Getting started with Guidelines

1) Make sure you have all the Attachments

Guidelines comes shrink-wrapped with the following attachments.

• Two (2) Fabric Guides locked on the 4 1/2" line
• Two (2) Angle Line Markers inserted into the small square holes on the angle lines on the Ruler.

2) Let’s See How Everything Works

 

a) Four Built-in Features:

1) The 3D Grid

Simply place the Ruler over various light and dark surfaces.
You'll see the lines no matter the color or pattern of your fabric.

2) Non-Slip Strips

To test the Non-Slip Strips, place the Ruler on a cutting mat and hold it in place with an open, outstretched hand. You’ll feel the rubber like strips grip the cutting mat holding the Ruler solidly in place.

3) ClearView Holes

Put a piece of fabric under the center of the Ruler so it shows through the ClearView Holes. You can clearly see the fabric through the holes without any of the glare or distortion you get when looking through plastic.

4) Safety Rails

On top of the Ruler, they provide an extra 1/4" high barrier between the cutter and your fingers.

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b) Guidelines' Standard Attachments:

1) Fabric Guides:

 

Fabric Guides highlight any measurement line on the Ruler in 1/8” increments. Anytime you are working from a pattern that includes the seam allowance, just set them to the numbers given in it. A typical patern might call for twenty 2 1/2” squares out of four different fabrics. So, let’s try highlighting the 2 1/2” line on the Ruler with the Fabric Guides next.

Let's attach Fabric Guides to the Ruler.

 

Step 1: Decide which ClearView Holes to use.

Right handers will be cutting on the right side of the Ruler, left handers on the left. The measurement line numbers on the Ruler run in both directions. 1 through 5 starting from the right edge of the Ruler for right handers and 1 through 5 starting from the left edge of the Ruler for left handers.

Holes 1 and 2 are for 3” or less and Holes 3 and 4, for 3” or more. (Opposite for left handers.) The 2 1/2” line crosses through Holes 1 and 2 for right handers and Holes 3 and 4 for left handers.

 

Step 2: Take one of the Fabric Guides. With its Locking Top in the upright, unlocked position, turn it sideways, so that you can insert it down through the Clearview Hole. You should now be holding the top part of the Guide above the Ruler while the Lower Guide (the base of the Guide) is underneath.

 

 

The back of the Lower Guide is smooth while its front edge has notches that make it easier to see where the fabric meets the Guide.

Step3: Still holding the Guide by its Finger Grip as shown on the top right image, with the Lower Guide underneath the Ruler, rotate the Guide 90 degrees, so its front edge faces the side of the Ruler you’ll be cutting on. (Right side for right-handed, left for left-handed).

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Step 4: Lower the entire Guide down until the Guide Arms rest on the top surface of the Ruler. This makes it easy to slide the Guide back and forth within the Clearview Hole, and line it up to the measurement line you need. Slide the entire Guide, so that the front edge of the Lower Guide is parallel to the 2 1/2” line on the Ruler. Then pull it straight up.

 

Step 5: If the front edge of the Lower Guide is lined up to the 2 1/2” measurement line, Guide Pins on the ends of the Fabric Guides will be positioned to go into Guide Holes around the ClearView Holes.

There are Guide Pins on both ends of the Guide that fit into Guide Holes around the ClearView Holes to ensure accurate alignment.

The Guide Holes are in 1/8” increments. So, you can be sure that the Fabric Guide is precisely lined up when the Guide Pins are in them. The Holes don’t go all the way through the Ruler, however, and are not designed to lock the Guide in place.

You should be able to feel the Pins go into the Holes. From underneath the Ruler, press on both sides to seat the Pins in the Holes. You may need to wiggle it a little.

Step 6: Once you are satisfied that the front edge of the Guide is aligned with the 2 1/2” line on the Ruler, lock the Guide in place by rotating its Locking Top all the way towards the back of the Guide. (You may get a clearer view if you look from underneath the Ruler.)

Step 7: Now attach the other Fabric Guide onto the other ClearView Hole that is crossed by the 2 1/2” line. Having two Guides ensures accurate results because, as everyone knows, two points always define a straight line.

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Drop-Down Edges: New Feature of Fabric Guides

The center of the Guides can now be dropped down, so you can line the fabric up to them before lowering the Ruler all the way down to the cutting surface.

1) With the Guides locked as in Step 6, push down on the center of the Guides to lower the Drop-Down Edges.

2) Line the Ruler up, so that the Drop-Down Edges are touching the edge of the fabric.

3) Lower the Ruler all the way down to the cutting surface. The Drop-Down Edges will automatically be pushed back up.

 

 

Find out how easy it is with Fabric Guides to create squares, rectangles, triangles or quilt units, such as half square triangle and quarter square triangle units. Click here to learn how.

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2) Angle Line Markers

Guidelines' Angle Line Markers are used to highlight any of the individual angle lines on the bottom of the Ruler. It’s a pretty simple idea, but we are always amazed at how many quilters have a ruler with angle lines, yet still buy 2 or 3 special angle rulers.

We say, highlight the line you need with these Angle Line Markers, and it’s just like having a special ruler just for angels. Let’s use them to make some equilateral triangles.

First, remove the two Angle Line Markers from the small square holes along the angle lines at the bottom of the Ruler. They are held in by friction, so just use your fingernail to go under the small tabs around the markers, and they will pop out.

 

Example of making equilateral triangles:

Equilateral triangles are made using the 60 degree angle lines on Guidelines. You’ll be using both 60 degree lines to make them. You can choose to put both Angle Line Markers on one line or one on each line. Either way you’ll be able to clearly see which lines you should be using. We recommend in this case, however using each Angle Line Marker on each line, so you don't have to switch the Markers from one line to the other every time.

First, cut a strip. With each Angle Line Marker placed on each 60 degree angle line, line one of the angle lines up to the edge of the fabric. Hold it in place, and cut along the edge of the Ruler. You’ve now created one 60 degree angle and a triangle as shown on the image on top. You don't need this triangle.

Let's create the other side next. Simply turn Guidelines, so that you can line the other 60 degree line up to the edge of the fabric, creating a complimentary 60 degree angle. Line it up, so the edge of the Ruler you’ll be cutting on crosses the tip of the angle that you just cut. Then, hold it in place and cut again. The piece that you just cut off will be an equilateral triangle. You can continue rotating from one angle line to the other to make as many equilateral triangles as you need.

Diamonds, Equilateral Triangles, Parallelograms, Trapezoids and other common quilt pieces can be made using the three angle lines on Guidelines: 30, 45 and 60 degree lines. With its Fabric Guides and Angle Line Markers, Guidelines makes it easy to make them all.

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