Making Templates for Machine or Hand Appliqué
by Lucy A. Fazely ©2000

Template Basics:
Templates are best made with template plastic, also called mylar. It is sturdy and you can see through it easily to trace your pattern. Trace each appliqué piece as a seperate template, adding seam allowances as needed. Cut out each template. On the top of each template label it with the name of the pattern and what part of the design it is (such as "Deep Blue Sea, Seahorse fin"). Store templates in zip-lock bags and keep with the original pattern.

Machine Appliqué Templates:
When making templates for machine appliqué from a full-size outline drawing of the appliqué, you need to take into account where the pieces will overlap each other.

Example 1: The gray area that can be seen will need to extend under the white oval about 1/8". This will leave you with only one raw edge to sew down, instead of two where the two pieces meet. The template for the gray piece will be what shows plus the 1/8"as shown in second diagram. The white template will be exactly as it is seen since it does not have any pieces overlapping it.

 Example 1
Example 2 Example 2: Although the white and gray pieces have appliqué pieces on them, you can still treat them as whole pieces and just stack them one on another. Because their edges don’t come together there is no need to include an overlap allowance. In this case you would have the white rectangle, gray oval and black oval with templates all the same size as shown on the initial drawing.  
Hand Appliqué Templates: When making templates for hand appliqué, you need to add 1/4" to turn under around the entire piece. As you hand appliqué the piece in place trim the seam to no less than 1/8" and clip the corners.
Lucy Fazely Designs
www.lucyfazely.com
lucy@lucyfazely.com
PO Box 492, Oscoda, MI 48750