The diamonds are 2" by 11/4" and there are 20 of them. Glenn

Thanks Glenn. Will try something.

This is very similar to a pattern used to make dimensional cloth balls for babies...it just uses diamonds instead of the quarter circles and ellipses. Definitely a hand piecing work of art...I think your pincushion is lovely or maybe it is a fancy babies ball.

Very interesting. I would love to find out how to make those.

Never seen one like that.....very interesting.

ok i am going approx 5 years back to a baby ball i made [eventually as i threw it across the room a few times]make all the peices indevidually then join 2 together by the points then all the sewn pairs should [after throwing them several times across the room in frustration]slot together---then with a long doll needlea few stitches with stron thread to hold through the middle----good luck

:) Like this one Jemma?...I was going to give it a try...but maybe my animal companions could get a little freaked out....
here's a link to a pic.
http://www.madeit.com.au/detail.asp?id=31114

Regarding the pincushion, the shape is called a rhombic hexecontrahedron, a solid with 60 faces...twelve 5 pointed stars as a solid. The true shape uses 63º diamonds, but that makes a much flatter face on the stars. For a pinchshion you might want to use 60º diamonds. There are examples of each on this site. http://www.personal.psu.edu/axd2/quilt/qlt28.html The easiest way to construct it is to sew the stars into half bowls of 6 stars each, then sew the halves together.

My MIL made it for a pin cushion and used it as such. I have no problems making the diamonds I just wondering what is the technique for sewing them together. She said she had instructions for it somewhere but she past away from cancer and going thru her things never found them. Glenn

Neat! It is great that you still have it.