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No.2 MARKING AND CUTTING USING OUR TEMPLATES
Our templates
are made from 2mm transparent plastic and have a ¼”
seam allowance already added and indicated by a scribed
line. ALL templates have a right and wrong side –
you will know the right side of our templates as you will
be able to read the reference letter and number i.e. A3/1. The following examples all refer to the SWAMP PATCH block, which is part of our Beginner's Dozen pack. A typical piecing diagram is:
CUTTING OUT USING MARKER (pencil) AND SCISSORS Fabric should be not be folded and placed Right Side (RS) down. If however a reverse of the template is also needed, this will be indicated on the packcard, the fabric can then be folded and a reverse of the shape will be cut at the same time. To avoid fabric slipping on a smooth surface place a piece of sandpaper underneath the fabric to be marked and cut. REMEMBER keep the outside edge of blocks/finished projects on the straight grain. Count up how many pieces of each numbered template you need to cut and in which fabric they need to be cut i.e. in the case of the Swamp Patch: Swamp Patch made in 3 colours – Fabrics a,b,c
Look at the design and note where you want the straight grain of fabric to be. Lay fabric RS down on top of sandpaper and using a very sharp pencil (I like a 2B lead and a mechanical type pencil) mark round the template on the back of the fabric keeping the lead close to the template edge. Cut out using small sharp scissors exactly on the pencil line. To transfer your sewing line onto the fabric Using the same template transfer the sewing line onto the reverse of the fabric as:
Once all pieces have been cut out and sewing lines marked on the reverse, I like to set out my pieces onto a board into the finished design to make sure the colours are in the correct place and that I actually like it before sewing, I then pick up, sew a seam and place down again into position and continue in this way until the block is complete. CUTTING OUT USING A CUTTING BOARD AND ROTARY CUTTER Once you have gone to the trouble and expense of buying a board and cutter it is a shame not to use it – our templates are made specifically to use with your board and cutter. Using the Swamp Patch as an example note the straight grains on the edge of the block and where these will be on the templates. Fabric should not be folded but can be stacked RS up and cut together, if a reverse is required this will be indicated on the packcard and can be achieved by folding the fabric. Place the fabric on the board and holding the template firmly on at least 2 edges make the first cut along the template edge, move around the template until it is cut out. Remember it is easier and more accurate to move the board with the fabric on than to move the fabric when cutting. For multiple blocks I suggest
cutting strips of fabric from across the width using your
large ruler then sub-cutting using the template to cut multiples
of the same shape. It is however important to remember the
straight grain and measure the relevant template on the
board first to ascertain the width of the strip of fabric
to be sub-cut. Also don’t forget some pieces especially
corners may need a reverse of the template.
Alternatively templates can be pencilled round on the wrong side of the fabric and then cut out using the rotary cutter on the pencil line. © Templates 2005 … Note: these
instructions are copyrighted. |
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