MaryJo47

So I decided to work on this quilt pattern today http://delawarequilts.com/BOMs/AlpineCross/index.html , and ladies and gentlemen, I have a really stupid question .... I have like 5 quilting rulers.... and I have NO idea how to measure a 3 3/8" square. None of my rulers have that marking, or if it does... I don't know how to read it .... Can anyone help me out?

Thanks in Advance

Mary Jo

tessagin

I would just go with a 3 1/2" square. Your strips are 5 1/2" unless you can run to the nearest quilt shop and get a ruler with 1/8" markings.

feline fanatic

If your ruler does not have 1/8" markings you have to eyeball it half way between the 1/4" markings.

Sometimes patterns give those oddball measurements for squares to be sewn into half square triangles (aka HST, triangle squares or as in your patterns case she is calling them diagonal squares). What I prefer to do is make them oversized and trim down. So I would cut 3 1/2" squares and follow her directions to make the HST units. When they are completed you need to trim them down to 3" squares lining up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the center diagonal seam.

PS welcome to the board and pretty quilt.

zozee

It won't say 1/8 on the 1/8th line, but 1/8 is half of 1/4. So the little line between 1/4" lines is 1/8. Since 4/8 = 1/2, then 3/8 is 1/8 less. So 3 3/8 is the little line right before the 3 1/2 is 3 3/8. Make sure when you're measuring that your ruler is Straight with one edge and the bottom edge. Hope that's clear.

MadQuilter

Pick a ruler and tale a close look at the dividing lines. For example, between 1" and 2" count how many lines you see. If you count 8 lines then each one = 1/8" increment. In that case you would align the edge of the square with the 3rd line. IF there are only 4 divisions, then each one = 1/4". Just remember that 1/4 = 2/8 so you would need to align the fabric between the 1st and second dividing line. Hope this helps.

Hope K

I would make 3 1/2 inch squares for the HST and trim down to appropriate size. Or use an easy angle ruler, which is my favorite way of making HSTs.

ManiacQuilter2

Very pretty block. With HST, I always round up an 1/8". Then after pressing your HSTs carefully, trim them down to 3". I find that if I sew a bunch of individual sections (such as a HST) and trim them down to the perfect size, the block as a whole comes out much more accurate.

Count the lines between the 1" & 2" mark on your ruler. If there are seven short lines, each one of those is an 1/8". If you only have three, then your ruler only have 1/4" lines. Good Luck.

MaryJo47

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OK ladies, I have a Fiskar's ruler and an old Betty Gall.... I actually think both of these might have the 1/8 increments, but the Betty ruler.... not sure... it confuses me!! Needless to say I'm new to quilting ... so please bear with me. Thought if you could see what I had to work with, it might help.... explain it to me

Thanks again!

Mary Jo

Jane Quilter

Yes, I can see the orange one is divided in 1/8 ths and the black on is divided into 1/4ths. Now re read MadQuilter and zozee again while looking at your rulers.

bearisgray

On the Quilter's Rule - the little tick marks - they look like hyphens between the solid lines - those indicate the 1/8 inch increments.

Going from one whole inch to another -

1/8
1/4 = 2/8
3/8
4/8 = 2/4 =1/2
5/8
6/8 = 3/4
7/8
8/8 = 4/4 = 2/2 = 1/1 = 1

I am not trying to be a smart alec with the above - I think some of us just did not "get" fractions when they were being taught.

On the ruler with the red markings - the 1/8 inch increments are marked in black along the outer edge - they are between the 1/4 inch markings.