let the picnicking begin

Now that the temperatures are sliding down from the high 90s and we're beginning to see a few glimpses of Fall, it is time for long walks outside and picnics in the park and lazing around outside. Fall is my favorite annual visitor and, in my opinion, this is the best time of year to break out the picnic blanket, pack up some just-made cookies, and head to the nearest greenish space to enjoy the cool, crispy air and the sounds of migrating birds.

These are scenes from a recent picnic at Duke Gardens. It was Family Day, so flocks of children took to the park, running here and there, digging in the dirt with sticky popsicle fingers. Juniper loved being in the middle of all the excitement. 

The photo above shows a glimpse of our new picnic blanket that I made just the day before (details at the end of the post) and one of Juni's Ice Cream dresses that I made earlier in the Summer (Oliver + S pattern, Anna Maria Horner Good Folks fabric in tangerine festival with coordinating solid).

The picnic blanket was made with the fat quarter bundle shown below from the Etsy store, Frolic Design. I just cut the quarters in half, squared them up, and sewed them together. I quilted the top with two layers of cotton batting for cushiness and added a laminated cotton backing to avoid any soggy bottoms. Two long ties made from the bias binding lets us roll the whole thing up into a cute little bundle. It all worked so well, I may put together another one before the season is through...

Fabric list:

Lizzy House Castle Peeps, Castle Heraldry in green
American Jane Maggie's Dress in blue
Momo Wonderland, Tweedle Dee in sugar
Tula Pink, Hushabye, Butterfly Lace in sage
Sandi Henderson Meadowsweet, Meadowdot in Blush
Momo Freebird, Ovals in sky
Momo Freebird, Garden in sky
Keiki Wee Woodland Stripe in orange
Alexander Henry, Mona Floral in spice
Tula Pink Plume, Key Tree in red