One of my first quilts was storm at sea. I started with making templates out of kitchen cutting mats using a print out from my quilting group but didn't think the 'drawing around the template method' would be accurate (I'd cut a couple!). What I settled on was using strips. I measured across each shape, straight edge to edge not point to point, and cut strips to that measurement. By taping the paper template to a ruler, I worked along the strip cutting the shapes.
With pieces cut by that method it went together perfectly. . . . the quilting left a lot to be desired!!