Quilting Templates

Quilting templates are reusable guides made from plastic or acrylic that help you cut consistent shapes or stitch precise patterns. They’re especially useful for repetitive blocks, curves, and complex quilt designs—saving time and improving accuracy.

Cutting templates are used to trace and cut fabric pieces, while stitching templates (often acrylic) are used with a ruler foot on your machine to guide free-motion quilting. Both improve consistency, but serve different steps in the quilting process.

Quilting templates come in a variety of shapes, including:

• Circles and ovals – for classic curved motifs
• Hexagons and triangles – popular for modern designs
• Feathers, waves, and spirals – ideal for free-motion quilting with rulers

Yes, to use quilting rulers and templates for free-motion quilting, you’ll need a ruler foot. This foot has a high edge to guide along the acrylic template without slipping under or over it during stitching.

Transparent quilting templates let you see your fabric and previous stitches, making alignment much easier. This is especially helpful when repeating motifs, centering shapes, or echoing designs.