The latest little (four inch finished) Gallimaufry blocks for a quilt inspired by a vintage one.
I've seen it posted several times in one of my online quilt groups that the Easy Angle ruler is not as accurate as some of the others like Omnigrid for making HSTs. Really? The first HST ruler I ever used was the Easy Angle and I've been using it for years to make all my HSTs. I've even recommended it to others. I do own an Omnigrid HST ruler too - purchased when I misplaced my Easy Angle ruler which I later found in a box of fabric parts.
So, when I made the little 1.5 inch HSTs for the latest Gallimaufry blocks I decided to do a little comparison of rulers.
Last year I was cutting QST pieces from 1.5 inch scraps for my Vintage Thingamajigs quilt with the Easy Angle Companion ruler. Rather than waste the beginning and end of the 1.5 inch strip I used the Easy Angle ruler to cut HST pieces. I ended up with baggies of HST parts that I've been using to make the little HSTs for Gallimaufry blocks.
Normally when I make the blocks I cut some plain white scraps into 1.5 inch strips and then use the Easy Angle ruler to cut them into HST parts that are then matched to the colored HST parts to make an HST. This time I used my Omnigrid ruler to cut the white HST parts.
Guess what! The white Omnigrid HST pieces matched up perfectly to the colored Easy Angle cut HST pieces. I put the two rulers on top of each other and compared markings and they lined up perfectly. So I don't believe the Omnigrid ruler is more accurate than the Easy Angle ruler. My HSTs, as you can see from my Gallimaufry blocks, turned out just fine using pieces cut with each ruler.
And now I have 206 little Gallimaufry blocks. Only 190 more to go! I'm over the half way point!
Hi Cathy! I had been relying on my Easy Angle ruler since the early 90s. But mine is no longer as accurate because I have shaved pieces of plastic from so many fabric cutting sessions. Now I am using a template from Bonnie Hunter's shop that has lines for half-square and quarter-square triangles. Congrats on reaching that halfway mark on Gallimaufry! Sandy at sewhigh.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI swear by Easy Angle, as long as I ignore the directions for how to use it. I like the Creative Grids version a bit better because their lines tend to be a BIT finer and the measurements match what I am using.
ReplyDeleteAll those tiny pieces! You have a lot of patience. The blocks look great.
ReplyDeleteThis is another lovely--hugs, Julierose
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine that a major ruler/template company could get away with inaccurate products. I think folks just get really attached to their own way of doing things. The different ink colors are easier/harder to use, depending on the fabric color and one's own eyeballs. Thanks for the unbiased review :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not fond of Omnigrid because the yellow drives me nuts and I find it quite distracting. Now, if I could just stop misplacing my small rullers!
ReplyDeletexx, Carol
Thanks for the comparison study... good to know.
ReplyDeleteI love my Easy Angle ruler!