no longer necessary and quilters are able to remain in front of their long-arm machine. Fourteen different double-edged guides offer a range of 28 design patterns including waves, curves, clouds and clamshells.
The long-arm cross-hatch guide is available for AU$89 with individual pattern guides priced at AU$59.
Distributor information is available from the Westalee Designs website, including details for Australian and international orders. Westalee Design products are also available in Australia from Aussie Patches and will be distributed in America by Quilters Rule. The range will be launched in America by Quilters Rule at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas in October 2008.
Leonie West
Leonie is an Australian mother of three, a former trucker and part-time racing driver, and an accomplished quilter. One of Leonie’s quilts was recently shown at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas and later in Chicago. She recently received the People’s Choice Award with 65.54% of votes after appearing on the ABC New Inventor’s program and was awarded the 2008 People's Choice Award on the Grand Final episode.
Accurate Quilting Measurements Every Time
With all the features of a standard ruler, the Westalee Design rulers and triangles have the added benefit of the adjustable fabric guide to prevent movement while cutting. For both novice and experienced quilters, the adjustable rulers ensure that the measuring and cutting stage of a quilt takes as little time as possible without compromising the quality of the final product.
