I'm wondering. I often see templates listed for sale on quilt sites I subscribe to.

Do you actually buy the template and cut around it for each piece?

Depends on the pattern.

I do! I have square templates of different sizes. I have the pyramid, hexagon, diamond, apple core, and many others. I love my templates and use them often.

I do,I make lot of mine out of plexyglass.(clear plastic)

Sometimes, especially if I'm hand-piecing.

I use acrylic pattern templates if making a specific quilt.

If they are the acrylic ones that you use your rotary cutter with, then sometines I do (twister, X-block etc.) If you mean the plastic or cardboard ones that we used to use for piecing quilts years ago, then I haven't used those in years.

I only use templates if I need a special shape.

depends on the template/quilt pattern- sometimes i cut around them- sometimes i draw around them then use a ruler on the lines- sometimes i draw around them and cut them out with scissors.
it's all relative to the project at hand
i will say i probably own a good hundred or more templates- use them alot...would be lost without them

Very rarely. I prefer patterns that use strips or large squares to cut up so you get alot of the shape you want at once.