Podunk Pickin's #8 (DIY Acrylic Templates)

Hi-didly-o!  Quilty friends!  My apologies for being a day late with the Podunk Pickin's this week.  My computer in the Studio decided it needed some TLC or it just wasn't going to work. Three years is a long time to go without updating a computer.  YIKES!  In my defense, the Studio laptop is basically for quilting and sewing related things and rarely connects to the internet.  Well she's up to date and running great after taking almost all day to install all those updates.  

So let's get down to business.   This past week I designed a quilt block that uses 1.5 x 2.5 flying geese units.   There's many different ways to make flying geese.  Being that these were going to be so small I thought over sizing and cutting them down might be best.  Of course I don't own a FG template that small.  Well I can make one.  Making some of your own templates is very doable and much cheaper than buying them.  I've shared this tip a few times in the past here, here, and here shows how to break the acrylic.  When purchasing acrylic sheets from your local DIY store make sure it's the type that can be scored and snapped.  

I found a small scrap of acrylic.  Make sure you score your line on the side that doesn't have the protective plastic coating.  You'll need to score that same line about 5 times.  It doesn't take a lot of pressure, but you'll want to apply some pressure to ensure an straight break.  The red arrow is pointing to a bad break.  This happens sometimes when the piece is small or isn't scored properly.  All is not lost, it's fixable.

The little point can be broke off with a pair of pliers.  Hold the template in one hand and firmly grip the little point with the pliers, now apply pressure with the pliers, just like if you were breaking a graham cracker in half.  Now that my template is the size I need it I need to add the markings.  I've had several responses in the past saying that the markings on homemade templates always wear away.  Well I've come up with the fix.  In the last two pictures above I've scored a flying geese.  

Then I used a permanent marker to color inside the line.  Don't worry if you go outside the line.  It can be quickly cleaned up with a pencil eraser.   And there you have it a perfect little flying geese!

click on this image in the sidebar and it will take you to all past linkups.

So do you have a tip or tutorial to share this week?  If so link up below.  The rules are simple.  They just need to be sewing or quilting related.  No tip or tutorial is to small or to old.  Linking up old posts on your blog or other social media sites is totally acceptable.   

To make this linky party even more fun there's a giveaway.

  Bev@44thStreetFabrics is generously sponsoring the month of October with this adorable Santa Express Bundle.  Bev's online shop carries several new designer lines at the lowest prices you'll find.  She just lowered the prices to make room for the new lines coming in the next few weeks.  52 new items you can find here, Calico Days by Lori Holt, Vintage Picnic by Bonnie and Camille and my favorite Strawberry Fields Revisited by Fig Tree & Co. are just a few.   And to make sure you don't miss out on the newest lines at awesome prices you can pre-order and they'll be shipped as soon as they arrive in the shop.   

So how can you enter to win this bundle?  Each week during the month of October on Podunk Pickin's there will be new and different ways to enter.  So you'll want to stop in each week to enter as many times as you can.  Then on Halloween a random winner will be chosen.  This week you an enter by doing one or both of the following, each one will give you one entry for the bundle above.

1. Link up a tutorial or tip from your blog or social media site below.  Please make them quilting or sewing related.
2. Bev has a new Facebook page, hop over and "like" her give away for the "Hello Darling" charm packs give away.  Yep that's right!  You can win more fabric!  Come back here leave a comment to let me know you've done so. 

An InLinkz Link-up