Frustrated

One of the reasons I got into quilting last month! was because I had seen a fantastic quilt online made out of union jacks.
To get me started on quilting I am in the process of doing a simple 9 patch quilt and I am enjoying doing it. However, in the back of my mind is that union jack quilt that would be perfect for my sons, especially as we are all British.

Check this flickr group
and look at this on diary of a quilters blog
But last night in my wisdom I was blog hopping and came across that gorgeous quilt again. I would love to make it but everywhere I look I just can't find the pattern for it. So I came across an asterisk (Astrix - spelling unsure) pattern and this morning I adapted it and started trying to make a union jack, 5 attempts later and I still can't do it! It turned out very wonky and uneven, lots of unpicking happened. So I gave up on that, I had another search and found a paper piecing pattern on twin sisters for for the union jack. Thinking this would at least make sure everything is straight and lined up, which my previous attempt wasn't I had a go. I printed the pattern out even though its much smaller than i wanted, I thought that at least if I could do a practise then I could always enlarge the pattern. So I have now had 2 attempts at it and I just don't get paper piecing and I am so confused and frustrated................I have looked at YouTube examples and I still don't get it.

Has anyone else ever made a union jack flag block by paper piecing? Any suggestions, ideas. Maybe this is one block I should save for another time.

Thanks for the moan, frustrated