I finished this quilt a while back and I used templet plastic for the octogons. Made enough templets to make two whole flowers, and punched a little whole in the center so they could be removed. Once I made the flower, I removed all of the templets, except the outer ring. If you leave the plastic in the outer ring, it makes if so easy to attach the next flower piece. The hardest part of this pattern is cutting out the templets.
Good Luck, Pam