Marti Michell Templates
 

A friend of mine just gave me 3 set of Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Templates. Some of these templates are pretty small in other words not much room for your fingers next to a rotary cutter.
Has anyone used these sets and is it worth the time to rotary cut all the little corners around each template?

i haven't seen small templates of hers. but i have some larger ones. the 'corners' do need to be cut... it helps in lining up the pieces for an accurate 1/4 inch

"...is it worth the time to rotary cut all the little corners around each template?" YES!!! the little corners will make piecing so much easier because the odd shapes all line up. If you are worried about cutting using the small templates, put sandpaper dots or similar on the bottom to prevent slipping and/or invest in a klutz glove. Many of her templates came with info on pre cutting strips which makes using the templates a lot easier and usually minimizes fabric waste. If these instructions were not passed on, you might want to try a google search to see if there is info on you particular template.

Check out her latest book, it helps with template sets and figuring out how to use them for different patterns. But read a little first to see if it will help. I was skeptical at first on the template idea, but it really does make for accurate piecing and now I love it. I've also figured out that if you don't have acertain set, it doesn't mean you can't do a pattern. Templates in the pattern often have the same shapes as a different set, you will just end up with a different size block.

I have some of her templates someone gave me. I have never used them.

I used them to draw on the fabric then used a ruler to cut on the lines. The cut-off corners sure gave me a beautiful "fit" when piecing.

There were printed templates with her 2 patterns that I made, I never bought the plastic ones, just drew them onto template plastic. Easier to handle IMHO (and cheaper!)

Even if you are not using her templates for a specific size block, they can be helpful as a corner trimmer if you don't have one. On triangles it's especially helpful to have the engineered corners, you just have to take note of how you are going to use that particular triangle.

Marti also makes a template specifically for that purpose, as do Fons & Porter and several others. My favorite is this one: http://www.judymartin.com/products.c...prod=9&CatID=2 It gives you cuts for just about any situation all on one template, with full instructions. It's the Point Trimmer.