The two-piece CutRite, Slit 'N Sew Clamshell Templates from Quilter's Paradise, offers an innovative new way to cut and piece fabric together. This patent-pending tool allows you to quickly and efficiently achieve perfect alignment during piecing. Choose from three different sized templates to best complete your project: 12", 6", or 4". Quilter's Paradise recommends that you use either a 28 or 45mm rotary cutter with a sharp blade; the smaller blades work better in tight curves and when cutting the slits.

When you place your ruler on your fabric, you need to pay close attention to the directions the arrows are facing on the ruler. To prevent wobbling, the template needs to be positioned on the straight of the grain of your material. Once you cut out your shape, go back and cut the slits along the edges of the Clamshell Template; these slits help you to line up your fabric when sewing and eliminate the need for pinning.

When you are ready to start sewing your pieces together, you will advance a slit at a time. Line up the next slit from each piece that is being stitched and sew to that slit and repeat until finished. To view detailed instructions on how to use these tumbler templates, check out these PDFs from Quilter's Paradise on the 12", 6", and 4". Each template also features CutRite HandiGrabber material that prevents the ruler from slipping when cutting. The CutRite, Slit 'N Sew Clamshell Template, is made of durable acrylic and produced in the USA.