Mini Simple Folded Corners Ruler

 Hello Happy Quilty Friends!  After years of watching quilters use this ruler and love it, I had to try it for myself.  It's sold in two sizes.  Since I'm skeptical about its amazing powers, I chose to first try the smaller mini ruler because it is cost less. 

The packaging is a nice Ziplock style bag.  I wish all rulers were packaged so nicely.  It would make storing the instructions with the ruler much easier.

Whoa! would you look at the instructions.  Very well done with visuals and well written instructions that seem to make a simple process very complicated.

The first thing I noticed about this ruler is there's a lot of markings.  Even with reading glasses, I can't make out the numbers in the small diamond shapes.  I had to take a picture of them on my phone and enlarge the image in order to see that these are fractions.

This ruler is supposed to make snowballing the corner easier than other methods.  There are other names for snowballed corners.  Stitch and flip or flippy corners are two examples.  Most of the time I use the tape on the bed of my sewing machine to stitch from corner to corner. 

Then I will stitch a second line about a half inch away from the first. Then cut in between the two stitched lines and press each piece to the dark.

The Simple Folded Corners Ruler is designed to cut the fabric first then sew each unit separately.  You first layer your fabrics right sides together in the corner to be snowballed.  Then line up the ruler as shown below.  See how the white fabric is line up with the lines on the ruler and the diagonal line is going from corner to corner?
 

Here's my thought from the first time I saw the Simple Folded Corner ruler.  Why can't I use any quilt ruler with a quarter inch line?  So, I grabbed one off the shelf, lined up the quarter inch line on the corners of the white square. Looks like the cut would be the same, right?

Let's test my theory.  On the left I'll use the Folded Corners ruler and on the right side I'll use the Companion Angle Ruler.  I've marked the white fabric on the left with an M for the Mini Folded Corner ruler.  The white fabric on the right corner is labeled with a C.

The first cut was made.  I didn't notice the ruler had shifted until I edited the photos for this post.  You can see there's a little of the green fabric showing between the line on the ruler and the white square.

The second cut was made with the other ruler.

A couple pins added to prevent shifting of fabric.

And sewed the seams.

A quick press.  Can you use any ole ruler and get the same result?   Yes, you can!

In all fairness, this little bit needing to be trimmed on the Folded Corner Ruler is my fault, not the rulers.

And the other side.

There are instructions for using the same ruler for trimming the corner if needed.  I can do the same with any ruler.  Just line up the edge of the ruler with green fabric and trim.  Flip the block around and trim the other side.

As you might have already guessed, I think this ruler was a waste my money.  The markings are hard to read, it over complicates a very simple process.  And the most important to me because I'm cheap...the same thing can be done with any ruler. 

  However, it has made me rethink my process for making the snowballed corners.  I'm going to try using the cut first then sew method.  But I'll be using a different ruler that has less markings so I can see what I'm doing.

If you have this ruler and love it, leave a comment below to let others know why.  What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.  That's one of the great things about quilting, there's more than one way to get the same result.  

I found a video (after I order the ruler) that shows all that this ruler can do.  It was made by the Fat Quarter Shop and the designer of the ruler.  Click here hop over and watch it on YouTube.

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