Templates & Rulers

I found pre-cut freezer paper to be expensive and I hated to measure and cut my own from the roll until I found these precut sheets of acrylic at my local builders supply.  These come in 8 x 10 or 11 x 14. Purchase the freezer paper on a roll and use these acrylic templates to cut paper  to fit your inkjet printer.

I got tired of my template get bent or torn. As we all know some template are also big! what to do? I hage mine in my closet on a hager wire hagers work best. If the template does'nt have a hole I just punch one in the top edge. This way I can store alot of template out of the way. Paper templates can be put in zipper bag and hug the same way. You can organize them easy like things together on one hager. Darlene Rose Ramona, CA.

Cut templates out of butter bowl lids you can trace around them and when they get dirty put them in the dishwasher, also i make some of my templates out of plastic canvas, just cut them the size of the pattern you need, when your'e through with them i use a safty pin in one of the holes to keep all of them together.

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.