Templates! ARGG!!!

Remember last month when I was complaining about the BOM that had no instructions? This month I tackled the dreaded Template. I hate templates. Okay, let me rephrase... I hate templates that I have to make. Last year I took a class with Sharyn Craig that had us using some acrylic Templates she had specifically made for the Northwind block class she teaches. Wow! those things are the bomb! I tell you, easy peasy to use, acurate like nothing else.

Last weekend I started piecing my Bread and Butter quilt. The quilt pattern uses a couple of templates. These are found on the pages you download and you must enlarge 250% to get the actual template you have to use. Okay. No Problem. Oh, Wait! Yes, a problem. The pattern does not have a legend where you can measure your intial template to make sure your printer did not skew your pattern when you prinited it out (usually just an inch square that allows you to make sure you didn't print out the pattern too big/small). I head off to email Terri Degenkolb (the designer) to find out what the actual size of the template (pre enlarging).

Terri is not just a talented woman but also a great customer advocate. She emailed me back saying she had no clue on the template size but would send me the templates already enlarged so I didn't have to worry about that problem. With a bit of tweaking on my part, this worked perfectly.

After translating the pattern to fit the new fabric line I set off to cut... Here is where things got dicey and the reason of the rant. The Templates... again.

I can never find the right method to duplicate a template that makes it easier to cut with. First I tried a thick template plastic (the thickest I could find) but my rotary cutter can't nudge up against it properly and I end up cutting over it or it just slips all over the place. The next thing I try is a piece of linoleoum I picked up for the purpose. This gives me a good edge but this is made of a chaulky material that allows the rotary cutter to edge off bits of it. Finally there is the freezer paper which gives the best results but it takes forever to trace the pieces if you have many to cut. I didn't have too many after so many failed methods but I wish I could find something thick enough to give an edge for my rotary cutter, strong enough to avoid the rotary cutter from chipping away at it and easy enough to cut and create at home.

I eventually got all my fabric cut and the pieces organized so that I could get to the sewing part.

The blocks actually came together fairly quickly and
as the week moved on I completed all the spiked blocks.

Yesterday I started laying things out and piecing it all together.

I coordinated the hour glass blocks...

And sewed the center of the quilt. I have it all on my design wall as I put together the border. The Heart and Soul fabric line is a bit darker than the one used in the pattern so I'm finding myself tweaking the edges to allow the border to be defined. Hopefully I can do this pattern justice.