Tool Talk - Templates and Washi tape

I go through phases where I alternate between factory style cutting of strips and blocks with no need to pay attention to much more than the grain of the fabric and fussy cutting focal pieces like the world will end if I don't get that cartoon character centered just right.

I use plain Dritz template plastic, which has a good weight and is easy to see through - and with a little washi tape, I can make sure I only bring home just the right fabric!

After cutting your template, measure in 1/4" (or whatever will be your seam allowance) and mark the plastic - Sharpie pens, with their extra fine point are great for this and have the bonus of wiping clean quite easily.  Sometimes they wipe clean before you are ready, so handle with care!

Then it's just a matter of using some of that leftover washi tape you bought when it was all the rage, lining one edge up with the marked seam allowance and folding the excess over the edge:

With this handy tool in hand you will make sure you pick prints that won't get eaten up in your seam allowance or be too small for your intended block.