Bed making

August 25, 2020

After a six- or seven-week hiatus, it seems I should have something a little more interesting than bed making to post about. 

But it has been a quiet summer. No vacations or travel plans, no concerts in the park, no big get-togethers. It sure has been a strange year, and things are still quite uncertain. So much turmoil and confusion. I've been reading very light, old-timey fiction and watching Hallmark movies when the news gets to be too much. And trying to rest and trust in the One Who has all things under control.

Speaking of resting, haha, I want to show you our new bedding arrangement. I'm not exactly sold on this, but my husband likes it, and there are some definite pros.

I thought about gussying up the pillows and my nightstand for this photo, but decided just to show you what it really looks like on a day-to-day basis.

The biggest change is not using a top sheet. This is just a fitted bottom sheet and a light down alternative blanket on top. It's super easy to make a bed like this. I wash the fitted sheet and pillowcases every week and flip the blanket over for the second week and wash it every other week.

I made this change mostly because my husband is a hot sleeper and has never liked tucked in sheets at his feet. Sometimes I put an extra throw on my side of the bed if I need extra warmth. In the winter of course we'll have a heavier comforter (not too heavy for him!) and I will probably wear socks.

The down side for me is that I love the cozy feeling of being tucked in. I'm getting used to it, though, and love how easy it is to make the bed.

I understand this no-top-sheet thing is popular in Europe and in Scandinavia. When my sister went to Iceland with her family, she and her husband slept on a bed that had only a bottom sheet and two twin comforters, one for each of them. I might try that this winter, with a heavy comforter for me and a lighter one for my husband.

You can see we have different pillow preferences too. I like a tiny little one under my head and a squishy one to hug.

Do any of you sleep without a top sheet? Or have any other non-traditional ways of making the bed?

I keep thinking I've done all the decluttering I can. But look what I came up with in the past few months during our lockdown. I finally was able to schedule a pick up by the Vietnam Veterans Association.

All this decluttering over the past five years or so, and I still have lots of stuff. I'm not a minimalist, although I love to read those blogs for inspiration. I still have hundreds and hundreds of books, dozens of teacups, boxes of old letters and journals . . . 

But I've been really thinking more about getting serious about questioning every. single. purchase. It feels like I've made so many bad purchase decisions and have wasted so much money when I do these decluttering rounds.

I feel I'm even more committed to making much fewer, but better, purchases in the future.

I'm sorry I haven't been around to visit my blog friends this month, and hope to remedy that as soon as I hit publish. Hope you're all staying well.

xo Deborah

18 comments

  1. Dearest Deborah,
    That is strange... you don't mention the contents of your down alternative blanket. Wonder what it is and any synthetic material would cause more 'heat' during the night.
    We use our Caribbean Light down duvet from France, the Yves Delorme brand. But we never use it 'bare'. Nobody in Europe does that. We have a 100% fine woven Egyptian cotton down duvet cover over it that we change and launder. Fitted or flat sheets for the bottom and this kind of bedding is real easy to make.
    We both love the fact that all the Hyatt hotels are also using these light weight down duvets, in-between two sheets. They had those sheets of course and continue using them. Must take more time for making the bed with them.
    About decluttering, we did some more in June when we cleaned out our garage with the pressure washing. The teenage boy (17) who usually helped Pieter was not allowed to be with elderly people (his Mom said so, due to his baby sister!)... So I wore my overall once more and we did it. I also was very firm in getting rid of lots of things. Even taking down the chrome shelving on wheels and trashing that. Yes, we had to as a nasty neighboring cat had come in numerous times to pee on them, causing nasty rust spots. Oh and the smell. He was never neutered and when we complained about him coming inside our home, the owner said he would take him to the vet. But we both have been suspicious that this Russian Blue was not his and it might have been chipped and thus he could not take it to the vet... or else they would trace the original owner.
    Pieter was working outside and he told me he heard several gun shots and since then we have not seen this cat... Sad and horrible ending but some people don't have any heart.
    Our kitties are very well behaved and only use their litter box in the garage IF it pours 'cats and dogs'...
    Still need to sort through lots of old mushroom magazines that I want to bring to the recycling center. One cannot hang on to everything. It is all so heavy and bulk.
    Guess this period did bring us all more together as a family and doing more things that got done traditionally. That is positive. Looking forward to better times though, with less restrictions and more freedom. This election virus will last still a while to come...
    Sending you hugs,
    Mariette

    PS So disappointed in my graphic designer that let me down. She went on vacation, leaving me a note that the file for the eBook she would get done upon her return. She lives in England and went to Germany, back on August 14. So I uploaded both the hardback and the paperback files but postponed the release date to August 17, hoping it would be the time to also have the eBook file. Nothing last week, but a note telling me she ran into a problem with the tables and had to convert them for the eBook file and said on Monday or Tuesday I would get the final file. Nothing... I'm boring my readers with the Editorial Reviews that I used for the book but I hate this being put on hold. Can't make any appointment for my cataract surgery yet and numerous other things. Want this to be DONE and move on with our life. Aside from having been productive during this period, which was good, this long, long wait because of others is not good. Also due to Pieter's health and age.

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  2. My kids drove me nuts when they were growing up. Both of them would not use their top sheet. From their youngest days they would push the sheet all the way to the foot of the bed and used the comforter to cover with. I am such a sheet girl. My point is they would love this idea. I am glad you didn't fluff the area for a blog picture. I like to see real life. I too have been on a decluttering mission for far too long. Each year I find more. I guess I will get it done one day. It is much like a letting go of things. I have definitely put a stop on bringing more in. If I see something I think I need I try to give myself 24 hours before buying and most of the time I decide I didn't need it. My books are something I don't think I will part with. The kids will just have to get rid of them:)

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  3. I haven't blogged either in over a month nor have I done any visiting, until now. Hubby was on vacation and I took that time to just relax.

    We are all so different! I can't imagine sleeping without a top sheet and blankets over me. In fact, I can't sleep without them. When I took my nurse's training, I was taught to make hospital corners and I still do to this day. I have to have everything tucked in and tidy. Drives my hubby crazy! I just tell him to be thankful this is my only fault. ;-) Hugs, Sandi

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  4. This is the first time I've heard of a no-top sheet. If this makes it easier for me to make my bed in the morning, I'm willing to give it a try!

    Great job on the decluttering! I think I've mentioned this before, but I have minimalist tendencies. I'm proud to say that I've gone more than 2 months without buying new teas. Woo-hoo! I am planning to buy some autumn teas (it's going to be a tough winter!), but I'm trying to sip down as many teas to balance things out.

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  5. We use top and bottom sheets. I love the feeling of them. When we travel in Europe we often have beds with a fitted bottom sheet and twin duvet covers side by side. They are lovely, but very warm. I find even the summer weight ones too warm and end up taking the duvet out and just using the cover as a light blanket. I find putting a duvet back into the cover much more work than making a bed with a top sheet.

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  6. Most people who don't use sheets would use a cover for the duvet here in the UK. I am a fan of sheets and thankfully so is hubby but we do have different opinions on the pillows. I prefer feather pillows. Take care.

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  7. Oh, it is always such a joy to see one of your posts in our inbox! I am so excited to see all the stuff you are continuing to let go of - the joy it brings is untold and such a blessing. We are doing the same and are now tackling a project I have long put off - our many, many photo albums. They are SO heavy. The Lord is helping us to let go of so many photos to lighten our load. We don't want to digitize them altogether because we enjoy being able to hold an album in our hands and flip the pages together and remember. But, we are letting go of all photos that bring back bad memories and vex our spirits. Then, when we are finished, we have an underbed crate full of loose photos that we have to do the same and then will incorporate all the loose ones into the empty slots in the photo albums. This all happened after my dear husband recently hurt his back lifting that loose photo crate when we had new carpet laid and had to move everything. It is SO extremely heavy and made me realize that this can't be put off any longer. So, that is where we are now, and the amazing thing is that this is very therapeutic. There are just things that shouldn't be remembered, and seasons that shouldn't be revisited if they cause pain and distress while looking at a photo. Anyhow, I loved your post today and also love the clean look of your bed. It is funny you brought this up because our son doesn't like the top sheet and always takes it off when I do laundry and put it back on, so I finally gave in and realized we don't have to do things just because society dictates we do! If he doesn't want the top sheet, he doesn't want the top sheet, and there is no "sheet police" coming around to make sure we do things like they have always been done. LOL! I say do what makes you most comfortable through this earthly pilgrimage, ever with Heaven in view. :) Sending much love and hugs your way today. You are such a blessing to me.

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  8. Lovely to see you, Deborah. I grew up not having a top sheet on my bed; we used duvet covers on the quilts that got washed regularly along with the bottom sheet and pillowslips. But I do like a top sheet so we use one nowadays. But hubby needs his feet free so we don't tuck the top sheet under anymore, just leave it loose. Thankfully we're not restless sleepers, for the most part, so the bedding is pretty much in the the place when we wake up. So it's still easy for making up the bed in the morning. (Thank you for just showing us the every day look of your intimate space.)

    Wishing you a beautiful day...
    Brenda
    xox



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  9. In our house it's fitted bottom sheet, untucked top sheet and bedspread (actually an empty duvet cover). In the winter we add a blanket and nothing ever gets tucked in. It's real easy to make the bed.
    Theresa in Tucson

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  10. It's so nice to hear from you. We are still decluttering here too. We've been pulling boxes of old stuff out of the attic and sorting to donate and throw away. That feels good! And you are doing great! We sleep with only a top sheet on us in the summer months and then add a lightweight blanket when the weather cools. And we both sleep with 2 pillows....I didn't know so many others did that! Fun post! Your bed looks so pretty and neat.

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  11. GOod to hear from you, Deborah! I love reading what you're up to insofar as decluttering and minimizing, in general. We are 1 yr into living in 50% space, and I'm doing pretty well keeping the clutter at bay. I could definitely go through my closet (and Mr. P.'s - he's asked me to help him) again, and will...eventually. Through the pandemic I have whittled my vintage inventory once the antique mall reopened mid-May (a good thing, and although I've replenished some, it's manageable). More importantly, I've helped a brother go through 11 yrs of stuff, eliminating 2 storage units, additionally clearing a garage, and making his home feel more comfortable at this point in his life. It's felt very rewarding. I made a pledge last year after going through it that I would help my siblings when they needed and wanted the help. He's 1 of 8 to go, lol.

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  12. It's so nice to hear from you Deborah. This is the first summer that we did not take a vacation and staying home to be careful. I like how you set up the bed. When we went a few years ago to visit my husband's aunt and uncle who live in Switzerland. They only use the fitted sheet and a duvet blanket. I like that idea and it seems much easier to make a bed. I do decluttering from time to time and it always makes me happy when I do it. Take care and be well.

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  13. Hi! Good to hear from you again. My husband, too, will not use a top sheet and since I could take it or leave it, we do not use one on our bed. I make my bed by pulling up the folded bedspread from the end of our bed, then arranging a few decorative pillows at the top to make it look pretty. We each have our own blanket that I fold and put in a basket during the day. At night when I turn down the bed, I grab our blankets and toss them on the bed for each of us. My bed looks beautiful when made, it's quick and easy, and we are both happy with our own blanket. This only took thirty years to work out! LOL

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  14. I also slowed down on my blogging -- no worries. I'm back at it now, but really needed a brain break.
    It is hard to realize you've acquired so much stuff you hardly needed. Try thinking of it this way: you supported the economy with those purchases, and you gave some people employment, which is a really important thing! It's not all wasted :)
    Regarding the bed, I have never slept without a top sheet, but I do seem to recall, many years ago when I was in Europe, that they preferred a bed with a duvet and duvet cover (with buttons, and the pillowcases were like mini duvet covers, also having button closures). Then they would wash the duvet cover (which was about the same weight as a sheet) and the down duvet itself did not need to be washed often at all. I considered that very fancy and French!
    Good job on the continued decluttering!

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  15. How interesting, I could never sleep without a top sheet, but that's just me. We have a top sheet, and two blankets year around. We turn the a/c down to 65 in the summer and the heat down to 65 in the winter. We like a cold house to sleep in so we can cover up. I love heavy cover and use a weighted blanket across my feet in the winter. Different strokes for different folks. So good to visit with you.

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  16. Your bed looks so cozy and inviting Deborah! My husband and I both sleep with a bottom and top sheet, and tucked in, that's fine for us. But I know that everyone has different preferences, and you have to find what works best for you! It's cold here in the winter, and so we use an electric heating blanket in the winter months. It is just cozy to crawl into a warm bed :) I trust that you are doing well and enjoying some beautiful Fall weather... it has been beautiful here :) Many blessings to you!

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  17. Oh, we'd never survive without a top sheet but that's just our preference. We have a top sheet and two blankets and in the winter I'll have a weighted blanket across my feet and legs. We keep our house at around 65 degrees all year long. Always enjoy your posts. Happy fall!

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  18. I adore a well made bed but haven't had one in years...since dogs. I know some find it terrible but since Dave's death, the puppies sleep in bed with me and, mostly, on top of me. One will use me as her pillow and the other will sleep with her back against my back and the room is kept at about 66 degrees F. My bed clothes are pure cotton, sheets, duvet, while blankets are wool made from my sheep. My nightgowns are either flannel or cotton. The household is beyond casual; I'm watching the kitten pat at the fireplace screen as the flames capture her attention. Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm

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