Monday, June 2, 2014

Picnic Time! (Also posted to Hazelnutdeux.com)

pic·nic
  [pik-nik] 
noun
1.
an excursion or outing in which the participants carry food with them and share a meal in 
the openair.

Because I am single, my picnic was a little different than many others that you will read about in the hop this week. My picnic was a solitary meal enjoying the beauty of a early evening in the backyard.

For my picnic, I made a small quilt that is perfect for throwing over a picnic table or down on a lawn. I made it with a variety of vintage sheets that I have been collecting for several years. I used flannel as my batting and did a "quilt as you go" method to put it all together. For the backing, I used another vintage sheet which I also used for the binding.






My picnic meal was a lovely piece of grilled salmon topped with pesto sauce accompanied by a side of quinoa salad. The fresh flavors were perfect!



Here is the recipe I used for the salad. It can be found on Allrecipes.com.

1 c. quinoa                                                       1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 c. water                                                         1-1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil                               1-15oz. can of black beans, drained & rinsed
Juice of 2 limes                                                5 green onions finely chopped
2 tsp. of ground cumin                                     1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt                                                         Salt and pepper to taste

1.      Bring quinoa and water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook until quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
2.      Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, 1 tsp. salt and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.

3.      Combine quinoa, black beans, tomatoes and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa and toss to coat. Stir in cilantro and salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thank you so much for stopping by. As a little something extra, I thought I would do a drawing. Please leave a comment and let me know if you would like to be entered. I will be sending out 40 - 10" squares of vintage sheets so that you can get started on your own vintage sheet picnic quilt! (Please remember to include your email address if you are a "no reply" blogger.)

Be sure to check out the other blogs on the hop today:


The full line up of all the blogs participating can be found at Mary's blog.

Happy picnicking this summer!!

***Edited 6/9/14 - Comments are closed***

73 comments:

  1. I love the retro feeling of your quilt, the vintage sheets make it perfect! You made the perfect pecnic!

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  2. What lovely colors in your quilt. It looks so soft and I bet it is too. Great use for vintage sheets. A perfect picnic indeed.

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  3. Your quilt is perfect! and that salmon looks yummy!

    I would love to be entered in your giveaway! I love all things vintage. :)

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  4. I love the vintage look to your quilt. Using vintage sheets is a great idea for a picnic which is a very traditional event. Id love to make one too, thanks for the giveaway.

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  5. Very pretty quilt! Thanks for the giveaway, but please do not enter me.

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  6. Suzan I love, love, love vintage sheets! And oh my, I'm wishing I was there to enjoy some of that meal. :) blessings, marlene

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  7. Lovely quilt. My picnic/beach quilt is made from vintage sheets as well. No need to enter me in the giveaway; I just wanted to comment on your pretty quilt.

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  8. What a pretty, summery quilt! Just lovely (No thank you, please don't enter me).

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  9. I love your vintage sheet quilt. It makes a perfect picnic quilt. Your food looks so yummy. Thanks for sharing ... :) Pat

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  10. Your quilt is beautiful and your menu looks perfect! (Of course I would like to be entered in the contest!)

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  11. What a pretty quilt. I am finally back to reading blogs, and following the hops. What a great hop to start with. Thanks for sharing.
    caaaarrotcakeks@gmail.com

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  12. sorry, My fingers are not right today. that is carrotcakeks@gmail.com

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  13. Oh, how fun!! Our picnic meal was grilled salmon too, you have to wait for Friday for my day though :) The quilt is beautiful and I'll bet oh so soft in vintage sheets. I have a small collection of sheet scraps, not enough to make a quilt yet though so would love to be included in your draw. Thanks for sharing your day!

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  14. I love your quilt. And that is definitely my kind of picnic meal! Thanks for the offer of the giveaway. I would love to make a quilt as lovely as yours!
    sewystuff at gmail

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  15. Loving that quilt - and a quilt-as-you-go is always a good and quick way-to-go LoL - Thanks for your generous giveaway.Certainly going to try out that recipe. Judy C

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  16. The vintage sheets look so beautiful in that quilt...love it! Your meal looks so yummy and I'll definitely be making that quinoa salad! Thanks for sharing your picnic with us!

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  17. What a great use of vintage sheets. Your picnic food looks delicious! I would love to be included in the draw.

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  18. I would love to win some of your vintage sheet pieces. You are the first picnic I have seen that included ine. Wine is an absolute necessity for a good picnic! Thanks for sharing!

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  19. I love your quilt - not sure if I can enter your lovely giveaway from the UK ???

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  20. Oh Suzan, this is so pretty, perfect for Spring or Summer!! I collect Vintage Sheets for sewing too. Thank~You for Quinoa recipe, my daughter introduced us to Quinoa and we Love it!
    Have a Great Week and Thanks for Sharing!
    Huggs, Nancy
    rfnancy(at)netscape(dot)net (just in case)

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  21. Your lovely quilt and quinoa is perfect for a springtime picnic.

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  22. please enter me in your generous giveaway! i love the quilt you made, the color placement makes the eyes glide over it. a solo picnic would be a great idea, i will do that myself. babscorbitt at gmail.com

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  23. I think your quilt came out so lovely, and wow, nicely done meal! I would love to be entered in your drawing, thank you for the opportunity. I suspect the quilt is quite soft since it's sheets, makes me want to crawl back into bed now :)
    ~Brandy

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  24. great quilt and yummy looking picnic. great job.

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  25. Love your quilt of vintage sheets, think I may actually recognize some of the patterns. Lovely meal...so relaxing!

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  26. Thank you for the recipe. I love picnics and can't wait to make this for mine. I would love to be entered into the drawing to win those vintage sheets. I have the recipe printed now and just need to make myself a picnic quilt.

    Sandi Timmons
    sandit1@sbcglobal.net

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  27. Great use of those vintage sheets and your dinner looks wonderful!

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  28. What a lovely picnic you had. The food and wine look just perfect with that picnic quilt.

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  29. I love your vintage sheet quilt. Happy to enter the drawing! I have never made anything out of sheets, but I love the look. Divine. Looks like a yummy, wonderful afternoon.

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  30. What a very cute picnic quilt! I'd love to be entered into the drawing, please, as my current picnic quilt is about ready to be retired :) Thanks!

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  31. Helllllo Susan...just flew in literally....you won't be alone long....many are following me to see you ....you don't mind do you...your picnic looks soooo inviting....I am one for picnicking alone actually..I will doing this more this summer just to bask in the warmth...I love vintage and your quilt is scrumptious..

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  32. Your quilt is beautiful and I would love to make one myself!! Your picnic certainly had the YUM factor covered!!!

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  33. I love your quilt and the fabrics that you chose for it. It if so bright and cheerful. Thank you for the recipe for your salad, it sounds scrumptious.

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  34. Now I know how to work all my vintage sheets into a wonderful picnic kwilt. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  35. I love re-purposing old fabrics. I would love to win some of your vintage sheet fabric. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

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  36. I was anxious to see what you created with the vintage sheets. Nice work! It seems like a perfect picnic for one. And the grilled salmon and salad were divine I'm sure! dorisquiltingqueen at yahoo dot com

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  37. Susan - how lovely and delicious! The food, too, lol! Love your vintage sheet quilt - It makes a perfect picnic quilt. Beautiful in your back yard, too. I've never tried quinoa, but it sounds terrific with your salmon. Mmmm, my mouth is watering! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  38. I love your quilt, it is so bright and cheery!

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  39. Loved checking our your blog, loved your beautiful quilt and the idea of repurposing old sheets and love the giveaway. How exciting it would be to get like that in the mail. I have done log cabin quilts with the quilt as you go methods, but was wondering how you used that method to quilt this quilt??

    lindalerwick at juno dot com

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  40. Love your quilt! I am single, too, and love the idea of making my solitary meals a little more special. I would love to be in the giveaway, and would also like to know how you did your quilt as you go technique since I generally get stuck at the flimsy stage and never get the batting attached. :)

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  41. I love your quilt. I have never worked with vintage sheets so would love the chance in your drawing. I am looking forward to picnics with the family too.

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  42. Never thought of using vintage sheets in a quilt top, but yours is sure beautiful. Please enter me in your drawing - thanks!

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  43. Oh Suzan - this is absolutely gorgeous. Im seeing you having a vintage picnic with dainty sandwiches and high tea style cakes and tea cups ...

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  44. Can't beat a picnic on a bright, happy quilt with a gourmet meal. Your quilt is really, REALLY pretty!

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  45. Oh fabulous......love the vintage sheets you used for your quilt. Perfect! You treated yourself to a lovely meal too. :)

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  46. Love how you used vintage sheets for your patchwork pieced picnic quilt! What a wonderful menu, my kind of a meal. Thank you for sharing.

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  47. This is an amazing quilt. The colors scream retro. Delightful.

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  48. Suzan, Thank you for making a picnic for one. Sometimes it's not easy being single and forcing ourselves to do things that non-singles do. Some find it easy and others do not. I just "graduated" from a grief group where the #1 them was loneliness. I'm making more of an effort to get out, get back to quilting, and doing for others. Seeing not only your amazing quilt but also your lovely picnic gives an appetite, something unusual for me. Thanks for participating in the hop and making a sensational quilt. I love the use of the sheets.

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  49. Suzan, If I could I would have joined you... I love vintage sheets and hope to make a quilt out of the ones I have been collecting. The Quinoa salad looks yummy... I have been wanting to try some recipes with quinoa but it is not something I am very familiar with. I really like salmon too. So you see I would have been great company :) Thanks for sharing. loved the visit to your blog. Janita

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  50. oops I forgot..... YES, please include me on the drawing for the vintage squares :)

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  51. Oh, that is the sweetest picnic quilt ever…It really caught my eye! Yes,enter me in the giveaway. Thanks for the chance!

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  52. Your vintage quilt is just sew cute and quite an exquisite meal. Looks like a great little picnic.

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  53. Oh yum. It looks like a delicious picnic. Love the quilt!!!

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  54. Your picnic quilt is lovely! Thanks for sharing.

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  55. What a beautiful quilt! Your quinoa salad recipe sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing your creations with us!

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  56. Your quilt is beautiful, and your foods looks delish!

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  57. The quilt is so pretty, I love the vintage look with the fabric. I really like the QAYG method too. Thank you for a sweet giveaway. x

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  58. What a great quilt. I have never thought of collecting vintage sheets. They were so colorful. Thank you for playing along.

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  59. Suzan, I remember some really great picnics I had when I was still single, peaceful (really peaceful) with a bottle of wine, some fruits and a good book! So much time to relax, it was great. Now, 4 men are running around, it is lots of fun too, of course, but lots of work too... and no time for relaxing with a good book......
    I loved your post and you did a wonderful peaceful quilt!

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  60. Beautiful. Those vintage sheets are wonderfully bright - could they be unused? Solitary but lovely. Sigh...

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  61. What a refreshing springy picnic quilt...and that dinner! Delicious! I love All Recipes and use them all the time!

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  62. Sweet quilt and love the vintage sheets!

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  63. Such a very lovely quilt and yum...grilled salmon.....looks delicious!

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  64. I would love to make a quilt just like yours! It looks so fresh and sunny. I like the idea of using flannel for the batting. I look for vintage sheets when I'm at yards sales and such, but never find decent ones. I do have a couple nice pillowcases though, but they are so unique I would hate to cut them up! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

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  65. That is a fantastic idea. Vintage sheet squares are just perfect in color and freshness. That salmon looks delish.

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  66. What a bright and colorful quilt! Love it! Thank you for sharing your salmon recipe. It looks yummy!

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  67. Hi Suzan what a great quilt and so summery thanks for sharing. Susie x

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  68. I love your flowered outdoorsy picnic quilt! It looks quite feminine and summery. Well done! While I appreciate the giveaway opportunity, I will pass. Sweet of you to offer though!

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  69. I love the soft colour of vintage sheets. Takes me back-hey, I am getting vintage too!

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  70. Love your quilt. Vintage fabrics are my favorite. Thanks for the chance to win!
    wigglypup2(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  71. Your quilt is awesome. What a great idea using vintage sheets!
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  72. Hi Suzan! I am sorry to be so tardy with sending a comment. This was our last week of school and now that it is over I am going back and actually reading what everyone wrote and commenting, please forgive me. I just love the idea of using vintage sheet for your quilt top! Great patterns and oh, so soft fabric! Your meal looked delish, but I am sorry you were all alone. I would have come to share it with you ;) I hope you have an opportunity over the summer to have a picnic on it with friends...but you'll have to buy more than one bottle of wine!
    Would definitely use those vintage blocks if I won them. Did you find your sheets at Goodwill or online?

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  73. How beautiful! I love your picnic... peaceful solitude and wonderful treats!
    A beautiful fresh and happy looking quilt!

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