Keeping focused on a Friday morning

I am working at home, this morning, which amounts to making calls to clients, their parents, schools, probation officers and other attorneys. I am also trying to catch up on the week's paperwork (filing, billing, paying bills, tax stuff, list making, planning, hearing preparation). If things stay slow so that I can catch up, I might be able to work on a quilt block in time to go out in today's mail. It is nearly done.

I am part of a fat eighth block swap with 19 other ladies on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework message board. The gist of the swap is that we mail each other a F8th of our choice (9 X 22). We receive 19 F8ths back. For each one, we create a 12.5 X 12.5 quilt block (unfinished size) with a pattern and complimentary fabrics of our choice to send back. The theme of this swap is "Think Romance" which essentially is girlie, romantic stuff.

I sent out a pink and black floral and have posted all the blocks I have received back, so far.

I've received some pretty asian prints, some pinks, some shabby chics, heart themes and even a black and white which could denote some sort of interacial joining, I suppose, if you were stretching on the romance theme. Alternatively, you could interpret it as sort of a Mars/Venus opposites attract idea if you were so inclined. I really liked working on that one and the blocks I have seen posted on the HGTV using that fabric have been terrific.

I like to do paperpiecing because it is so precise. The down side is that it takes up a lot of fabric and also takes a lot of time. And you have to pick out the paper when it is done. And since you use smaller stitches, it is a pain to frog stitch. I think it is worth it, though.

Just got off the phone with a distressed client's guardian so the block will have to wait ...