With any trade, craft or past-time there are typically sets of tools and equipment that are specific to it. In this piece Id like to explore a couple that are integral to making a patchwork quilt, namely, rulers and cutting mats.

Cutting Mats

As a general rule the bigger mats are good for cutting larger pieces of fabric and little mats are great for small pieces of fabric. Personally, I really like to have one of each. My larger mat spends most of its life on my {quilting} bench whereas the smaller one works well for workshops and when Im low workspace.

I have a tendency to prefer the soft self-healing mats over the harder mats as they give much more control of the cutting process, and so give more consistent, straighter cuts.

TIP: When using a soft mat be sure to place it on a hard surface to avoid the matt bending when cutting.

Rulers

There are all types of sizes and styles when it comes to rulers and as time goes youll without doubt build quite a collection of them. Nevertheless I recommend that you start with a big and small rectangular one as these are the ones youll use the most, so it’s best to invest in these first.

Not all rulers have a non-slip backing and as a result have a propensity to move around when cutting. I strongly recommend that you consider one with a non-slip backing to stop the wastage of tossing away good fabric simply because an uneven cut made it unusable.

It’s also wise to consider the colour of the ruler. Most commonly quilting rulers are clear, however some have coloring designed to create contrast and make it easier to see certain coloured fabric through them. It’s definitely worth holding the ruler up against the fabric you intend to use, before you buy it, to be certain that the contrast makes it easier to see the fabric and not harder.

To get more great tips about how to make a patchwork quilt, go to Jane Green’s patchwork quilt website right now!