I will share with you the technique that I cultivated from shamelessly glommed together the best practices of others. I will warn that it's avant garde, as it goes against the admonitions of others to not iron.
First: Marking points and pushing seams. I am embracing Edyta Sitar's method for marking and pushing seam allowances. To mark, I found that my Creative Grids Corner Clipper did an unparalleled job in marking the start and stop points accurately and effortlessly. See my post on that here. No guess work. No fumbling. Perfect mark each and every time. And a lead pencil makes the perfect dot.
I had used Dee Christopher's method of sewing through (w/o marking) but found that it was easier to make the marks than pick out a couple of threads. For pressing, I used Edyta's method: Turn right side down, points up, and push the seam allowance to the left.
Second: Cutting diamonds from strips. I cut my diamonds straight up and down on my mat by aligning the top with my 45 degree mark on the mat. I found that I cut more accurately that way. I used a dry erase marker to mark my ruler. I have also found (after now scurrying to my work room) that permanent mounting tape (keep one side with the backing intact or it will stick to your mat) will attach and remove from your ruler easily and creates a ledge. I get this cheaply at my local salvage store.
Third: Halve your triangles (from tip to outer base) and fold squares (on diagonal): One of the many challenges of this block is the flipping back and forth to sew the other side of the why seam.One way to make it easier to visualize is to fold the triangle in half and fold the corner on the diagonal. That way, (1) the crease on the triangle shows you exactly where to stop sewing on the first pass, and (2) you can see how it nestles into the other side. So for those of you who share my spatial processing idiosyncrasies you might find that a helpful aid.
Fourth: Glue + iron. Yes, I'm a serial glue baster. And you cannot glue if you do not iron. The counsel is to not iron because of all of the bias. Well if you are glue-basting your seam, the glue will stabilize the bias. Well, that was my hypothesis after I had engaged this method after completing yet another unsatisfactory star. So I glued and set it with the iron--just along the glued seam. And everything turned out beautifully. No stretching. Perfect points. Perfect corners. Crisp seams. So I attest that if you glue baste and use your iron on the edge of your basted seam to set the glue, you will not end up with misshapen diamonds. Rather, you will end up with a nicely stabilized seam that will not flip flop on you.
Fifth: Because you are not sewing off the seam, but stopping and back-*tacking, you end up with long tails of threads (upper/lower). Unless you have an auto thread cutter on your sewing machine (I'm coveting such a feature), clip the threads to keep a tangle from occurring.
And finally, I found that using a pressing cloth on top of the block allowed pressing without providing any shine to the seams and made by block flatter.
Here is my quilt block, and if you look, you can see that I have one seam pucker (lower mid)--but it ironed out as the seam was twisted in the back. I didn't notice it until I saw the photo. This was my first block using this method. My second block is still on my design wall with no puckers.
I'm really happy that I have found a method that works for me. And I can approach the block with enthusiasm, not trepidation.
As I continue my quilting journey, I realize the importance of understanding the methods (and there is more than one way to skin the cat) and integrating them into your learning. For me, glue-basting is an essential part of how I go about the business of keeping things in place. So bringing that method into the fold yielded a confident approach to this beautiful block.
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