Hi Bj,
Don't laugh, but I have had a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt in the making for nearly 7 years. Please do not let that discourage you. I only work on it on occasion (especially at doctor apts.). I am not too far from completing the quilt part--then comes the border. I will try to send a picture for a border idea. I am using the 1930 reproduction fabric. That is great to use since you can just keep buying it and will never run out of that type of fabric.
For cutting (very quick and easy), I use the ARDCO HXW-1 "Hexagon" template. This makes the one-inch finished hexagon. There are many different sizes (I have them all). The company is located in Poquoson, VA. Their address and phone number is: QUILTSMITH, LTD., 252 Cedar Road, Poquoson, VA 23662. (757) 868-8073.
The templates are metal so you can very easily cut with a rotary cutter. They have a skid back so they stay in place on your fabric when using your rotary cutter. I just cut a long strip of fabric and then, with the smaller rotary cutter, just cut around the template. It works great. I am not sure I can describe the template but the center is open. The template is 1/4" in the shape of a hexagon. You use the outside size of the template for your fabric and the inside size to trace on freezer paper.
Most of my flowers were done using freezer paper, since it was easy just to trace the "inside" of the template for the exact finished size. I use a mini-iron to iron the seems over the freezer paper.
I also purchased some paper pieces from the paper piecing company. I like to use them for the white hexagons since sometimes the freezer paper can come "unglued" if you handle it a lot. Freezer paper is great for the centers, and solid and print rows.
Sorry I have taken up so much space, but if you want to PM me your phone number, Bj, please do so and I can call and talk you through it. I do believe the freezer paper is a faster method than the card stock and having to baste. Sue