BethA, thank you for that helpful hint!
I'm embarrassed to show my G-8 Poinsettia block -- it's so uneven! (And I probably should have fussy-cut the corner pieces for consistency; this may be a re-do down the line). I did not find the 'Y' seam to be too dreadful, thanks to that tutorial. Next on the 'never done' list is paper piecing!
This block shows an issue I'm concerned about -- my darks are super dark and I'm afraid they will give the blocks an unbalanced look. The greens in this fabric line are unusually muted, and I was unable to find any outside greens that harmonized with them.