We finally fitted the shower awning - I'm so happy with the sand colour which matches the colour scheme. It's very practical as well, of course, and pretty well made for Kickass - one of those cheap competitive camping brands in Australia. We did use acetone to get the logo off the awning cover as whilst 'kickass' might be fine in Australia, we didn't think it was polite for overseas. Maybe it doesn't matter, but we didn't like it.

The next step was making the thermal blinds, which wasn't particularly easy - if you know me, you'll know how much I hate sewing! But they'll be a necessary thing in colder weather - and hotter weather.

The idea was fairly simple - use cheap windshields from Kmart ($4 each, meaning each screen cost about $4), and some carpet underlay we had sandwiched between. The stitching would create little bubbles or air pockets that would create further insulation. To hold it all together was just about running stitches in lines one way, then the other, creating a diamond pattern.

It was pretty hard to be honest, as the silver material keeping causing the sewing machine foot to slip, so some of my diamonds were a bit wonky. It really was a DIY effort and I'd much rather pay someone for the fancy seven layer insulative blinds, but they cost about $300 so I wanted to save some money. Besides, the closest person to us who could do them had a ten week lead time - no way! We needed them done before we put in on a boat next Friday.

It wasn't a bad project to do on a day like today - it's been raining all day after a 35 degree scorcher, and is too wet to do anything else. Besides, I have to wait for my foot to heal before I can go surfing anyway. That didn't stop me getting really, really grumpy as things always go wrong with sewing machines and I hate sewing with an utter passion, even if it is in straight lines.

Hopefully this will keep things a little warmer or cooler in the Land Rover and make our travels a little more comfortable. They'll store folded in the pockets behind the back seat. They aren't the most compact things but we'll manage.

The trickiest ones were actually the side windows as they are an odd shape, and with the knobs on those old windows, I had to sew some cut outs for them to go through. That'll give one attachment point. I did try new earth magnets but they weren't strong enough to grip, so I've devised an elastic which will zig zag from some lower screws on the door frame and up to the circle knob and down again, holding it in place. NOt the most elegant solution but it'll do.

I tell you what I'm glad it's over. I could finally put the sewing machine neatly away, give the place a good vaccum and a mop - which led to some more rainy day things like vinegar wipe the front windows and get rid of cobwebs. It has made ma bit grumpy though - sewing does that.

With Love,

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