I was mesmerized by this quilt and purchased the studio die as soon as it came out. I have made several quilts, and actually have one in progress right now. It's almost my go-to quilt.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t273566.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t261037.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t198142.html
I have the book "winding ways: a practically pinless approach" by Nancy MacDonald, which I actually purchased before I got the die:
http://www.amazon.com/Winding-Ways-Q...s=winding+ways
I also did a lot of garment construction, but was a bit intimidated with curved piecing. I did some online research but found the instructions in the book to be the best technique. She has sewing and pressing instructions that will make the block lay totally flat. Also lots of ideas on setting the blocks in patterns I would not have thought of. I would highly recommend purchasing it or tracking a copy down at your library or quilting guild.
Two tips I can give you are: make sure that you know exactly where your 1/4" seam is. Verify it with the thread and fabric you are using for this project in case you have to make a slight adjustment. Here's a good way to check:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ce-t89997.html
Also, make sure that you don't sew the petals to each other when you join them to the long skinny piece. There should be a thread of the long skinny piece between them. You may not be able to see it from the right side, unless you gently stretch the block, but it should be there. Hope this makes sense!
Let me know if you have more questions.