Common Hours

A quilt on the roof line

Washing day for the heavy things. The red quilt takes the whole line and most of the afternoon sun.

A deep red hand-stitched quilt pinned to a clothesline on a sunny rooftop, its shadow falling on the tiles.

The quilt was stitched by hand a long time ago, by someone who expected it to be washed like this: slowly, in the sun, with patience.

The ritual

TakesTwenty minutes, then the afternoon
NeedsFour pegs, a dry forecast, the roof key
WhenThe first dry Monday of the month

How it goes

  1. Check the forecast for four clear hours before starting the wash.
  2. Carry the quilt up folded so the hem stays off the stairs.
  3. Peg it at the corners and the middle, stitched side facing out.
  4. Turn it once at two o’clock, and bring it in before the shadow reaches the wall.

The shadow on the tiles is the clock. When it reaches the parapet wall, the quilt is dry.

Kept with: ,