There are two main types of templates. The first is a simple shape, such as a leaf, whose outline is drawn around with a pen or a pencil. The second is a sheet with the design outlines cut out, and again the lines are drawn using a pen or pencil. Both forms of template can be made of a firm, but flexible material such as card, metal, plastic or wood.
Templates are often used for making quilt blocks and quilting and less commonly for free style embroidery. There is a reference, for example, to the use of tin templates (simply shaped forms that were drawn around) for embroidery by a commercial firm in the mid-nineteenth century book, Aunt Eliza’s Garret, which describes the (hard) life of an embroiderer (or needlewoman) in London.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 7th July 2016).
GVE