Working with Templates

If you’ve never used a template to make a quilt pattern before, they can seem pretty intimidating! We get so used to cutting with our rulers, so templates can feel like a real curveball…especially since it may also be your first experience cutting curves.

Here’s the good news: Templates really aren't as bad as they seem. Pinky promise! And once you know how to use templates, you can make all kinds of quilt patterns that would be impossible without them.

To help you get started with templates, I want to share a few pointers that should make your experience a bit more enjoyable...and accurate!

   Pattern: Retro Blossoms

Quilt templates come in two types: printed and acrylic. They both get you the same end result, but printed templates take a bit more work on your part.

In most cases, your pattern will come with printed templates. Lo & Behold’s paper patterns include your printed templates within the pattern. Our digital PDF patterns are designed for you to print from your own printer. (More on that in a second!)

Either way, you’ll need to cut out your templates before you use them. (We’ll talk about that later too.)

Some patterns let you use acrylic templates, or ready made plastic shapes. We have our very own Lo & Behold Stitchery curved acrylic template set that works with several of our quilt patterns (including Mountain Horizon 2.0, Shades of Citrus 2.0 and Retro Blossoms), with more patterns on the way. 😉

Acrylic templates can make things much easier for you! You don’t have to print them out and they’re much sturdier, so you can easily use them over and over again. Plus, our acrylic templates are see-through, which makes it easier to do fussy cutting on your favorite print fabrics.

I have to be honest here…once you use acrylic templates, you’ll have a hard time going back to printed ones! Acrylic templates offer such a crisp, easy cutting experience that you’ll wonder how you managed without them. But either option will work just fine for your cutting.

Depending on the size of the curve, I've also found that using a smaller rotary cutter, like an 18 mm or a 28 mm, work really well with going around the template. 

If you’re using acrylic templates, you can skip this section. But if you’re using printed templates, these tips will make sure you get good, accurate results!

When printing your templates, make sure your printer is set to "Actual Size" or "100% to scale". Some printers default to "Scale to fit" which will change the measurements of your templates…and that means your quilt pieces won’t come together properly! Definitely check and double check this setting.

By the way, if your templates take up more than one page, make sure to print on just one side of the paper.

 

 

Once you have your templates printed, double check your measurements with a ruler. Lo & Behold patterns list the correct measurements on the templates themselves. Make sure all edges of the templates measure exactly what the pattern says they should. If your measurements look off, adjust your printer settings and print again.

 

Note: Lo & Behold patterns also include a test square (that ranges from 1” to 2”), and some patterns from other companies only use a test square instead of template measurements. If your test square measures exactly the stated size (like 1” x 1” or 2” x 2”), you know your templates printed fine. But just to be safe, double check the other measurements on your printed template to ensure that it printed correctly. 

Transferring your templates

Once you make sure your templates are printed correctly, you'll need to transfer them onto a more sturdy surface. (Printer paper won’t hold up to cutting over and over…which is what most quilt patterns require!) You can trace them or glue them onto your sturdier surface. Then cut them out, and they’ll be ready to use!

I like using clear, gridded template pages to make my templates more durable. It’s as close as you can get to acrylic templates. However, if you want to use something around the house, I'm all about recycling! Use the back of a cereal box or a piece of sturdy card stock.

Whatever you use, remember not to use your fabric shears to cut your paper/templates. We want to keep those guys nice and sharp!

 

How to use your quilt pattern templates

Whether you printed your templates or bought an acrylic set, you use them the same way!

First, trace your templates onto your fabric using a temporary marking tool. There are a few different routes that you can go with this. There's something like this Dritz marking pen with air- and water-soluble ink. You can also use a hera marker, which creates a crease in the fabric (the wrong side of a table knife does the same thing). Or my new favorite: mechanical chalk pencils. 

 

 

Then you can cut! For efficiency, when you have straight edges on a template, cut those edges with a rotary cutter. I like to cut my curves with my rotary cutter too, but tracing and hand-cutting is also an option.

 

Tips for cutting fabric with templates

• Trace your templates so that you are cutting along the length and width of your fabric. Cutting along the diagonal, or bias edge, will make your fabric prone to stretch. Sometimes this is inevitable, like with my Shades of Citrus Pattern. In this case, starch is a good idea!
• Pay attention to directional fabrics and whether or not you'll need to flip your templates.
• If you choose to cut your curves using a rotary cutter, consider using a ruler to brace your rotary cutter against, like I demonstrate in this video: 

 

Bottom line

Templates are a great way to easily create unique shapes within a quilt design…once you know how to use them!

 

  Pattern: Mountain Horizon 2.0

These tips should make it easier to work with templates. If you want even more guidance, sign up for our Curve College course! It includes step-by-step instructions on using templates (including several detailed videos of templates in action) and sewing multiple types of curved blocks.