Hey Everyone, welcome back to Technique Tuesday.

Last Thursday I featured the Shape Cut Plus Ruler from June Tailor on Cool Tool Thursday. Today I am going to run through how the ruler works.

It is a great ruler for cutting many pieces or strips of one size. I used it for a colour wash class that our guild put on last spring and it took no time at all to cut all those 2 inch squares.

Getting Started

To begin make sure your fabric is pressed then fold it in half by bringing the selvage edge up to the fold line. Place the folded edge just created at the bottom of the cutting mat closest to you. Now place the ruler on top of the fabric with the horizontal zero line on the folded edge of the fabric.

Zero horizontal line is placed on the fold line of the fabric

Close up of zero horizontal line along edge of fabric

The vertical zero line should be just in from the edge of the fabric as this line is used to square up the fabric.

Zero vertical line in just from the edge of the fabric

Close up of vertical zero line

The grooves in the plastic are where the rotary cutter is placed to cut the fabric. I find that a larger cutter such as a 45 mm works best. The small cutters such as a 28 mm are too small for the grooves.

Place cutter in grooves to cut

Close up of grooves

Cutting Strips

To cut a 2 inch strip, cut along the zero vertical line to square off the fabric and then cut along the 2 inch vertical line. Continue cutting 2 inch strips by cutting in the 4 inch, 6 inch vertical line until all strips are cut. In the photo below I only needed one strip.

One 2 inch strip cut and squared up

Cutting Squares

Lay out all of the 2 inch strips cut – I have one from 4 different fabrics so a total of 4. They will lay horizontally and right up close to each other.

Strips on cutting mat ready for cutting

Place the ruler on the strips with the zero vertical line just in from the edge of the strips and the zero horizontal line will be in line with the bottom of the strips just as it was above when cutting the strips. Start cutting at the zero line and in 2 inch intervals until you reach the end of the ruler. If you are afraid that you might cut in the wrong groove then place sticky notes at the bottom of the grooves you need to cut in.

Two inch cut lines marked with sticky notes

Rotary cutter placed in groove ready to cut

Eighteen 2 inch squares per each strip.

Squares all cut

This ruler makes life a lot easier when cutting large quantities of the same size strips, squares or rectangles. I need to remember to use mine more often.

The ruler can also be used cut to a ¼″ but that is for another day. Don’t throw out the packaging as that is where those and other valuable instructions are.

Happy Quilting!