March 05, 2018

How to decide on a Wedge Quilting Ruler

Q: Christina, which wedge ruler should I get?
A: All of them!


Just kidding, I know we aren't made of money. So that's why I wrote this post!

You don't need a wedge ruler of course. But they sure are nice. All the quilts in my book Wedge Quilt Workshop can be made with just TWO wedge rulers:

The 9 degree ruler from Doheny Publications


And the 10 degree ruler from Phillips Fiber Art

I fell in love with these rulers one at a time. I started with the 9 degree ruler ruler and I think that's an excellent choice for anyone new to wedges. The nice thing about a 9 degree angle is that when you put 5 of them together you have 45 degrees. That is a magic number that can be easily squared up on the angled line on most of our cutting mats. So if you are new to wedges, this would be a great ruler to start with.

The 10 degree ruler ruler caught my eye when I started to get interested in the repeats that are possible. Because when you put 6 of these wedges together you get 60 degrees. And 60 degrees is a magic number for equilateral triangles, diamonds and hexagons. The possibilities! If you've ever seen my Magic Triangle Tutorial you'll know what I mean.


The repeats possible with a  9 degree ruler  are: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10
The repeats possible with a 10 degree ruler are: 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12

Still wondering? Here's my one question approach: Do you like to follow patterns? If so, the 9 degree ruler has 6 patterns in the book to make with it. Get the 9 degree and you'll have the most options. Like these!




However, most of the things you can do with a 9 degree you can also do with a 10 degree (except for the squaring up at 45 degrees thing.) So if you like going your own way, and you're not too worried about that squaring up thing, or if you just LOVE the 60 degree angle, then you'll probably be happier with the 10 degree ruler. The quilt below, from the book, was easy to make with the 10 degree ruler and extension.


If you're like me, you'll fall in love with one of these rulers, and then need the other one in your life too! Until then, if you don't have budget for a ruler you can use the printed templates in the back of the book to make the patterns using your regular quilting ruler.

Feel free to ask questions, I love sharing the wedge magic!

9 comments:

Gene Black said...

I have a 15 degree ruler that I got long ago. I can see easily that i could do 45 or 60 or 90 degrees with those wedges. Any other clever ideas that I could use it for?

Quiltdivajulie said...

I am about to start my version of Hello Gorgeous so I bought the 9 degree ruler.

A Left-Handed Quilter said...

I'm like Gene - but mine is an 18-degree "Dresden Plate" ruler. Five plates/wedges for a 90-degree wedge. It's quite handy but I can see where a smaller ruler would be more versatile - ;))

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I'm looking forward to using my new ruler and book. Thanks.

KaHolly said...

Great explanation! New wedge rulers top my wish list!

Ulla said...

This makes perfect sense!

Carla said...

Thanks for sharing. Not sure I'm ready for a wedge ruler but I like what I saw. Eventually I'll get there I'm sure

Quiltdivajulie said...

Hi, Christina -- check out the update on my project that includes the Hello Gorgeous wedge circle -- https://quiltdivajulie.blogspot.com/2018/04/enormous-progress-on-spotted-winkel.html (sorry - I don't have your email addy so I had to share the link here)

Anonymous said...

Thanks! I have a short one I own, and a friend and I bought a long one. I'll have to check what size it is, because it's living at my house right now. This explained SO much!

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