May for Me: Hexagon Quilt

No this is not my morning stack of pancakes...but 70 flowers made from two inch EPP hexagons that have been waiting to be put together into a quilt for about, um, two years. 

 Our youngest daughter and I feel in love with this Joel Dewberry Heirloom Fabric Line from Free Spirit. She is making her own set but with a different colored center. Hers continues to be a WIP but here's what mine looked like on the design wall two years ago: 

They have since been moved from wall to basket...forgotten, like so many of our WIP find themselves doing.  So having no hand-sewing project I'm working on and motivated my Marcia's May for Me linky at Crafty Sewing & Quilting, I couldn't think of a better way to sneak in some quiet time for myself than by joining her annual linky. The theme is all about celebrating those few minutes a day you take just for you. My goal is to have these all sewn into rows and ready to baste onto their background fabric by the end of the month.

(Click picture to find out more about Marcia's annual celebration 
and perhaps even join us!)

This is the quilt pattern:

For my own convenience and maybe even yours, 

here's the indiviudal links to the tutorials on the Fat Quarterly website: 

EPP Tutorial

 Flower Assembly

Sewing the Rows

The Background

Appliqueing

Removing Papers

Stems Part 1

Stems Part 2 and Leaves

May for Me Celebration!

I saw this linky at Marcia's Crafty Sewing & Quilting and Sharon's Vroomans Quilts and couldn't think of a better way to begin the month of May!Admittedly, May has been  "Mom's Merry Month"  for years around our house. I even received a text from my oldest daughter today exclaiming so. Mother's Day, my Birthday and the approaching end to another school year, one can always find me with an extra hop in my step right now. 

(Click picture to find out more and perhaps even join us!)

It's all about: taking time to play, putting time a side for you.

Quilting and blogging are truly my "play". But, for my ME time, I walk.
Yep! I walk a minimum of three miles a day. And here's how:

Three mornings a week  I start my day here: I put this baby on an incline of 10 and play a mile worth of Connect Four with myself on my I-pad. LOL!! Sometimes I read.


I then pack my lunch and themos full of coffee and I walk my half mile to work:

My only company being my own shadow...stretched out ahead of me...a little more anxious than I to get to work I sometimes think. But I love the feel of the crisp morning air on my cheeks. The sounds of the neighborhood awaking each day.
My mind gets going and feels awakened too.

Sometimes we meet up with a student who fills our quiet with joyful preteen chatter.

I walk home from work, another half mile added to my total.  My shadow more tired, traveling by my side now. This walk mentally transitions me from the work day to home.

And once I'm relaxed and changed, I bring Jackson for a walk through the neighborhood. This walk usually finds me daydreaming and wraps up mile number three.
So whether it be Winter...


 ...Spring, Summer...


 or Fall...we walk. And on non-treadmill mornings, this afternoon walk is longer.

It's three miles that makes for a much Happier Day physically and mentally! It's just one way I take care of me. I hope you'll join us and share how you incorporate play and set aside time for you. Wishing everyone a Happy May for Me!

With smiles,
Val and Jackson