90 DRAFTINGFORTHECREATIVEQUILTER
Templates
Making Templates
Templates are wonderful, powerful tools that give high
rewards and that improve our potential for both quality
and custom work. Use templates if the shape you need
is a size not easily cut with a rotary cutter and ruler or
is oddly shaped or curved, if you want to custom cut
a particular design area from a fabric, or if you want
to custom cut from a strip unit. Accurate templates,
which include 1/4 ̋ seam allowances, ensure accurate
work. Templates support total freedom in design, they
help align two pieces for sewing by pinning at reference
dots marked on the fabric pieces, and they help monitor
sewing accuracy because they reflect the sewing line. As
you sew, place the template on the sewn units; the seam-
lines and the lines on the template should match. Also
use templates to cut finished-size mock-up pieces when
designing.
- Place a manageable-size piece of ungridded, template
plastic material over the shape needed. Be sure you have
allowed adequate room to add a seam allowance. With a
permanent black pen (do not use a Pigma Pen), mark a
dot wherever a line changes direction; then, with a ruler
edge, almost connect the dots, leaving them obvious and
apparent for piercing or punching. This line between the
dots is the sewing line you will use to place over your
sewn work to monitor accuracy. - Write the identifying letter or number, block or
design name, size, and grainline arrow on each template.
These markings are very important, not only for the
obvious informative reasons, but also because they iden-
tify the right side of the template.
Miscellaneous
- To add 1/4 ̋ seam allowances on all sides of the shape
and to cut it out of the plastic at the same time, remove
the pattern from underneath the plastic and place the
plastic on your cutting mat. Align the 1/4 ̋ line of the
rotary cutting ruler so that it travels through the center
of two dots along one edge of the shape. Position a small
box cutter or X-acto knife next to the ruler’s edge and
score the plastic. Repeat for all lines and dots. Once the
plastic is scored adequately, it will precisely crack off,
resulting in an extremely accurate template that includes
1/4 ̋ seam allowances on all sides of the shape. If the
shape has sharp or extended tips, trim them off. - Punch holes exactly over the dots, using a 1/ 16 ̋ hole
punch, or place the template face down on a towel and
carefully pierce the plastic at the dot with a stiletto or
large needle by gently twisting, taking care not to crack
the plastic. The hole should only be large enough to
insert a pencil or marking tool so you can make a mark
on the fabric. - Before using the templates to cut fabric, place the
templates on the pattern and be sure the dots appear
through your punched holes. Then, place appropriate
template shapes onto one another, as if you were sewing,
to make sure the edges and holes line up exactly. Do not
cut fabric until your templates are accurate. If they do
not line up in plastic, they will not line up as fabric.