Creating Shapes with the Quilting Rockstar Ruler
The Quilting Rockstar ruler is an exceptional tool because of its versatility to create a wide variety of shapes. While this article won’t be exhaustive, let’s take a look at some of the most useful shapes and motifs that it can stitch.
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The Quilting Rockstar Ruler includes essential shapes for successful ruler quilting while still being an easy-to-handle size. In fact, the spaces between the shapes can be handy places to brace a thumb or pinky to help keep the ruler steady while quilting. You can tackle all the key ruler quilting shapes with the Quilting Rockstar Ruler– a bit of stitch in the ditch, continuous curves, clamshells, even small circles. Plus, you can make more unique shapes like church windows and hexagons. Below I’m going to focus on which sections of the ruler can make which shapes, but if you want to learn more about this tool in general, be sure to check out my product review HERE.
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Half Circles
There is a 2” half circle and a 3” half circle on the Quilting Rockstar Ruler. These are ideal for steep continuous curves, arches, circles, and clamshells. These shapes can add interest to open areas of the quilt, accent star points or square patches, or spice up a border.
Gentle Curve
Arguably the most versatile shape on the ruler, gentle curves are ideal for everything from continuous curves to curved grids, to church windows. This curve is also wide enough that it can be used to create even curves in spaces much longer than the ruler by gently guiding the ruler and quilt sandwich together. Gentle curves around a square can even create circles.
Half Hexagon
This is the “spicy detail” of the Quilting Rockstar Ruler. A bit ago, I wanted to create a honeycomb in the background of a quilt and could not find a ruler to do it! I ended up using a straight ruler and a bit of geometry to create my vision, but this half-hexagon makes it so much easier to quilt hexagons and trapezoids to create a surprise texture on your quilts
Quilting Plan Inspiration
First up, we have Polaris. I used the Quilting Rockstar Ruler to create arches, circles, and continuous curves as part of this quilting plan, then filled in with free motion quilting. I also used the Quilting Rockstar Straight Edge Ruler (linked below) for the longer straight lines and grids.
Next is a Rockstar’s version of Bonnie Hunter’s Chilhowie quilt. Full disclosure, I didn’t have the Quilting Rockstar Ruler yet when I quilted this, but I would use it to create the continuous curves in the orange triangles and the epic church windows in the border. The Quilting Rockstar Straight Edge Ruler would be perfect for all the stitch in the ditch and switchbacks.
Finally, THIS is the honeycomb quilt! It is made with my Dogwood Blossoms block and Lori Holt’s bee block I had to create all these by angling a straight ruler at 60-degrees, but YOU can create this with the half-hexagon shape on the Quilting Rockstar Ruler!
Resources
SHOP: The Quilting Rockstar Ruler & Quilting Rockstar Straight Edge Ruler
COURSE: Want to learn how to quilt awesome motifs with a ruler? Maybe even tackle some custom quilting like I showed you above? Join the Free Motion Quilting Academy & Ruler Quilting Academy wait list!
PATTERNS: Polaris and Dogwood Blossoms
WORKBOOK: Quilt Your First Project with Confidence (an introduction to FMQ and ruler quilting)
