Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Bloc Loc Rulers

Have you heard of Bloc Loc Rulers??  I was first introduced to them this summer when a student in a quilting class was using one to trim up her HST's.  I noticed she was trimming super fast, so I walked on over to check it out ;)  Within a minute I was in love.  If you have been following Happy Quilting for any time, or if you happened to participate in my last 2 QAL's, you know that there is a lot of trimming going on around here.  So I am sure you can imagine why these have quickly become my favorite ruler :)


These are the Bloc Loc rulers for trimming HST's.  They come in 6 sizes from 1 1/2" to 6 1/2".  I have the even set, and I love them so much, I have already ordered the odd set and am stocking the post man awaiting their arrival ;)


The thing that makes Bloc Loc so special is the groove that runs down the middle of them.  This groove "locs" onto the seam allowance which allows you to apply very little pressure while trimming with completely accurate results.  Accurate results and no sore wrist, bonus!!!


The Bloc Loc rulers are simple to use.  Just place the ruler onto your HST that has the seam pressed to one side.  Loc the groove onto the seam allowance and check to make sure that the fabric is outside of your designated cutting size.   In this example I am double checking the 3 1/2" lines :)


Now just apply light pressure on the ruler and trim the two sides along the edge of the ruler.


Spin the ruler 180 degrees.  The seam stays locked while you spin.


Now slide the ruler down the locked seam and align the edge of the cut fabric with the desired cutting measurement.  The lines on the ruler are super fine which makes it really easy to align them exactly on the edge.  When you are all aligned, trim the remaining two sides.


And you have a perfectly trimmed HST!!!


Now, what is even more fun, is if you have the same size ruler that you are wanting to trim.  No having to double check lines or align here.  Just lock the ruler onto the seam, make sure there is fabric all the way around the end and you are set.


You can do like before and trim 2 sides and then spin your ruler 180 degrees and then trim the other 2 sides.  No sliding or realigning necessary.  Oh, and a rotating mat really comes in handy for this :)


Or I found it just as easy to just rotate my body and wrist and trim all 4 sides at once.  Since you don't need a lot of pressure to keep the ruler in place this is easy.  And in one swoop, a perfect HST.  (Hence, why I have ordered the odd rulers so I will have all 6 sizes)


And since I always trim in a mass assembly line process, I decided to give that a try as well.   And it worked great!!!  I just laid out my HST's on the mat and quickly locked the ruler onto the seam trimming 2 sides of each HST.  This was so fast because I never had to stop and look at measurement lines.


Then I rotated all of the HST's 180 degrees and once again, locked the ruler onto each seam trimming the other 2 sides.


And within minutes (seriously, just a few minutes) I had a whole stack of perfectly trimmed HST's and most importantly, my wrist didn't hurt at all!!  Oh yes, this is my favorite ruler!!!!


And when I went to get my HST rulers I was pleased to find that they also make rulers for Flying Geese!!!  I put a search into google to see what bloggers were saying about the Flying Geese ruler and found this from Rita of Red Pepper Quilts.  I figure if Rita loved them I was sure to as well, so of course, I had to have some :)


The flying geese rulers work in the exact same way, using the grooves on the ruler to lock onto both seams of the flying geese.  The rulers also come with instruction on how to oversize the geese slightly ensuring that you will be able to trim them perfectly :)  Flying Geese rulers come in 4 popular sizes and you can even use them to square up a square in a square block.


Just like the HST's, you loc the rulers onto the seams, trim 2 sides, rotate 180 degrees and them trim again.


So to summarize,  I am absolutely in love with my Bloc Loc Rulers.  They are the perfect tool to make the chore of trimming not so much of a chore!!!  So, if you are like me and happen to be doing a lot of trimming, you might find the Bloc Loc Rulers helpful.


Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!  I am off to trim some more HST's for my Riley Blake Challenge quilt and I am actually looking forward to it.  Yippee Skippee!!!
Pin It!

31 comments:

  1. Does this still work if you like to press your seams open?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In order for the groove to lock on to the seam allowance, it must be pressed to one side.

      Delete
  2. bought one in Paducah and lost it on a retreat. Ordered the even set and love them. Wanting to get the flying geese set next.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love their HRT Half Rectangle Triangle sets and their TIS Triangle in a Square set (with this one they even include the cutting templates ::::0000) Well, I just love them all!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am in love with block lock as well -- I used one for the first time this weekend and can't wait to get mine. The owner of the one i used said they come in a 12 or 12.5 inch version also

    ReplyDelete
  5. Must. Get. These. Rulers.

    Thank you so much for sharing these. You are the best.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I heard so much about them and am waiting to see if I get them for Christmas but if I don't I'll order them the day after.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These look pretty good - I need to get a set to try it out. What size do you find you use the most often?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find I use the 3 1/2" a lot, but if I were just getting one I would get the 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 because then I could use it to trim smaller blocks :)

      Delete
  8. Such a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. These are great....someone passed theirs around at a recent class and everyone was in love. There is a rule you have to follow about placing the ruler on the triangle, but I don't remember what it was. I'm sure the instructions that come will the ruler would tell you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Why is this not a giveaway post? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Those Block Lock rulers look great. But the price is unbelievable! I keep wishing someone would do a post that includes a coupon code!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm so glad you mentioned these! Someone mentioned them at my guild's retreat I taught at a few weeks ago. There was a LOT of trimming going on, then I tell you! Of course I quickly forgot about it, but now you've jogged my memory again, so thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just got both sets and love them. I find myself looking for patterns I can use them with.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I saw these rulers on a blog earlier this month but can't find them available in Canada. I've just lost my "squaring" ruler so I may have to order one. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ahh, if only I didn't have an allergy to HSTs and geese ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the idea of them, but WAY out of my budget range!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I so need that ruler! I have 400 HSTs to trim up.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Melissa, I've heard a lot about these--all rave reviews--and even saw them at our local Quilt Expo. But their price tag means I'll probably buy only one ruler. Is there a size you would recommend for the HST trimmer if you were to buy just one? Do you think the 6.5 inch ruler would be a comfortable way to trim much smaller HST's? Thanks for any guidance--I want to choose with care. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. easier and faster and 100% cheaper to just get the seam allowance right, then no trimming required :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. These definitely are a great tool! They are available through www.boltsandbobbins.blogspot.com here in Canada. A "must have" for your tool box. Allergies to HST and geese will go away immediately.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I can see how this would save time and wrist pain! It seems its a must have tool! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh man! That seems like it will save my poor, sore, tendinitis wrists a lot of pain!
    Where did you order them from? What stores have you seen them at?

    ReplyDelete
  23. found these online today in Australia they look great. www.blocloc.com.au it was just a lucky auto fill because i can't find them on google.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I am pretty excited about those rulers. Did you say that we can't get them in Canada ? or is it out of our price range because of the low Canadian dollar?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Kathleen, No, someone above was saying they can't find them and then it was suggested to check here www.boltsandbobbins.blogspot.com and I know there are several online shops that carry them that ship internationally :)

      Delete

Thank you so much for your sweet comments. I just love hearing from you!!
Have a Happy Quilting Day :)

Melissa