I kept thinking that would be a really good project fo the winter when I can't get out in the yard. I thought how nice to sit by the fire and cultivate a fabric garden. So, in the fashion that I am want to do everything, I waited until the least feasible time to start a new, complicated project and began. I went through her whole book and wrote down how many pieces each pattern had. I totally nixed the blocks with curved seams as being beyond my current capabilities and patience level. I wrote a list on the inside of cover of my book, ranking the projects from the least number of pieces(the pea with 8) to the most (the asparagus with 53). I went to Staples and copied each pattern and then cut out the pattern and enlarged it to the suggested size. I then traced the pattern onto freezer paper (which is actually more work than it sounds like!) following the directions in the book. I then cut out the pattern pieces, ironed them onto fabric, cut around them leaving a 1/4" margin and then got to finally sew. The pea was pretty straightforward so I started with it. Then I progressed to the leek (15 pieces) because I was excited about the way the leaves folded into each other. 
I began to understand the method to the madness of McDowell's labor intensive preparation system.
Without all the marking and precision matching of tics, it would be impossible to work with all these little pieces. I was thinking this would be a great retirement project, when I have the time, but I'll probably also be blind and arthritic so I guess I'll just keep going. I love the way they look when they're finished and I actually like making them. The tomato was a bear because of all the seams meeting in the middle. I love the eggplant though and am going to make another one. I make the freezer paper patterns in sets of two, planning one for a brown background and one for a blue background. I haven't forgotten about my little houses quilt; I've just been temporarily seduced by my new vegetable love.
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