The Wonder Wheel

Hey Everyone, welcome back to Cool Tool Thursday.

This little tool called the Quilter’s Wonder Wheel is a great way to easily and accurately add a ¼″ seam allowance to any template. I do believe it is one of the smallest tools that I have featured – only a ½″ in diameter.

The wheel has a hole in the middle which is countersunk on the top side. The bottom side is smooth and flat allowing it to move freely over the fabric or paper.

Wheel on a piece of paper

The wheel has a hole in the centre

A nice sharp pointed pencil fits nicely into the indented hole so that the seam allowance lines can be drawn using the wonder wheel.

The wheel on the end of a pencil

Pencil lead through the hole in the wheel

How to Use the Wonder Wheel

Place the template on the paper and the wonder wheel right up beside the template with the pencil standing straight up and down in the hole. Being upright is important so that a nice smooth and even line is drawn.

Line being drawn along the template

Pencil and wheel in place along a plastic template

Slide the wonder wheel along the template and a line will be drawn. Continue around the whole template.

Pencil line drawn around the triangle

¼″ seam drawn around triangular template

This does work better if the template is a bit thicker such as box board or template plastic. The extra thickness of the templates makes it easier to rest the wheel against it and follow around the shape smoothly and evenly.

The wonder wheel works on odd shapes and curved templates just as well as straight edges.

Pencil line drawn around this curved shaped template

¼″ seam allowance drawn around this odd curvy shape

This cool little tool allows for a simple and easy way to add an accurate ¼″ seam allowance to templates that do not have them or to shapes that you want to use for appliqué and it does not matter if they are a ¼″ larger all the way around.

Happy Quilting!

Jen Transparent Signature

Disclosure Note: I buy and use the products mentioned in this post and write about them without influence from the designer or any other commercial interests. I have included links to the products on Amazon.com and may receive a small commission if you purchase from these links. This doesn’t cost you any more to purchase these items but it does help me maintain this website, so I hope that you will please use these links.

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