In Australia a duvet is called a doona. I don’t know why, we just had to be different on that one. They say a rose by any other name smells just as sweet. Well in my, not so humble opinion, I’m here to tell you that the duvet, or doona, or whatever name you give it, is just frustrating!

When I was a child our beds were made using two flat sheets, blankets, a bedspread, and perhaps an Eiderdown for extra winter warmth. The sheets, both top and bottom were washed weekly.

In the pursuit of easier bed making, a few things have changed over the years. The bottom sheet is now fitted, and I love that – providing the sheet is big enough to fit the mattress. So far, I’ve not had much success with any sheets other than Sheridan. All other cotton fitted sheets are a fraction to small to easily be fitted over the mattress. I’ve just purchased some Aldi, hotel quality, cotton sheets but haven’t used them yet – fingers crossed that they’ll be a good fit. The top sheet, the blankets, and the bedspread seems to have been replaced by the doona and its cover. I think the idea was for bed making to be easier, and also to be less weighty. Perhaps less weighty wasn’t such a good idea though as I notice weighted blankets are now a popular addition to the bed making process. Whoever sold the idea of a doona being easier could have sold ice to an eskimo. It may be slightly easier each day to make the bed, but when you factor in trying to get the doona into its cover, it’s definitely not easier.

There are numerous tutorials on how to easily fit a doona inside it’s cover, and it possibly is easy to do if you’re 6’ 6” tall. OK, I know some shorter people seem to manage ok too, but I’m definitely not one of them. As fitting the cover was such a frustrating exercise for me, I kept my top sheet. That way my cover didn’t need to be washed weekly, but still the doona would screw up inside the cover and look an unsightly mess. I ended up using the doona as a blanket, and the cover as a bedspread. Now I’m back to using wool blankets and a bedspread (coverlet) in our bedroom. However, I do use doonas in the caravan, but to make the job slightly easier I use two singles . I’ve just finished putting them into freshly washed covers. it took me the better part of half an hour to do it, and prompted this post.

I know some people, like me, still use a top sheet, but many just use their cover. I wonder if the cover gets washed each week like a top sheet gets washed, or is that just to hard. Hotels, in the pursuit of time management, couldn’t seem to perfect fitting the doona inside a cover. instead they often now use triple sheeting, a method of bed making that uses a fitted sheet over the mattress, and then a flat sheet either side of the doona to mimic a doona cover. I love that idea, but I didn’t want crisp white as my top layer, and couldn’t find any other sheet that I liked the look of for my top layer.

• 

• 

Hence, I bit the bullet, depleted the bank account, and lashed out on good wool blankets, a coverlet, a good set of Sheridan Millenia sheets, and two throws for added warmth when needed. It’s easy to make, easily suited to summer or winter by the addition or subtraction of a one or both of the wool blankets. In the middle of summer the coverlet with the two throws is plenty. I like the way its always smooth, without the bunched up look that happens with a doona.

And now that i’ve had that little whinge and got that off my chest, its just about time to snuggle down under those blankets and get some sleep……good-night! zzzzzzz