U3A: templates

The 2015-16 session of the U3A was on Monday 14th. There are 27 of us with Margaret and I sharing the teaching. We both teach for the love of it as is the U3A way and we enjoy working together. We have 8 new participants so we are started with a recap, show and tell and splitting into two groups to do 1/4" seams and rotary cutting with Margaret and chain piecing and Templates with me.I'm demonstrating templates using the Boy's Nonsense block, first drafting on graph paper, then singling out the different elements and cutting round them roughly and sticking to cardboard;  old cereal boxes are ideal. Then I cut the shapes out exactly and label them minus seams. You can place these on the fabric and draw round to mark the sewing line and use the brass wheel to add the seam allowance or use the wheel to make + templates with seam allowance.
I do point out you can make exact size templates with freezer paper and iron them onto the fabric, cut out with seam allowance and sew along the edge of the paper. Also rulers are a latter day form of template, usefully multi-sized. Rotary cutters and rulers are generally our first choice but if you can make templates you can make anything.Ruth McDowall's work is a wonderful example of this.

Boy's Nonsense block made for a Laurel
Burch swap

Block drafted on graph paper though
normally the lines would be in pencil

Individual shapes cut out roughly and stuck onto graph paper

Minus shape cut out, then drawn around with brass 1/4" wheel tp make plus
seam allowance template with rounded corners.

Normally the plus size is used to draw round on the fabric
but you can if wished draw the sewing line using the
minus  template and use the wheel to denote the cutting line.