Rulers Tools & Templates

HeHere at Missouri Star, we’re all about making quilting easier for you! We sell the best quilting templates and rulers to help you get beautiful, accurate results every time you cut.

These essential tools are used in quilting to achieve precise measurements and shapes when cutting fabric pieces. They assist quilters in creating accurate and uniform blocks, borders, and other elements of a quilt. Quilters rulers and templates are often talked about in the same breath, but it’s important to note that they serve slightly different purposes.

Quilting rulers come in various shapes and sizes, and often have measurements marked in inches, making it easy to follow your quilting patterns and instructions as you cut. Many quilters rulers also have lines and angles marked on them to assist in cutting squares, rectangles, triangles, and other geometric shapes needed for quilt blocks.

Quilt templates, on the other hand, are used as guides for cutting fabric into specific shapes required for quilt blocks, as well as applique shapes. Quilting templates come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, including squares, triangles, circles, diamonds, and more complex shapes like hexagons or stars. Quilters can either purchase pre-made templates or make their own using durable materials like template plastic. Quilt templates are particularly useful for ensuring uniformity and precision when cutting fabric pieces for quilt blocks.

Quilters rulers and templates are indispensable tools for quilters, helping them achieve accurate measurements and shapes while cutting fabric and ultimately contributing to the overall quality and appearance of the finished quilt.

Did you know there are more than 40 Missouri Star quilt templates available today? A few years back, we started making our own quilters rulers and templates in-house and it’s been a game-changer. There are so many great quilt templates out there, but we wanted to create custom Missouri Star quilting ruler templates and quilting template sets that worked especially for our patterns, which largely use precut fabrics. They also have a few special features that make them really easy to use.

First off, our custom plastic quilting templates are made from sturdy, neon green acrylic. This color works wonderfully for quilt templates instead of clear plastic because it’s easier to see where you’re cutting—the vivid tone gives off a distinctive glow around the edges. These quilting templates also have etched markings instead of printed markings. Have you ever used a quilting ruler so frequently that the markings have rubbed off? Guess what? These etched markings aren’t going anywhere! Our quilting templates for beginners are also great because they are simplified and uncluttered. Only the essential markings are on our quilting templates so you can see more of the fabric. And here’s a little secret, because our sewing tools and templates are made in-house we are also able to keep the cost down and share the savings with you!

To use one of our quilt templates, start by removing the paper backing. It’s easy to remove with your fingernail or you can use a pin to carefully peel up one corner and pull the paper backing right off! Secondly, let your quilting template do the work for you! Try not to “fight” with it - we recommend using a rotating mat to move your rotary cutter around the quilt template. If you don't have a rotating mat, try moving your body around the cutting table while keeping your quilt template firmly in place (this is especially important when you’re using acrylic circle template). If that’s uncomfortable, you can use a fabric marking pencil to trace around your template and cut it out. 

The bottom line is to use your quilt template in a way that’s comfortable to you. Also, when you cut fabric with quilt templates, for the most part you’re going to align your fabric with the quilting template, not the cutting mat. Your cutting mat will last longer and your cuts will be more accurate. 

Last but not least, always use your acrylic quilter rulers and templates safely. If you tend to press harder on templates, they may slip out from under your hand. Avoid accidents with a Missouri Star Template Handle. It keeps your fingers away from the rotary blade to make cutting easier and safer. Finally, to make sure your sewing tools and templates last a long time, store them out of the sun. Because our templates are made from acrylic, they can warp and distort if they get too hot. Be sure not to iron over your quilters rulers or leave them in the sun for long periods of time, either. The same goes for cutting mats, too!

Missouri Star sewing tools and templates can also be used for machine quilting. Acrylic templates for machine quilting tend to be for creating free motion designs, but our templates can easily be used for marking straight line quilting. As for quilting stencils or quilt cutting stencils, you’ll want to take a closer look at our selection of quilt stencils and pantographs which are made for marking quilts. Give them a try and finish your quilts beautifully.