Templates & Rulers

An economical way of creating templates to use for your quilts is to use the flexible plastic that comes in the bacon packages. You can wash it either by hand or in the dishwasher, and then use it for making your templates.

Next time you have an Xray taken, ask the technician for some xray film.  It makes for great templates.  It is sturdy and easy to see through.  A marker works well on it too!  You might even look forward to going to the doctor!!

When using a plastic template place double sided tape on the bottom of your template to prevent the template from sliding while you are cutting.

I have discovered a great ruler to use when cutting material with the rotary cutters.  It is called a fingerguard safety ruler.  It has a permanent safety guard on the ruler, which protects your finger from accidentally being cut by the rotary cutter.  I cut my finger with the cutter and it is very sensitive now.  I love my new fingerguard safety ruler.  It even comes in a left handed and right handed model and is available in several sizes. 

I have found an inexspensive vinyl shoe organizer hung on the back of the door of my quilting room has been invaluable for containing clutter...it holds rolls of patterns, odds and ends of gizmos and gottahaves that otherwise might be misplaced while it greatly decreases the clutter in the room. I bought mine for a few dollars from the local discount store.

A clear ruler can be an excellent measuring tool, but it is easy to get off track on your guides and cut from the wrong mark. If you are cutting blocks of the same size, create some type of mark to notify you the correct measurement. A great marking device is as simple as a bottle of finger nail polish. Put a quick dab of polish on your desired mark so your cuts are perfect each time. When you're done, remove the polish with nail polish remover or acetone and the ruler is good as new.

Templates can be made from any material, just be sure it is sturdy enough to be reused many times over without compromising the original shape. Generations of women have used whatever was available, namely cardboard to create their templates. A great material to use is the thin plastic sheets often available in craft stores. Remember, the key to creating a template is to reproduce the pattern. If the template is not accurate the pieces will not fit together properly. Before you begin cutting fabric, create a test-block to make sure the template is accurate.

If you have problems marking your fabric or are using delicate fabric that you do not want to mark, create a template using freezer paper. Trace the pattern and produce the template on freezer paper. Then, iron the freezer paper to the back side of the fabric and cut out around the template. This will provide you with visible guide without having to mark the fabric. This method works well with hand quilting, but can also be easily used with your sewing machine.