I actually LOVE the vinyl overlays! Being just a bid OCD (or as a friend of mine calls it: CDO -- so the letters are in alphabetical order! DUH! LOL!), the vinyl overlay is not only accurate but you don't have to fiddle with your seam allowance until it's time to sew the pieces down. Nice for people like me with clubby/chubby fingers.
I taught a class at my local shop using this method, too. One of the ladies, very "green" minded, suggest using parchment paper instead of vinyl. It's see-through and recyclable. So that might be an option, too!
Blessings!