I took a NYB class not too long ago taught by Judy Holley. Made two blocks in class, four more when I got home and they are now in my stack of "I'll do this later" projects. They were fun to make but I need 80 blocks to make the quilt. Haven't had much time lately to sew... :(
I would agree that accuracy is the key to making the NYB block so the points are all nice and sharp, and I would wait until my machine was fixed to make them. The "crown" part is paper pieced.
Here's a photo of the first block I made using assorted fabrics from my stash.
New York Beauty Block
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