Templates used for quilting come in all shapes and sizes. Typically made of a tough plastic, these guides help speed up the process of measuring and cutting out fabric pieces so they are both accurate and consistent. Most can be used with your cutting tool, so you can line them up with fabrics straight on your cutting mat. To save even more time, you can layer your fabrics to slice out same-sized pieces in minimal strokes. When choosing a template, you should consider its durability—will it hold up to chips and nicks?—but also your skill level, as some templates are designed for advanced quilting designs. Browse our top templates for precision piecing below.
1. EZ Quilting Diamond Template Tool
This template is at the top of our list because it is an excellent staple to keep in your quilting arsenal, and also one that is accessible to quilters of all levels. It is shaped like a 45˚ angle diamond, with markings for you to measure out diamonds with heights of one to 3.5 inches. Because it is made of sturdy acrylic, you can simply lay it down and glide your rotary tool along its edge to create clean cuts every time. If you’re keen on making patchwork classics, like an eight-point star or a blazing star, this will help you save time and achieve pieces that align properly.
2. Creative Grids Crazier Eights Quilting Ruler Template
This is a more challenging template, but it includes well-written instructions to guide you through the many ways of using it. It comes with five polygons that can fit together to form an eight-inch square. Use these to create blocks made of different fabrics, then rotate the blocks to form eye-catching patterns. Made of a heavy-duty acrylic, each piece has clipped corners, so your resulting pieces will come together perfectly, and they feature gripped backing to prevent slippage and erroneous cuts. This is a great way to use up leftover fabrics for impressive creations.
3. Clover Trace ‘n Create Quilt Template
This template from Clover’s Grandmother’s One Patch collection is a great starter template for making two simple shapes: hexagons and tumblers, which are essentially tall trapezoids. It features die-cut outlines, with measurements for different sizes of each shape, that you trace onto the fabric before cutting. The plastic is too flimsy and thin to use directly with a rotary cutter, but the process isn’t all that time-consuming in the end.
4. Elisa’s Backporch Quick Curves Template
When you’re ready to start cutting and sewing curves, this is a reliable option to guide your work. It comes with two templates to help quickly cut out shapes to make finished six-inch quarter-circle blocks; seasoned quilters will recognize these as the building blocks for drunkard’s path quilts. You actually get one Bow Jangles pattern in this set, which is a nice bonus. The templates themselves are made of a pleasingly thick acrylic with smooth edges, each precisely sized for professional-looking results.
5. Sharlene Jorgenson Double Wedding Ring Templates
This template set will help you conquer the intimidating double wedding ring pattern. It features eight acrylic templates, but the included guidelines by seasoned quilter Sharlene Jorgenson are very clear, providing a step-by-step process to create a queen-size quilt. Each piece is made of a .125-inch thick plastic that can be held in place with velvet stickers, and they have consistently smooth arcs, so your cutter will seamlessly guide around each one. The material is also durable enough to guard against nicks, even if you slip.