I have purchased a copy of "Not your grandmothers tumbling blocks" and "Not your grandmothers flower garden" pattern books. I have great success with the tumbling blocks pattern. I made a Seven sisters quilt top.
Two days ago..I decided..well..that if the tumbling blocks was this easy...I will go ahead do the flower garden pattern. I have decided to not make the flower garden pattern. I spent way to much time just cutting out the sections..and the waste is unbelievable. I don't know about anyone else..but I hate wasting fabric. Luckily I decide to just try one flower. I am so glad I did. What a disappointment.
I guess the old way is the better way. I don't know if I have the patience to tackle a flower garden. I am going to try.
Peace and Blessings and add some patience...

i am showing a picture of one of the projects from "not your grandmother's flower garden...i don't know why you had a lot of waste??? i have been doing these for years, use up lots of little pieces and have literally no waste; so i'm kind of puzzled...of course i have not actually read the getting started part, maybe they tell you to do something that winds up being wasteful? i do like doing the tumbling blocks too but the flower blocks are so fun :-D
maybe i could help you figure out how to do these without the waste?

I hate waste also. that made me buy a designers book on paper pieced patterns. it told the sizes to cut. i have yet to use it though!! shame on me.

I have ordered a follow up book for the flower garden pattern..it will here sometime this month. I think I will take a look at it and see what is going on with it. I followed the directions in the booklet to the letter. Just seems to me that there is way to much time invested in cutting strips, sewing them together and then making right and left stips. After I investigate it further I will post my progress...maybe ask for some help. thank you
Peace and blessings,

I just picked up the pamphlet again..and the title is "not your grandmtoerh's flower garden, too" Your project isn't in the book. I can never let a project get the best of me..I fight tooth and nail to accomplish things.
Thank you for your offer.
Peace and blessings,

I just checked my quilting library..and I have a book called Quilts from Grandmother's Garden by J Huff. It is using english paper peicing method for grandmothers flower garden. The book I am using is written by Narci Baker...she uses a strip-pieced method for the quilt. I have a few blocks completed using the paper pieced method.
Peace and Blessings

we were definitly doing totally different things, with the ones i do you just make your little hexagons and sew them together, no strip piecing, so 2 different techniques, sorry i'm no help.
when i first paper pieced i hated it because it seemed like i used up a whole fat quarter and about a 1/2" piece of fabric actually showed in the finished block, i was so frustrated. a couple years later i ran into a Carol Doak paper piece stars book and decided to try it again, had much better results, sometimes the way they tell you to do it is very different, so maybe a different book by a different person will help.

Tell us the author of the books your mean, and I'd like to take a look at them too.

(I get so many inspirations from all youses guys!!)

Marci Baker is the author of The "Not your Grandmothers. . . Tumbling blocks and Flower garden" They are small little paperback pamphlets. Just google Marci Baker and Alicia's Attic sells them. The other book is one that was an advanced order and it won't be mailed until late August. I am anxious to see what it is like.
Peace and Blessings