Square a large pieced, appliqued, or embroidered block to a full 12-1/2in and fussy cut a motif to center inside it, with one ruler. The centered horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines drop onto the block's seam lines so all four sides trim square, and the printed 1in squares with seam-allowance holes keep motif cutting repeatable. Twelve and a half inches is a standard large-block and sampler size, so this square handles the blocks the smaller rulers cannot cover in one pass.

What's Included

• The 12-1/2in Square It Up or Fussy Cut Square ruler
• Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions
• Fabric and notions are not included

How to Use It

To square up a block, set the centered vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines on the block's seam lines and trim the outside edge. On a four-patch, the horizontal and vertical lines sit on the seams; on a quarter-square triangle, the diagonal lines follow the seams. The quarter-inch seam allowance is printed around the entire outer edge, so the trimmed block finishes at the right size. An applique or embroidered block is centered under the ruler the same way and trimmed.

To fussy cut, center the motif inside the printed 1in solid squares, then mark through the drilled holes at the half-inch points to add the seam allowance. The holes fit the tip of a water-soluble marker. Connect the marks and cut to size.

The embedded gripper dots hold the fabric when light pressure is applied and release when it is not, so the ruler slides into position and then stays put for the cut. This is a squaring and fussy-cut ruler built around centered lines, printed squares, and seam-allowance holes rather than a full measuring grid; blocks larger than 12-1/2in call for the next size up.

Perfect For

• Squaring large pieced blocks up to 12-1/2in to an exact size
• Squaring 12in sampler and block-of-the-month blocks
• Centering and trimming large applique or embroidered blocks
• Fussy cutting motifs up to 12in with the seam allowance built in

Why You'll Love This Tool

At 12-1/2in this square reaches across a large block in a single placement, so a 12in-finish block is squared on all four sides without shifting the ruler and re-registering. The centered lines give a reference through the middle of the block in both directions, and the quarter-inch seam allowance printed around the edge sets the trimmed block to size.

The fussy-cut side scales up with it: a larger motif can be centered inside the 1in printed squares and cut with its seam allowance marked through the drilled holes. The embedded gripper dots hold a big ruler in place under light pressure, which keeps a long cut from wandering.

A ruler this size covers a lot of acrylic, so it ships as a bulky item. Smaller blocks are faster to trim under the 8-1/2in or 9-1/2in square.

Product Details

• Brand: Creative Grids
• Item #: CGRSQ12
• Designer: Penny Haren
• Category: Quilting Ruler
• Type: Ruler
• Squares Blocks Up To: 12-1/2 inches
• Fussy-Cut Squares: 1in to 12in (printed solid squares in 1in increments)
• Seam-Allowance Holes: 1-1/2in to 11-1/2in
• Total Size: 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches
• Markings: Centered horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines; 1/4in seam allowance on all edges; printed 1in solid squares; drilled marking holes
• Material: Non-slip acrylic
• Includes: Illustrated instructions
• Made in the USA

Need a Different Size?

The Square It Up or Fussy Cut Square also comes in 6-1/2in, 8-1/2in, 9-1/2in, and 14-1/2in. Browse the full range in Creative Grids Square It Up & Fussy Cut Rulers, or see every Creative Grids square in Creative Grids Square Rulers.