Omnigrid Quilting Rulers 4x4 / 4x8 + Marti Mitchell The Second Cut Ruler (RARE)

Omnigrid Quilting Rulers 4”x4”/ 4”x8” + Marti Mitchell The Second Cut Ruler (RARE), 2.5”x9.5”.

***READ ABOUT SECOND CUT RULER USAGE BELOW***

Pre-owned, very good condition. Clean with some light scratches from use, but no cracks or chips. See photos.

Smoke-free storage. Thanks for looking!

Shipped via USPS Ground Advantage, unless otherwise specified before purchase. Buyer pays additional shipping.

***THE SECOND CUT RULER***

Here is information from different sources on the use of this ruler (Take all the following information with a grain of salt, as I have no expertise in quilting):

“Marti designed the Second Cut Ruler for a notions company a very long time ago and we actually have none of those rulers or the instructions. I have a picture of one, however, and here's how I would use it. The straight lines are obvious (the outer 1/4 inch is the seam allowance for whatever size strips or square you want, up to 2 inches). For the angles, I would use the Second Cut Ruler just to "find" the angles and cut with a regular longer ruler. It actually looks very handy for this.

Say you wanted to cut a strip with a 60-degree angle at the end. True up the end of your fabric. Align the 60-degree line on the Second Cut Ruler with the trued-up edge, so the ruler is at an angle on the strip and cut. If you wanted to cut 60-degree

parallelograms, you would just cut that first angle and then align a regular ruler on the angle so the ruler is on the strip at that angle and cut against the regular ruler.

For bigger pieces of fabric, you could true up one edge and align the 60-degree line on the trued-up edge. Then align a second ruler (3 x 18 or 6 × 24 inches) along a long edge of the Second Cut Ruler and remove the Second Cut ruler so what's left on the fabric is the bigger ruler. Then cut your fabric along the edge of the bigger ruler. You'd have to play around with putting the regular ruler at the top or bottom of the Second Cut Ruler to make cutting against the longer ruler feel natural. Being left or right handed would mean the fabric were to your right or left, and then you'd play around with putting the 45-degree angle on the trued-up edge to work out where the Secod Cut Ruler works best for you and where the regular ruler will make it easier to cut.”

“That was a ruler 1 did for a notions company over 20 years ago. We don't have any of the rulers or the instructions and the notions company has been sold several times. The short version is you use the second cut ruler as a "place holder" for a 1-2 inch strip width measurement or one of the angles marked on the ruler and then align a second ruler against it. You cut against the second ruler.”

CHAT GPT:

Your ruler is a vintage quilting and rotary-cutting template called “The SECOND CUT Ruler” by Marti Michell, made by EZ International of Saddle Brook, New Jersey. It appears to date from the late 1980s to early 1990s, during the rise of rotary quilting systems and acrylic quilting rulers.

What it is used for

This ruler was designed for:

* Rotary fabric cutting

* Quilt strip alignment

* Accurate second-pass trimming (“second cuts”)

* Angle cutting for triangles and strip piecing

* Measuring and squaring quilt blocks

The printed grid and heavy cross marks help line up fabric strips and seams, while the angled dashed lines at the bottom provide preset cutting angles including:

* 15°

* 22.5°

* 30°

* 45°

* 60°

* 67.5°

* 75°

These were especially useful for:

* Flying geese units

* Diamond and triangle quilting pieces

* Bias strip cutting

* Strip quilting layouts

How to use it

Basic use with a rotary cutter:

1. Place fabric on a cutting mat.

2. Align one of the ruler’s heavy grid lines with the fabric edge or seam.

3. Hold ruler firmly.

4. Run a rotary cutter along the ruler edge.

5. Use the angled guide lines at the bottom for specialty angle cuts.

The “Second Cut” name refers to using the ruler after an initial strip cut to make accurate secondary cuts into triangles, diamonds, or patchwork shapes.