QAM Quilt-Along: Making and Using Templates
"Before I get started, I wanted to let you know about an error we caught in on the pattern in the printed and digital copies of the issue. The piece labeled Pattern A is actually Pattern A Reversed. I'm so sorry for any difficulty or inconvenience this might cause. I know when you start a pattern, you don't want to worry about making corrections. The good news is that the piece is the correct size, so to make it Pattern A, you can just flip it over. I suggest writing A Reversed on the front so that you remember to flip it. Alternatively, if you go to AllPeopleQuilt.com/QuiltAlong, you can download a PDF of Pattern A. If you bought the pattern from APQshop.com, the pattern piece is correct. An easy way to tell if you have the correct pattern A is if the straight line is on the right, Pattern A is right! Now, on to making and using templates.
"To start off, you're going to need the following items: Template plastic, which is available at your local quilt shop; a permanent marking tool; a ruler; a fabric marking tool; a push pin, and the pattern you are going to make into a template. Oh, and one more thing-beautiful fabric. The quilt is made with gorgeous Tula Pink Solids from FreeSpirit Fabrics, which is what I have here.
"To make a template, start by laying the template plastic over the pattern you're replicating. Trace it onto the plastic using a permanent marker, including all dots, lines, notches, and labels. The label is really helpful in case the template gets separated from your project! Cut out the template and use a push-pin to poke holes where the dots are.
"Next, take your fabric and turn it right side down. Turn the template so it's also right side down and then trace the template onto the fabric. The hole you punched with the push-pin lets you add dots in the right places. Keep tracing as many shapes as the pattern calls for. You can rotate the template to make the most of the fabric. Finally, cut out the piece on the drawn line and your fabric is ready for the star block!
"Sometimes patterns call for a pattern "reversed," such as how Color Outside the Lines calls for "A reversed" pieces. To reverse a pattern, simply flip it over. It's as easy as that, and all the angles will be the opposite of the original piece! You can see here I started tracing A reversed pieces on this strip of fabric.
"You'll notice that the pattern has little notches cut out in the corner. The nice thing about those notches is that they help you line up the pieces when you sew them together. Here, you can see how easy it is to line up the notches on the two pieces so that you can sew along this bias edge.
"Those are all our template tips for today. To follow along with our quilt along, please visit allpeoplequilt.com/quiltalong, and also join the fun on Instagram and Facebook. I can't wait to see what you make! Until next time, happy sewing."