Templates & Rulers

You can use a clear plastic lid to make a template and that's the cheapest you can get. They are thick enough to mark around. Just use a pair of shears that you don't use on fabric.

When cutting strips with your 6x24 ruller, Do The Math. If cutting 1 1/2 ' strips cut a strip 6", slide your ruller 11/2" and cut again, slide another 11/2" and cut, and so forth. This way you are not moving the fabric, but the ruller. You will save time and have truer cuts. If your measurement is more than your ruller can accomidate, use two rullers to get the desired measurement. sample: say you are cutting 21/2" strips-2 1/2"+2 1/2"=5",ok, add a ruller to your 6"---- So, you will add 4" of the added ruller to give you 10". You can now cut 4 strips without moving the fabric.  

Someone once said measure twice and cut once.

Happy Quilting, Mary Lou

Trace your pattern onto the smooth side of freezer paper. Now cut 5 more pieces of freezer paper that size. Lay 5 pieces of paper shiny side UP (one on top of the other) and the traced on piece shiny side DOWN on top of your pile of 5. With a HOT DRY iron fuse all pieces together, Don't slide your iron. Just use an up and down motion. Let it cool thoroughly. Cut it out and you have a cheep temporary template.

I have obtained a fabric tube (from my local fabric store), and after I wash and iron my quilt fabrics, I roll the fabrics onto it to keep them smooth and ready for cutting. I use a small piece of masking tape to secure the fabrics on the roll.

To make your rulers "grip" your fabric so they don't slip, glue small squares of sandpaper in the corners on the underneath of the ruler.

I MAKE QUILTS OUT OF OLD T-SHIRTS AND SWEATSHIRTS. I PURCHASED A 16X16 PIECE OF PLEXIGLASS TO LAY ON FRONT OF THE SWEAT/TSHIRT SO I COULD SEE TO CUT OUT THE PICTURE OR LOGO ON FRONT OF THE SHIRT. THIS WORKS BETTER THAN A CARDBOARD TEMPLATE SINCE YOU CAN SEE THRU THE PLEXIGLASS

Using wide scotch or painter tape (2-3") cut off about 6 to 7 inches of tape. Make a circle of it and put on the back of the template, side towards the fabric.  Place on fabric and voila! no slipping.  I am able to reuse quite a few times before I have to replace.  Adjust length of tape according to size of template. Smaller templates will need a smaller circle.

After I make my templates, I use sheet protectors to store the picture of the pattern, and the templates. I then use a notebook with dividers for 3", up to 24" quilt blocks. That way if I want to make a certain size block, I go to my notebook and make a decession. Sometimes I put swatches or small sample block of that pattern in there too. Then it is easy for someone to choose a block to make into a quilt. Sometimes I store the templates in envelopes and put those in the sheet protector too. It works well for me. Hope this helps someone else.

To make a permanent stencil for marking the quilt for machine quilting, trace your pattern on mylar stencil plastic and use a fine tip on a woodburning tool to punch holes in the mylar along the traced lines. Use your pounce pad to transfer design to quilt. An additional benefit of doing this is that the top of the stencil is slightly rough, and as you swipe your pounce pad the roughness grabs the powder making it easier to obtain  even markings.

I did not know what category to put this under.

I have been making plans for scenic quilts.  I sketch until I am happy with the picture.  I then tape paper to the size of the quilt I wish to make.  I draw the final sketch onto this paper, including the border and binding.  I then fold the pattern to the length of an empty wrapping paper tube, roll the pattern up, and place it with the sketch into the tube.  I write the planned name of the quilt on the outside of the tube and tape a typed list of supplies that are needed on the tube.  As I get things that are on the list I scratch them off.  When every thing is scratched off I know I can start the quilt.

                                      Tadsgram

                                (Judy Mielitz)