Who knew doona covering was a “thing”? By Miriam Strickland
POST readers may recall previous references to my membership of Toastmasters, the “club for leaders and communicators.” As members, we select a “pathway” from the website and complete a set of projects of gradually increasing complexity, culminating in a major project which might be to deliver a keynote-type speech at a club meeting, or lead a team of fellow members in organizing and running an event.
Among the projects in the early part of each pathway is one entitled “Research and Present”. The Toastmaster member researches a topic of their choosing and presents their findings in a short speech to their club. I’m at different stages on three different pathways but on one of them, “Research and Present” is my next project.
POST readers may recall previous references to my membership of Toastmasters, the “club for leaders and communicators.” As members, we select a “pathway” from the website and complete a set of projects of gradually increasing complexity, culminating in a major project which might be to deliver a keynote-type speech at a club meeting, or lead a team of fellow members in organizing and running an event.
Among the projects in the early part of each pathway is one entitled “Research and Present”. The Toastmaster member researches a topic of their choosing and presents their findings in a short speech to their club. I’m at different stages on three different pathways but on one of them, “Research and Present” is my next project.
What topic to research? I was pondering this question recently on a day which happened to be our “change the bed linen” day, and it was Pauline’s turn. My ponderings were interrupted by utterances emerging from the bedroom that turned the air blue. Fitted sheet, easily on; pillow cases, no problem. But doona cover? A source of immense frustration apparently, causing explosive cursing and swearing until eventually tamed. Whenever it’s Pauline’s turn it sounds as though she’s wrestling a Sumo, and losing.
I have no idea what Pauline is trying to do and why the task seems to enrage her so. I’m not game to go anywhere near to find out. Even worse would be to mention my awareness of her struggle and offer helpful suggestions for methods that seem to work for other people. Not being a Sumo myself, I prefer not to risk being on the receiving end.
While this was going on I recalled a very dear friend of mine who used to make me laugh out loud with his unique doona-covering style. He would grasp the two top corners of the doona and tuck them inside into the corresponding corners of the cover. Next, he would stand up inside the cover, (it helps being 180cm tall) lifting the corners of both doona and cover in his raised fists. The cover obligingly dropped down over the doona, so all that he only had to bend over to lower the top corners to the floor, holding the rest of the doona in place on his back, then shimmy backwards out of the cover leaving the doona neatly spread inside its cover on the floor. Not on the bed: that would have meant standing on the unstable mattress to execute the manoeuvre then step backwards off the bed at the end. OH&S says no.
Myself, I have a different method again, but by now I had my Research and Present topic. To the computer next, to do some more research.
I had no idea doona covering was a “thing”. But indeed, here I found two more “easy” ways to get the job done.
Sounding like the popular Japanese fast food item, the “California Roll” method actually looks pretty tricky to me, and best done with an assistant. Something about laying the doona out on the bed, then laying the cover, inside out, on top of it. Or maybe the other way round, I’d have to check, and the correct order is crucial.
It then goes something like this: Grasping both doona and cover by the top corners, you roll both from the top down to the bottom, forming the eponymous roll. Next, grab the upper edge of the cover opening, and, with its corresponding doona end, roll them together back up again so that the outside of the cover emerges wrapped neatly around the doona, which finishes up laid out with top edge at the head of the bed. Finally, fasten the opening of the cover. I haven’t tried it yet, and if it needs an assistant I won’t be keen to ask Pauline…if anything started to go haywire the expletives could aggravate my reflux.
Another method was labelled the “classic” or “traditional”. Here we lay the cover, inside out, on the bed, closed end to the head. Next lay the doona on top of it. Grasp the top corners of both doona and cover, hold tight, then flip the cover. Still holding the corners up, give the whole lot a shake and the outside of the cover will now be draped correctly over the doona, ready for the bottom edge to be secured. Rather like my good friend’s method, I noted, except that you wind up outside not inside the cover, removing the need for the backward shimmy. Effective, but less amusing to observers and it would still help to be 180cm tall.
I’m quite happy with my method, which seems to me simple, requiring minimal gymnastic expertise, and which I can assure you is manageable even by someone only 159cm in stature. I insert one of the top doona corners into the corresponding corner of the cover and repeat on the other side. Next, with one hand working from inside the cover, feed one side of the doona progressively along the corresponding seam of the cover while grasping the filled cover from the outside with the other hand to keep the doona aligned; repeat on the other side and close the opening. Finally, pick up the doona from one side of the bed and give it a flick to ensure even distribution of doona within cover, mission accomplished.
No doubt there are other ways to fit a cover onto a doona, but here we have a number to choose from and should you venture to explore, I wish you smooth sailing and a calm cohabitant.
Or we could all revert to sheets and blankets.
I have no idea what Pauline is trying to do and why the task seems to enrage her so. I’m not game to go anywhere near to find out. Even worse would be to mention my awareness of her struggle and offer helpful suggestions for methods that seem to work for other people. Not being a Sumo myself, I prefer not to risk being on the receiving end.
While this was going on I recalled a very dear friend of mine who used to make me laugh out loud with his unique doona-covering style. He would grasp the two top corners of the doona and tuck them inside into the corresponding corners of the cover. Next, he would stand up inside the cover, (it helps being 180cm tall) lifting the corners of both doona and cover in his raised fists. The cover obligingly dropped down over the doona, so all that he only had to bend over to lower the top corners to the floor, holding the rest of the doona in place on his back, then shimmy backwards out of the cover leaving the doona neatly spread inside its cover on the floor. Not on the bed: that would have meant standing on the unstable mattress to execute the manoeuvre then step backwards off the bed at the end. OH&S says no.
Myself, I have a different method again, but by now I had my Research and Present topic. To the computer next, to do some more research.
I had no idea doona covering was a “thing”. But indeed, here I found two more “easy” ways to get the job done.
Sounding like the popular Japanese fast food item, the “California Roll” method actually looks pretty tricky to me, and best done with an assistant. Something about laying the doona out on the bed, then laying the cover, inside out, on top of it. Or maybe the other way round, I’d have to check, and the correct order is crucial.
It then goes something like this: Grasping both doona and cover by the top corners, you roll both from the top down to the bottom, forming the eponymous roll. Next, grab the upper edge of the cover opening, and, with its corresponding doona end, roll them together back up again so that the outside of the cover emerges wrapped neatly around the doona, which finishes up laid out with top edge at the head of the bed. Finally, fasten the opening of the cover. I haven’t tried it yet, and if it needs an assistant I won’t be keen to ask Pauline…if anything started to go haywire the expletives could aggravate my reflux.
Another method was labelled the “classic” or “traditional”. Here we lay the cover, inside out, on the bed, closed end to the head. Next lay the doona on top of it. Grasp the top corners of both doona and cover, hold tight, then flip the cover. Still holding the corners up, give the whole lot a shake and the outside of the cover will now be draped correctly over the doona, ready for the bottom edge to be secured. Rather like my good friend’s method, I noted, except that you wind up outside not inside the cover, removing the need for the backward shimmy. Effective, but less amusing to observers and it would still help to be 180cm tall.
I’m quite happy with my method, which seems to me simple, requiring minimal gymnastic expertise, and which I can assure you is manageable even by someone only 159cm in stature. I insert one of the top doona corners into the corresponding corner of the cover and repeat on the other side. Next, with one hand working from inside the cover, feed one side of the doona progressively along the corresponding seam of the cover while grasping the filled cover from the outside with the other hand to keep the doona aligned; repeat on the other side and close the opening. Finally, pick up the doona from one side of the bed and give it a flick to ensure even distribution of doona within cover, mission accomplished.
No doubt there are other ways to fit a cover onto a doona, but here we have a number to choose from and should you venture to explore, I wish you smooth sailing and a calm cohabitant.
Or we could all revert to sheets and blankets.