Monthly Archives: April 2015

Doing the Doona

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Do you feel like you’ve just stepped out of the boxing ring by the time you have finished putting the doona/duvet back in its cover?  I don’t know that I would be that dramatic but it is certainly not one of my favourite tasks.

I was recently looking at something on YouTube when I saw a video on how to insert a doona into a cover and then promptly forgot about it.  Since then I have changed the cover to the darker one which I use during the cooler months.  However, I kept the lightweight, polyester insert as the nights were still relatively warm.  I used my usual method which I can do by myself but is easier with the assistance of GMan.

The overnight temperatures have now signalled that it really is autumn so today I decided to change over to the feather doona.  I remembered to take some time to search YouTube for the trick to easily putting the doona in a cover.  There are several to choose from but I thought that the instructions in the following video were as clear as any.

After watching it twice, I decided to test the idea.  The first problem was when I discovered that the doona was nearly 30cm wider than the cover.  I have had this doona for many years and never noticed that before so I just persevered.

Perhaps it is just because I am not overly tall and we have a foot end on the bed, but I found that I walked from one side of the bed to the other numerous times as I was rolling it up.  I had excess doona sticking out from both ends due to the doona being wider than the cover.  I followed the directions and it worked well.  The excess just seemed to disappear into the midst of the doona.

The end result looks much the same as any other method and I am not sure that there was a great deal of difference in the time it took.

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The only real advantage that I can see is that my method does entail lifting your hand well above your head in order to shake the doona into place.  If you have shoulder problems the YouTube method would eliminate that.  I do not think it is worth the effort of turning the cover inside-out and laying it out absolutely flat with the corners of the doona matching.

Will I do it again?  Probably not.

How do you get your doona into the cover?  Would you consider trying the method shown in the video?

Wordless Wednesday

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Not quite wordless and not my words or photo but worth sharing.  Photo is courtesy of Amnesty International and the words are from a Facebook post of a friend.

2015-04-29 01“It has been a terribly sad time recently, with the Bali executions, the deaths of the migrants in the sea off Italy, the massive death toll in Nepal, the death of young Freddy Gray in Baltimore whilst in the custody of the Baltimore police, etc, etc. I have prayed for them all.

I have also taken time today to think of the families, friends, neighbours of the 35 innocent men, women and children who were massacred on 28th/29th April in 1996 in Tasmania, by Martin Bryant who will end his days in prison, as he should.

Life is too short. Live it well. Humankind should be both: human and kind.”

Between Bags

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I have never been a fan of handbags because I simply cannot see the point of having several items that perform the same function.  Mind you, shoes are a different story entirely!

The main reason that multiple handbags are not appealing is the fact that things need to be constantly moved from one to the other and the chances of not having the item you need are substantially increased.

You may remember that I recently bought a bag for work that would hold the laptop as well as anything else I need to take to work.  Here it is with the everyday contents.

2015-04-27 01This has worked well and I have not even used my regular handbag since buying this one.  If I am going grocery shopping I just grab my phone and purse and toss them into the tote bag I use for groceries.

This all changed last week when I went to a funeral and neither my work bag nor a shopping tote were appropriate.  I retrieved my black handbag from the shelf in the wardrobe.  The only items in it were a mini tape measure and a pen.

2015-04-27 02I added my purse, phone (and charger) and keys and I was ready to go.

2015-04-27 03I realised that everything else was really only applicable to work so it made swapping bags relatively simple.

Sew My Stash Sunday – 14

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I have a completed garment to share with you this week.

2015-04-26 01This is the top I have made to take to Singapore later in the year.  I bought the fabric a couple of months ago at Sckafs Fabrics at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.  The prices are not cheap but they have a range of top-quality fabrics that you won’t find in Spotlight or Lincraft.  This is a lightweight 100% cotton fabric but it looks luxurious and would be suitable for wearing in the evening.

I made a prototype here and the only adjustment I have made is to make the sleeves a bit longer so that they are elbow-length.

Remember this skirt?

2015-04-26 02Weeks ago I said that it was finished apart from the handsewing – yoke facing and hem.  It has remained in that state for several weeks but today I did the hem and hopefully the facing will be done by next week.  It was this skirt that I had in mind when I chose the fabric for the top.  There are many colours in the floral pattern, including mint green.  I think the top will look equally good with black or white trousers.

2015-04-26 03This skirt was even less advanced so today I attached the yoke and facing, inserted the zip and hemmed it.  There is now only the handstitching on the facing to do.

The reason I did not finish the skirts completely was that I ran out of daylight.  I find handsewing in artificial light quite difficult so prefer to do it during the day.  Even though the skirts are not quite finished, I am pleased with my progress this week.

Centenary

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Today, 25th April is the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli during WW1.

2015-04-25 012015 marks the centenary of this event and the various commemorative events have attracted huge interest and some of the largest crowds ever.

I did not attend any formal gathering but did spend time reflecting on the service of men and women in all conflicts.  As well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice, let us not forget the prisoners-of-war and those whose lives were curtailed by physical and psychological wounds and their families.

It seems that there is barely a family who has not been touched by war.  Social media has been awash with posts as many seek to share their stories.  One post led me to find this poem.  The final two lines are a stark reminder.

A Poem for Remembrance Day

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppies grow.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.

Lest we forget.

Flashback Friday

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This is what I need to do this weekend.  Some things never change………..

Today I had a deep clean in our bedroom.  I took the mattress and base off the bed so that I could vacuum properly underneath it.  I turned the mattress when I replaced it.

2013-04-18 01I cleaned the windowsills, cornices and skirting boards.

The valance on the base was washed.

2013-04-18 02The valance was replaced and the bed remade with fresh linen.  I have swapped the light coloured doona cover that we use during the summer months for this one.

2013-04-18It changes the look of the room.  Although it is the same fabric, the darker colour  feels right for the cooler weather.  I have not yet put the feather doona on the bed – we have a cotton blanket and lightweight polyfill doona at the moment.

The weather is still quite warm at the moment but we will make gradual changes as needed.

What seasonal changes do you make?

Project 333 – Wardrobe Gaps

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There is nothing like a change in the weather to help identify gaps in the collection of clothes.  After a long, hot summer that I thought would never end, the weather has turned quite cool.

My cool season selection is somewhat depleted with the departure of three tops at the end of last winter.

2012-08-11 05I had this red/white striped 3/4 sleeved one as well as two black/white ones of the same style.  They were at the end of their life so I wore them to death on our holidays and then sent them to the op shop when we arrived home.  However, I have yet to replace them.

I am not sure what I want so I expect I will need to make a concerted effort and have a look around.  I also need another pair of trousers for work as I have one pair of black trousers.

Then there is the small matter of a coat.  I have a long, navy overcoat which is over 20 years old but in perfect condition.  It is more than I need in Queensland so I am thinking of parting with it and getting something more suitable.  I envisage a hip-length coat, preferably charcoal grey or black.

I have been so busy at work for the past couple of weeks that I have barely had time to keep up with the basics of washing and cooking, let alone considering changes to my wardrobe.  I hope to make time this weekend to look carefully at what I have and what I need.

Just Another Day………..

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You may or may not have noticed the lack of ‘Sew My Stash Sunday’ post yesterday.  There was not much use posting as I had not done any sewing.

A busy week at work followed by gardening on Saturday and guests for lunch on Sunday put sewing firmly on the backburner this week.

Today was not quite ‘just another day at the office’ as it was my birthday and of course that was a great excuse to have cake for morning tea.

2015-04-20 01GMan happened to have the day off today so it was lovely to come home to dinner prepared and ready to be served.

I am feeling very loved thanks to all the messages, phone calls and cards from my family and friends.

Salvaged and Spread

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Now that the weather has finally moderated it is a great time to be out in the garden.

2015-04-18 01We took the ute up to the neighbour’s place to collect the first of 2 loads of mulch that they had kindly offered to us.  This was from when they had some trees trimmed and mulched about a month ago.  Although we have had some light rain in the past day or two the ground was not too wet and GMan was able to bring the ute close to where we wanted to use the mulch.

The newspaper collection has been replenished somewhat, thanks to the generosity of friends and also some that GMan collected from his office.

2015-04-18 02Once again, the newspaper and mulch covered pretty much the same area.  We now have more than half of the front garden deeply mulched.

2015-04-18 03Here are the first of the sweet pea seedling peeking their heads through the soil.  There are also some almost microscopic seedlings which I suspect are the snapdragon or heartsease that I sprinkled in front of the sweet peas.  I am very excited at the prospect of growing some old-fashioned flowers.

2015-04-18 04These are some of the flowers on one of the hibiscus shrubs in the front garden.  It is in the part that is yet to be mulched.

2015-04-18 05It was 4.30pm and I had just finished photographing the garden handiwork when I noticed that this sunshower.  It is the regular rain and relatively warm climate that we enjoy which keeps everything lush and green.  Of course, the rich, volanic soil helps, too.