I Love My Stripper!

When I first started quilting, I took a class from Roxanne Carter. At the start of the class, she told the students that if we didn’t have a June Tailor Shape Cut Ruler , we should get one; it was a “must have”. Of course, I ran right out and bought one. At my house, it is affectionately known as the “Stripper.”

What is a June Tailor Shape Cut Ruler? Basically, it is a 16” wide by 22” long piece of flexible plastic with slots every ½” that run the width of the ruler. The cutting area is 12" by 18". It is easy to use and cuts strips, squares and rectangles, even fringe, much faster than with a regular ruler. Additionally, the ruler has markings for angles, so you can cut bias strips, diamonds and triangles.

To cut strips, fold your fabric with selvages together and fold again matching the centerfold of the fabric with the selvages. Place the ruler on your fabric, aligning the folded edge of the fabric with the horizontal lines on the ruler. Once your ruler is satisfactorily placed, cut your strips by running your rotary cutter along a slot. To cut squares, rotate your strips 90 degrees (this is especially easy if you have one of those rotating mats) and cut again using the Stripper.

A few years back, I had neglected to bring my Stripper on my sewing vacation (it is kind of big) and was going into serious Stripper withdrawal trying to use a regular ruler. At this point, my brilliant and handsome husband (he is reading over my shoulder) ran to the quilt store and purchased the smaller 12” by 12” Stripper for me, which I now use for traveling. I also just bought the new version that has slots every ¼”. These rulers are not carried at all stores but you can always find them online.

All I can say is that I love my Stripper. I use this ruler as much as the rest of my rulers combined. I agree with Roxanne, it is a “must have.”

Sharon Peach
Stripper Extraordinaire