Hey everyone. Today you'll learn why I reach for a template before I ever freehand a circle, a letter, or any shape that has to look right.
I wouldn't freehand a cut that needs a template. I know why it tempts people, though. The scissors are right there. The material is right there. Drawing a template feels like one extra step. You tell yourself, I can eyeball this.
Friends, I have eyeballed it. We all have. The shape looks fine while you are cutting. Then you step back 2 feet. That circle is an egg. That letter leans like it is tired. Y'all know that moment.
The circle that was not a circle
I learned this one the honest way. I needed a neat round shape for a project. It was not even a big piece. I thought, it is just a circle. How hard can a circle be?
Hard enough, it turns out. My first side curved out too wide. My second side pinched in flat. I trimmed a little here. I trimmed a little there. Pretty soon my circle was smaller. And it still was not round.
Here is the part that stung. I cut it from the good material. The piece I had saved for last. Cutting again meant cutting smaller. Or starting over with less than I planned. The joke was on me, folks. Not on the fabric.
I have watched the same thing happen with letters. A freehand S looks fine at the table. Step back, and it reads like a 5. Names on banners deserve better than that. So do your good supplies.
Why freehand cuts go wobbly
Your hand follows your eye. Your eye guesses as it goes. Every tiny guess adds up around a curve. By the time you close the shape, the start and the finish do not match.
Letters are even less forgiving. They need even width. They need even spacing. They need a flat baseline to sit on. Freehand gives you none of those 3 things. A template gives you all 3 before you cut once.
A template also lets you repeat. Cut 1 good shape, and you can cut 10 that match. Freehand gives you 10 cousins. Not 10 twins. For sets and banners, twins win.
What I do instead
First, I make or print the template. For a circle, I trace something round and true. A plate, a lid, a bowl — whatever matches my size. For letters, I print them at 100 percent scale. I check the size with a ruler before I cut anything.
Second, I test the size on scrap. Always scrap first, friends. I cut one test shape from paper or leftover fabric. I hold it against the project. Too big? Too small? I adjust now, while adjusting is free.
Third, I tape the template down. 2 or 3 small pieces of tape will do it. Tape keeps the template from creeping mid-cut. Creeping is how a good template still gives you a wobbly edge.
Fourth, I cut right on the lines. Slow and steady. I turn the material, not my wrist, around curves. Small snips beat big chops on tight turns. If I use a rotary cutter, I stay on my cutting mat and keep my fingers behind the ruler or template edge.
Fifth, I step back before I call it done. I look at the shape from 3 or 4 feet away. That is how everyone else will see it. If one spot needs a tiny trim, I fix it now.
Here is your permission beat, folks. Your shape does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic anyway. A template just gets you close without the stress. Take your time. It's not a race.
You have options here too. Paper templates are quick and cheap. Sturdier template plastic lasts for repeats. A ready-made quilting template is my pick when I will cut the same shape again and again. Completely up to you.
Don't take my word for it — watch this:
Watch Scrap Crazy 6 | Part 2: Cutting from Sew Creative Ashland on YouTube — Karen Bates shows how positioning templates and rulers carefully gives you precise, accurate cuts from your scraps.
Shop the Arch 6" Template at Linda's Electric Quilters.
You can read more from this series at What I Wouldn't Do as a Crafter.
Thanks for spending a little time with me today. Template first. Scrap test second. Then cut with confidence. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
— Corey, Chief Quilter, Linda's Electric Quilters
