The saga of the quilt.
The saga of the quilt had actually started some weeks before. My Dad and I during lockdown have been cleaning cupboards and being ruthless. Chucking out what was not needed or had never been used! What my Dad didn’t expect was to find quilts (doonas as the Aussies call them) in every room. Not just one, but lightweight ones, heavyweight ones and every weight in between.
While I am sure under his breath he was silently cursing my mum for buying them, I tried to explain.
Double bed = queen size doona.
Queen bed = king size doona.
At first he didn’t understand why we had to have different sizes to the beds but a cold beer for Dad, a bit of explanation about having plenty of quilt to snuggle in…all was good.
Early May, I caved in and put the quilt on my bed. Ok, so it wasn’t winter yet but the temperature had dropped below twenty (cue hysterical laughter from English friends!) and the need for a quilt was paramount. I dragged the quilt out of the cupboard and then remembered that the bedding that was on the bed now was a different size. I needed a king size set to make this quilt fit properly. Choices, choices. I had four sets to choose from having brought my bedding from my last house. So full bed change it was.
I laid the quilt on the bed and roughly laid the cover over. “Yep all good” I said to myself, not convinced. Well, I went for it anyway. My method…turn the cover inside out. Hands in the cover. Grab the quilt with the corners. Shake. That’s the way my mum taught me. Make it sound as easy as making a cup of tea don’t I! I shook it, I pulled it. I did everything including literally crawling in the cover with the quilt. Lets just say I should have trusted my “not convinced” thought from earlier. I had done everything except check the quilt label.
Whether it is just me I don’t know, but I have a thing about making sure the quilt label is bottom right. Now I am sounding like Monica from Friends (some of you will get that reference). I couldn’t settle as it didn’t seem to be going right so I yanked (take note that I yanked and not pulled!) the quilt out and started again. I laid out the quilt on the bed, label in the right place, quilt out straight, minimise any potential issues. I turned the cover inside out again and was ready to go.
As I shook the quilt into the cover I had that inane sense of dread where something tells you that it is in the wrong way. Your eyes tell you its all good but your brain plays tricks on you! Its almost as if a voice in your head is saying “go on then, it ain’t gonna fit but you carry on. Give it a try there!!”. I gritted my teeth and kept shaking this thing. It took a bit of shaking from each corner, after all, I only have little arms! But I made it and the quilt rested comfortably.
Now I have the quilt I am resting comfortably too. I don’t think I realised how chilly I had been for a few nights but to use a sad old cliche, I slept like a baby! Quilt remains in place now until mid-Spring comes to call. We are now in the midst of June. July and August move us deeper into Winter. I don’t mind cold at times. Menopause and hot flushes made cold pleasurable!! But curling up under the quilt, accompanied by a good book………I could foresee many good nights sleep ahead of me.
