Cut pieces for miniature quilts in 1/8 inch steps, subcut 5 inch charm squares from strips, and cut 3/16 inch wool bias strips for applique, all with one 5 x 15 inch ruler. Dashed 1 inch, 1/4 inch, and 1/8 inch grid lines keep the fabric edge visible under every line, black diamonds mark the eighths and white diamonds the quarters, and a 3/16 inch line runs inside each long edge, one white and one black. Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings designed the Itty-Bitty Eights line for her own miniature quilts, where a cut off by a thread shows in a 1/2 inch finished square.

What's Included

The Charming Itty-Bitty Eights 5 x 15 inch ruler only. Fabric and other notions are not included.

How to Use It

Full dashed lines run the length of the ruler at every 1/8 inch across the 5 inch width, alternating black and white so one shows on any fabric. Crosswise, dashed lines fall at each whole inch with 1/8 inch tick marks on them, and the whole inches number 1 to 14 in black diamonds from both ends, so the ruler reads the same whichever way it lies. Both 5 inch ends carry a row of fractions: 1/8, 3/8, 5/8, and 7/8 in black diamonds, 1/4 and 3/4 in white. Find the fraction there and follow its line down the ruler to the cut. Across the width, whole inches sit in black diamonds and the half inches, 1/2 through 4 1/2, in white.

For charm squares, lay the ruler across a 5 inch strip: the width is the square, and the length cuts three per placement at the 5 and 10 inch lines. For wool bias strips, set the cut edge of the wool on whichever 3/16 inch line shows best against it, white on one long edge or black on the other, and cut along the ruler's edge. The ruler slides on the fabric while you position it; pressing down engages the embedded grip.

Perfect For

• Cutting sashing, borders, and strips for miniature quilts in eighth-inch widths
• Subcutting 5 inch charm squares from 5 inch strips
• Cutting 3/16 inch wool bias strips for applique stems and vines
• Trimming pieced units and small blocks to eighth-inch sizes such as 2 1/8 or 3 3/8 inches

Fit and Limits

The eighth-inch lines run the length of the ruler. Across the 5 inch width, you read eighths from the fraction rows at each end and the tick marks on the inch lines. If you need eighth-inch lines in both directions, use the Itty-Bitty Eights 6-Inch Square; it also has a 45 degree line, which this ruler does not. The 15 inch length cuts strips from fat quarters and scraps. It does not reach across folded yardage, which is about 21 to 22 inches wide. For width-of-fabric strips in eighths, use the Itty-Bitty Eights XL 8-Inch x 24-Inch Rectangle.

Product Details

• Brand: Creative Grids
• Item #: CGRPRG3
• Designer: Lisa Bongean
• Category: Quilting Rulers
• Type: Ruler
• Total Size: 5 x 15 inches
• Material: Acrylic with embedded non-slip grip
• Markings: Dashed 1 inch, 1/4 inch, and 1/8 inch grid lines; 1/8 inch positions on black diamonds, 1/4 inch positions on white diamonds; whole inches numbered 1 to 14 from both ends; one white and one black 3/16 inch line along the long edges
• Includes: Ruler only
• Made in the USA

Need a Different Itty-Bitty Eights Size?

The Itty-Bitty Eights line comes in four sizes, all by Lisa Bongean: the 3 x 7 inch rectangle, this 5 x 15 inch rectangle, the 6 inch square, and the 8 x 24 inch XL rectangle. See the Itty-Bitty Eights collection for all four. For rectangle rulers without the eighth-inch lines, browse the Creative Grids Rectangular Rulers collection.