Quilting Basics 13: Ruler Foot Quilting for Beginners

LeahDay

Leah Day has been teaching online since 2009. She's the creator of the Free Motion Quilting Project, a blog filled with thousands of quilting tutorial videos. Leah has written several books including 365 Free Motion Quilting Designs, Explore Walking Foot Quilting with Leah Day, and Mally the Maker and the Queen in the Quilt.

51 Responses

  1. jane says:

    I have been using rulers to quilt with my Juki for about a year. The first foot I used was a custom modified version of the standard Juki quilting foot but I could not have the needle fully down with the presser foot up and rulers didn't fit under it from the back.

    I thought I would pass on this news to you for other Juki owning followers. Juki now makes a ruler foot for all the TL series machines although you will really have to search to buy one. It works beautifully with needle down and the presser foot up and rulers fit under it from every angle. This foot does not hop but has a height adjustment screw. According to Juki it will fit the following machines:

    Juki TL98
    Juki TL98Q
    Juki TL98e
    Juki TL2000Qi
    Juki TL2010
    Janome 1600P
    Janome 1600P-DB
    Janome 1600P-DBX
    Janome 1600PQC
    Brother PQ1300
    Brother PQ1500s
    Brother PQ1500SL
    Viking Megaquilter
    Baby Lock Jane
    Baby Lock Quilter's Choice Pro
    Pfaff Grand Quilter

    Thanks for all your wonderful videos and sharing all your tips and techniques.

  2. Leah Day says:

    Excellent info Jane! That's super helpful! I wonder why Juki is making it so hard to find? That's frustrating.

  3. Hi Leah, enjoying your ruler work videos. You say take stitch length to 0, cover your feed dogs with Supreme Slider. Does that mean you are ruler quilting with your feed dogs UP. Cheers, Tricia

  4. Leah Day says:

    Yep, I free motion quilt with my feed dogs up, so I also ruler foot quilt with my feed dogs up. I find this creates better tension and stitch quality to not drop the feed dogs.

  5. 2ne says:

    Love your videos – thanks for learning us 😀 Nice way to use the ruler.

  6. ashley says:

    Leah
    Did you get rid of your sit down Juki?
    Thank you
    Susanne

  7. Sandi Pierie says:

    Enjoy your videos and narratives on using rulers to quilt. Even though I am not doing quilt with you at this time, I gollow you daily. Reading and observing has built my confidence to do fmq and use the rulers. Attitude is yes I can and practice. Thank you.

  8. Leah Day says:

    It's boxed up and I'm thinking about selling it. It just wasn't the right machine for me.

  9. Leah Day says:

    Absolutely! It's something I found really interesting and only after trying it did I realize just how awesome ruler quilting could be. So many possibilities!

  10. AlsGal says:

    It shows that your Dresden Plate Template Set is sold out. When will it be available for order again?

  11. Leah Day says:

    They should be back in stock early this week!

  12. bitachon36 says:

    I have the same Bernina 1230 that you have so I was wondering what type of ruler foot are you using? Is it a low shank or a medium shank?

  13. Wendila says:

    Hello Leah! Can your rulers be used with a machine with a high shank? I have a Janome 6600 for which it appears I can purchase a ruler foot. I am a relatively new quilter and am learning so much from your machine block quilting party as well as your additional courses and videos. Thank you!

  14. Leah Day says:

    I think it's okay to use these rulers on a high shank machine, but you'll need to test it. If the foot hops and seems to hop high enough to hop over the edge of the template, then that might not be a good idea. You can test it with a regular cutting ruler (they're the same thickness) if your cutting ruler seems safe to you, then this should work fine.

  15. Leah Day says:

    I'm using a low shank ruler foot with a low shank adapter on my Bernina 1230. You can get the low shank adapter from your Bernina dealer.

  16. As much as I would like to try this, it seems it is done on a block and not a full quilt. Are you using quilt as you go blocks?

  17. As much as I would like to try this, this technique is usually done on a block, not a full quilt, which would be a lot more difficult to maneuver.

  18. Leah Day says:

    It's an interesting technique and for now I'm just using it in blocks to get used to using the ruler to move the quilt. It's a lot to manage at once!

  19. Leah Day says:

    Yes, this video is part of the series of blocks we're working on this year. You can learn more at LeahDay.com/blockparty

  20. Tina Wemyss says:

    Works for my Elna 6003, old machine now but still sews so good! Loves the Westalee quilting foot, same as above, and I have a lot of rulers too from Westalee in Australia

  21. Joanna says:

    I have a dealer that carries the complete Juki line including the longarm. They had the correct foot. When I wanted the new front open toe quilting foot they didn't have it. Kindly suggested I find it on the Internet. I found it at Ken's Sewing Center. I've ordered from them before and been pleased with their service.

  22. Sandy Gray says:

    How do you decide what design to put on a block? I don't care for stiff quilts

  23. Is a ruler foot available for an older Singer 411G Slant-o-matic?

  24. Unknown says:

    I just started and I'm having an issue! I have a circle template and my ruler foot doesnt seem to clear it it scrapes it .and being new I don't know whats wrong! My templates are 1/4 inch and I have a brother Cx205la which I think is a low shank but not sure. Maybe that's it maybe its a high shank .it stinks being a newbie with no one close by to help

  25. Leah Day says:

    It sounds like the foot is hitting the edges of the ruler. Most likely you need to use thinner templates or only use them to the left, right, or front of the machine. It's when you position the ruler to the back and it hits the bar that attaches to your foot that things can stop working right. Try limiting your direction and try a thinner template and see what works best.

  26. Interesting Jane; could you tell me who made your custom modified version, as I can't find a Ruler foot for my Singer 411G slant shank. Thanks

  27. I can FMQ just fine with my "hopping" darning foot, but when I switch to the ruler foot, there's trouble! The foot pushes down too hard on the quilt–can't move it easily. So I adjusted the foot upward a little–and got horrible stitch-skipping! Then I tried (drastically) reducing the pressure on the presser foot, which helps but it still wants to stick in the spots with bulky seam allowances underneath. What to try next?

  28. Nay Davis says:

    I have a problem with my thread breaking when I go in a front to bAck direction. I use a slider quilting needle and cotton quilting thread. Happens with free motion and ruler work. Suggestions?

  29. Leah Day says:

    It sounds like it's a thread problem to me. Try switching to a thinner, stronger thread like Isacord and see if you still get breaks. It could also be a direction your machine doesn't like to stitch in. I know that sounds crazy, but some machines just can't stitch backwards, at all.

  30. Leah Day says:

    You need to find the sweet spot between the foot squishing your quilt and causing skipped stitches. I would keep adjusting this until you get it just right. Unfortunately there isn't a better solution here except keep trying – you will get it eventually!

  31. Unknown says:

    Loved this intro to ruler foot quilting. Clear and concise. I tried what you said as far as the setting the length to 0. This is the first time attempting anything other than traditional quilting. The stitch is so tiny. Is it supposed to be very small. I see in the video your stitch is small too. Is that because the length is set to O?

  32. Leah Day says:

    Keep in mind this is the way free motion quilting / ruler foot quilting works. Instead of letting the machine guide the quilt, you are responsible for the stitch length by pushing the quilt through the machine in time with the movement of the needle. So if your stitches are too small, try speeding up the movement of your hands. OR slow down the speed you are running the machine. Don't change both things or your stitches will remain the same size. Does that make sense?

  33. Lara Jamieson says:

    Hi Leah

    I recently received a set of quilting rulers as a gift and tried them out on a quilt I had put together about a year ago but didn’t quilt because I just couldn’t decide on a design. Needless to say, I struggled! I managed to break two needles and almost ditched the whole thing as a waste of time! After taking a breather I did finish the quilt but my question is, do you have to use the quilt as you go method to use the rulers when quilting? Trying to push even a small quilt around with the ruler was extremely challenging.

    • Josh Day says:

      I agree, quilting with rulers on a home machine can be challenging. How big are the rulers you were given? If they are really large – bigger than 9 inches long – I would set them aside for later. They will work, but only after you’ve had practice with smaller rulers that fit your hand better. I would focus on smaller practice sandwiches first just to get the hang of keeping the ruler next to the foot and guiding everything through the machine. Only when this feels very easy, then pull out a bigger quilt and try that. Just like all types of quilting – it takes practice!

  34. teresamnj says:

    I’ve watched a ton of YouTube videos on beginning ruler foot quilting, and I have to say yours was the absolute best in terms of teaching, clarity, and answering every question that was in my mind at this moment regarding ruler foot quilting on a home machine. Thank you so much!

    • LeahDay says:

      Thank you so much for your kindness! Yes, ruler quilting is lots of fun, but it can be a bit tricky so I’m very glad you find this video!

  35. Kaye Curtis says:

    Do I need a single hole needle plate to use these rulers. Thanks.

    • LeahDay says:

      Nope. I don’t typically switch to a single hole plate. Most of my machines don’t even have that option so a regular needle plate is just fine.

  36. Tammy says:

    How is a ruler foot different from a free motion foot? Can I use a free motion foot with a ruler?

    • LeahDay says:

      A ruler foot has a much thicker base than a regular darning foot. It’s also designed to be 1/2 inch circle with the needle in the center, so your lines will naturally create 1/4-inch spacing when using rulers. No, you cannot use rulers with a regular darning foot because it won’t have that thick base. If you try it, the ruler can easily slip under or over the foot edge and crash against your needle. Which could break your machine! So please don’t do that!

  37. Jaquetta says:

    Can I still roll up my quilt and put it in the throat of the machine when I use the rule foot.

  38. Vida says:

    I got a generic low shank ruler foot for my Elna 520s. It starts out okay but then it slips down the shank as I quilt. Any suggestions/tricks on how I can keep it in place?

    • LeahDay says:

      See if you can tighten it up more and stop it from slipping. Apart from that – see if you can get a ruler foot specifically designed by Elna for this machine.

  39. Jill Tatkow says:

    I am new to ruler quilting and practicing with straight line rulers. My problem is I keep breaking needles because the ruler slips. I’m using True Grips and also spray a little basting spray on the back to hold the ruler in place, but it still slips. I also find myself pressing very hard on the ruler to hold it in place. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks so very much!

    • LeahDay says:

      It sounds like your ruler is too thin for your machine. I would try thicker rulers so they cannot slip under your darning foot and break your needles.

  40. Patti Jackson says:

    I have Juki, and like some others, am not able to use a 1/4″ template from behind, or even to the right, as it’s too high and gets stuck on the shank.

    My question is – do you have a recommendation for a template for a beginner? I see all sorts of options on Amazon and other sites, but they look pretty complex. I’d like to try a basic one, and one that is less than 1/4 inch as well. Something with a round edge as well as straight?

    • LeahDay says:

      A few things – first, you can use the Janome Convertible foot and probably be able to use 1/4-inch rulers – https://leahday.com/products/convertible-darning-foot-kit. You will need the additional Frame Quilting Foot Kit to have a ruler base with this foot. It’s expensive, but SO much better designed than any Juki Foot. I would not use thinner rulers with the Juki because it is a high shank special and does have the potential to hop on top of a thinner ruler.

      I understand your desire for a simpler ruler! All of mine can be found here – https://leahday.com/ruler The most complex are the Feather and Circle. The rest are very simple to use and can make many beautiful designs.

  41. Barb says:

    I have followed exactly instructions for ruler foot quilting and can’t even.get started….thread breaks immediately. What could be wrong?

  42. Debra says:

    I have a juki tl 2010q and just bought a 1/4″ juki ruler foot. My first time using a foot that doesn’t (bounce). The stitches won’t catch at all. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong? Thanks so much.

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