Welcome back to our weekly tutorial for quilters! In today’s free video lesson, we’ll go over how to make and use the templates that are sometimes necessary in various quilting designs. With the modern popularity of rotary cutters, today many people tend to think of templates as being used only for hand appliqué designs, but templates can also be used for cutting patchwork shapes for traditional piecing. You’ll appreciate having an understanding of this technique as part of your quilting skill set, as templates may still be the best approach for some pieced quilt patterns.

Follow along with Beth Hayes, editor-in-chief of McCall’s Quilting, as she shows you how to work with templates.

Note: please click any image to go directly to the video lesson.

In this video tutorial Beth demonstrates how to transfer template shapes, whether intended for appliqué or piecing, from a magazine pattern section to template plastic. You’ll learn a nifty tip for marking templates with curves, too. As you watch each step in the lesson, you’ll learn what materials you’ll need, how to mark and cut the template plastic, how to use match points for traditional patchwork piecing templates, and how to transfer the design to your fabric using the template you create. Beth also shows you how to pin your patches for an accurate seam.

Once you’ve watched this video lesson on making and using templates, you’ll be ready to take on quilt pattens calling for templates with confidence. Remember to bookmark the helpful free video tutorial, and refer to it anytime you may need a refresher. Steps are listed in text below the video, as well; you may like to print them out for an easy reference to keep in your sewing area.

Click here to watch the FREE video demonstration of how to make and use quilting templates.

You can watch any of our free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) how-to-quilt video library lessons 24-7—click here to see the full selection.

Don’t miss any of our Tuesday Tutorials—click here to read them all, or click any link below.

1. Pressing Basics
2. Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowances
3. Rotary Cutting Basics
4. Basic Quiltmaking Supplies
5. Fabric Preparation
6. Chain Piecing and Opposing Seams
7. Color Selection Using a Focus Fabric
8. Simple Fusible Appliqué
9. Introduction to Half-Square Triangles

Enjoy!

Welcome to our Tuesday Tutorial, where we share a short FREE quilting video lesson each week. Let’s jump right in and learn about one of the most common pieces used in traditional patchwork, the half-square triangle, also known as HST.

Note: please click any image to go directly to the video lesson.

Why you’re going to love this technique: HSTs refer specifically to right isosceles triangles, meaning triangles in which two sides of equal length form an interior angle of 90°. When a pattern calls for HSTs, you’ll find that the longest side of each triangle is cut on the bias, which means additional piecing challenges due to bias edges tending to stretch quite easily. Feeling a little frightened at this point?!  Never fear – we’re here to show you the easy-peasy way to make quick work of this common quilting shape!

Tricia Camp explains and demonstrates how to layer two simple squares together, stitching them in such a way that you’ll end up with two HSTs, without needing to handle the raw bias edges of the patches. You’ll also learn the easy formula for determining what size to cut your squares to end up with the exact HST size your pattern calls for.

Give this easy technique a try the next time your quilting pattern calls for HSTs. Click here to watch the FREE video demonstration of how to make Half-Square Triangles using two squares.

You can watch any of our free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) how-to-quilt video library lessons 24-7—click here to see the full selection.

Don’t miss any of our Tuesday Tutorials—click here to read them all, or click any link below.

1. Pressing Basics
2. Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowances
3. Rotary Cutting Basics
4. Basic Quiltmaking Supplies
5. Fabric Preparation
6. Chain Piecing and Opposing Seams
7. Color Selection Using a Focus Fabric
8. Simple Fusible Appliqué

Enjoy!

Have you ever shied away from a quilt pattern simply because it featured appliqué? Take a few minutes to learn just how easy fusible-web appliqué can be!

Note: please click any image to go directly to the video lesson.

Laura Stone Roberts walks you through every step of the process, sharing tips and clear explanations along the way. From tracing and cutting out the designs from the sheet of fusible web, to pressing the shapes onto your fabric.

She talks about layering fusible appliqués, and shows you several different options to further secure the shapes with edge stitching.

Remember fusible appliqué when you need a quick, simple alternative to hand appliqué.  Click here to watch the FREE video demonstration of how to use fusible web for quick, simple appliqué.

You can watch any of our free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) how-to-quilt video library lessons 24-7—click here to see the full selection.

Don’t miss any of our Tuesday Tutorials—click here to read them all, or click any link below.

1. Pressing Basics
2. Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowances
3. Rotary Cutting Basics
4. Basic Quiltmaking Supplies
5. Fabric Preparation
6. Chain Piecing and Opposing Seams
7. Color Selection Using a Focus Fabric

Enjoy!