Originally Posted by Maryanne
Its some sort of metal and it goes with a square template for a particular pattern. I just bought it at the quilt show and didn't read that part until I got home. I thought there might be a little gadget that you put on your pencil that adds 1/4 inch but heck if I can find it anywhere on the internet.
Actually, there's a gadjet that holds 2 pencils 1/4-inch apart. Theoretically, at least, you can trace 2 lines at one time. This would work only if the circle is a solid template. Won't work if the circle is cut out of a larger template.
Is this for piecing or applique? I saw a neat technique on a quilting show where the teacher ironed a freezer paper circle to the wrong side of fabric. The freezer paper edge acted as her guide when she pieced the circle into the background fabric. In that case, there would be no need to mark 1/4-inch seam allowance as the seam allowance doesn't matter much; it is the edge of the freezer paper that matters. The other portion of the freezer paper (the square with the circle cut out of the middle) was ironed onto the background fabric. Just wondering if your templates could have been purchased for that specific technique.
If the circle is supposed to be appliqued on the fabric, I would just trace the template onto freezer paper and use that to form the circle (a la Harriet Hargrave).