What I found most frustrating with this project has nothing to do with the pattern and everything to do with the ruler used in the pattern. It happens to all new rulers.. the slip and slide. I typically buy rulers that have a modicum of grip and I do fairly well, but this was a specialty ruler and I had limited options.
I had found that if I used the ruler on a certain table I could put enough pressure to avoid much of the slip and slide but yesterday we put away the fold-able table and I had to resort to my usual cutting spot. After cutting a few triangles I knew I could not work with the ruler without proper grips.
JoAnn's sells little round adhesive grips that work marvelously but I had recently run out of them and I was not heading to JoAnn's (20 minutes away) to get a replacement pack. I first tried double sided tape to get some sort of grasp on the ruler but it really wasn't working for me.
Here is what a did....
Quick call to my sister (Thanks, Jess!) who was out and about, had her stopping at the local Home Depot for some extra fine sandpaper. I originally wanted some that already had adhesive, but there was none so she brought me the regular kind.
Cutting out a thin strip, I put some of that double sided tape I had at home on the back of the strip.
I then just put the now adhesive sandpaper onto my slippery ruler.
Worked fabulously!
It was gripping like a charm and I was able to cut out several more triangles for the blocks of my Short Story quilt. I felt a bit like MacGyver, trying to solve the problem with rudimentary tools vs going out and getting the little dots that are already out there.
Hope this helps someone that just might have a slippery ruler that needs some taming!
4 comments on "Feeling like MacGyver"
That's a fabulous solution! You're a genius! All you're missing is the gum wrapper... Mac always seemed to be using one for something. :)
I've used the sticky sandpaper dots but I think I like your solution much better. Since I've always got sandpaper and double-stick tape around, I'm all set. I think what I like best about your solution is that you could remove and replace the sandpaper to give you a cutting guide if you wanted to. And really, that sandpaper stuff does wear off faster than you'd think, doesn't it?
Great solution! And really, blame it on "Carrie"... I always do. Just don't blame it on Rosie. :)
Now why don't I ever come up with clever ideas like that? Duh! Genius!
I like the sandpaper idea. I have tried the dots before, but I am going to have to try this! One tip that Carrie had (once upon a time) was using medical tape. I like that too!
thanks for the tip! I was practicing with a dresden plate ruler last night, and it kept slipping. We just moved into a new house back in the fall, so we have sandpaper galore from home improvement projects.
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