Be a Diamond Blog Hop
Blog Hop Events

Be a Diamond Blog Hop

mspdesignsusa

Hi Quilting Friends,

Welcome to the “Be A Diamond” blog hop, hosted by our friend Carol from “Just Let Me Quilt“!  A great big “Thank You!” to Carol for being the hostess with the mostest!We always look forward to Carol’s blog hops, and are so excited to see all of the great projects that are posted by the participating bloggers.  You’ll find a list with links to their blogs at the end of this post!

This blog hop has me thinking about diamonds, so here are some things that occurred to me:  

Science time!  (I just LOVE science time, especially chemistry!  Quilting time will come in a couple of paragraphs, so please be patient!)  Diamonds are made of carbon, element #6 on our Periodic Table of Elements, which is the 4th most common element in the universe, and the 15th most common element here on Earth. 

A single carbon atom can form up to four covalent chemical bonds, and is the basis for organic molecules.  We’re “carbon-based life forms”, after all!  Coal and other fossil fuels are made of carbon too.

Pure carbon, when in its solid state, most often occurs in the form of graphite (the “lead” in your pencil) which forms in the lower crust of the Earth.  Diamonds are created deep within Earth’s mantle under enormous heat and pressure, which is why they are so rare.  Diamonds are unique in that they have the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any naturally-occurring material, and they are chemically inert as well!   

So, perhaps, this is why “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” and “Diamonds are forever.”  It could also explain why the diamond shape is such a popular design element in quilting patterns.  Diamonds are a representation of strength and beauty, and quilters are a wonderful combination of both characteristics!  Today I’m going to share some of our designs that feature diamonds.

The border of this miniature quilt features diamonds!  

Snowflake Miniature Quilt by Ms P Designs USA

So does this pretty pieced snowflake block!

Happy Huskies Pieced Snowflake by Ms P Designs USA

And this Hunter’s Star miniature quilt,

Hunter's Star Miniature Quilt Pattern in Blues by Ms P Designs USA

And the Mariner’s Star!  Are stars made from diamonds?  Or does it just twinkle, twinkle like a diamond in the sky?

Mariner's Star Paper Pieced Block by Ms P Designs USA

I usually create a small project to follow each blog hop theme, and this time I decided to make a pair of pretty hot pads for our kitchen.  I love this Mariner’s star block, and so I did a quick search through my stash and found the perfect fabrics to coordinate with our kitchen wall paper.  

Mariner's Star hot pads by Ms P Designs USA

I’m pleased with how they turned out, and they are MUCH prettier than the other hot pads that we normally use around here  (see photo below, LOL).  I don’t even know how this sort of thing happens.  Perhaps it is because my hubby likes to cook, but isn’t very careful with our hot pads?  Or we could just blame it all on our kids and their love affair with tater tots, LOL!  

Sharon's Experienced Hot Pads by Ms P Designs USA

And now, on to another Diamond!   His is a rare talent, and I’ve always loved Neil Diamond’s songs.  Here’s one of my favorites, and you’re invited to sing along as I always do:

Thank you SO much for hopping by today!  I hope that you’ve enjoyed seeing my little project, and that you’ll take the time to visit the rest of the bloggers who are “hopping” with us.

Happy quilting,

Sharon

April 22

Needled Mom

Keepsake Moments

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Kathy’s Kwilts and More

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April 23

You Are Here! Ms P Designs USA

Vroomans Quilts

Marjorie’s Busy Corner

Melva Loves Scraps

Storied Quilts

Words & Stitches

Clever Chameleon Quilting

Songbird Designs

April 24

MooseStashQuilting

Beaquilter

Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Creative Blonde 

Selina Quilts

Bumbleberry Stitches

Two Maker Chicks

Quilts By Joanne

April 25

Patchouli Moon Studio

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Hill Valley Quilter

Mageez Room

Websterquilt

High Road Quilter

Seams To Be Sew

April 26

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Cynthia’s Creating Ark

Days Filled With Joy

For The Love Of Geese

Quilt Fabrication

Stitchin At Home

Just Let Me Quilt

Published by mspdesignsusa

Ms P Designs USA: Creators of whimsical quilt patterns

31 thoughts on “Be a Diamond Blog Hop”

  6. Great diamond projects. Your hotpads made me smile. Thanks for the song, and a sweet memory. We took the grandson’s on a long trip to the west coast one year. They didn’t like my ipod music. We told them that when they got older that whenever Sweet Caroline came on in a bar that many times people will sing along. We were in a small town and the only place to eat was a bar. They were disappointed when the waitresses turned off the jukebox and turned on cartoons for them. But they still sing Sweet Caroline, and What’s New Pussycat.

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  10. So many pretty diamonds showing here today, but those potholders shine the most…love them! My potholders are pretty pathetic so I may have to dig into my stash to make some shiny ones like yours. Thanks for hopping with us!

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  13. Thanks for all the diamonds in your post – the science lesson, the blocks, the hot pads and the song. I’ve had worse looking hot pads. Please tell your kids no tater tots with the Mariner star pads – they’re too precious for that. If they’re making your Mother’s day dinner, all is forgiven though 🙂

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  14. Thank you for the science lesson and for sharing your diamond projects. The new hot pads are so pretty. Maybe you need to make a couple more in the same colours but different positions. I, too, love Neil Diamond and have seen him once in concert.

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  15. The Mariners Star is a perfect pick. Was it paper pieced or not? I really am not a fan of doing paper piecing, but I know in something like this you might need to paper piece. If it’s not paper pieced, where did you get the block from? Thanks.

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    2. Oh you beat me, Karrin! I’ve seen him a lot, but not 22 times! He must have played in California more than he did in Arizona. =)

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  20. Love all your diamonds. I am a Neil Diamond fan as well. I recently set up a Pandora channel that features his music and style. I think we may be kindred spirits. 🙂

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  21. Your diamonds are so pretty. My hot pads look pretty ratty too, but I would do the same to pretty ones. Sigh. We say Neil Diamond last summer. He still puts on an amazing show.

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  22. Absolutely great blocks and wonderful photos of your diamonds! Neil is a long time favorite of mine, and I’ve seen in him person MANY times. My favorite song is Shiloh, partly because it played on the radio as Paul and I drove to the church to be married, back in the dawn of time. =) My favorite album is Tap Root Manuscript, though I also like Velvet Gloves and Spit. I’m so sad that he can’t perform publicly any longer, but grateful he’s still writing music. Sweet Caroline is good, too. Wonderful diamonds post!

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  24. what a fun stop on this hop. I look at your old hot pads and think it is great that they ” were used”. I would probably still use them and just admire the new ones. Love all of your sparkling projects and thank you for the chem lesson. It was like taking a mini refresher class.

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