You mentioned that you were experienced at hand sewing. Does that mean you are hand sewing your piecing? I have a friend who did that in her younger days. It might change the suggestions if you are hand sewing.
This is the best video on machine piecing I've ever seen and it rarely shows up on searches
(Donna Poster video). She has several videos on youtube. They are all really good. She describes and shows you in detail how things go wrong and how to fix them.
My suggestion is not to buy any precut fabrics except those made by the big companies (I have no experience with Jordan Fabrics precuts.). The only ones I've used are Moda, and Timeless Treasures and both were accurate. I've heard from others that strips had a curve in the fold and that the squares were not exact. I'm not sure what brands those were.
My experience with kits is they come with yardage and instructions for cutting. It's unusual for the kit to have everything already cut for you.
Good luck on your next quilt.
bkay