This quilt started as the result of a sheet and square swap organized by Katie of See Katie Sew. I took the first 56 sheet squares I found and randomly stitched them together. Interestingly, there are 55 different patterns/fabrics in the squares ... and, somehow, the two that matched ended up right next to each other (see top left corner in the photo above)! I probably wouldn't have ever noticed the two matched if they hadn't ended up next to each other, but I'm glad they did ... I like them together.



The borders, backside, and binding are also vintage sheets, ones that I had hanging around waiting for the perfect use ... and this was it.

The original purpose of the quilt was to be an outdoor blanket/play mat for the babe while the older kids were sailing ... but as I kept building it and adding to it it got more and more floral and girly ... not exactly fitting for a boy (though he'll probably still use it at times), so now it's a picnic blanket. It may also work well as a car quilt, it's large enough to stretch across the back seat of the van and cover two or more kids.

Instead of using traditional batting for this I used a fairly thick blanket I'd picked up a few years ago. I knew we'd be using it at regattas ... in parks and at beaches ... and I wanted it to be thick enough to hold up to dirt and repeated washings.

Happy picnicking!