What a fun and bright quilt, Joe'smom - I also never thought of sand seepage (?) as an issue to be concerned about, but it's definitely something to keep in mind if a quilt is destined to be used outside. I'm wondering if the drop cloth would affect the quilt's washability, though. Could you make it detachable somehow, maybe with snaps or velcro? Then again, maybe your idea of a dropcloth is different than mine. :-)