Anna and Table Runner

The table runner's batting is a layer of flannelette, and then it's backed with an African fabric. With a shortage of table space, Anna has decided to lay hers out on the cement porch of the big house before pin-basting the layers together. This photo was taken yesterday morning, early in the day, when a cardigan was advisable. It reached 40 C. by 3 o'clock the same day! Thankfully it begins cooling down when the sun sets, and there is often a bit of a breeze that appears at about the same time of day. Not every day is a wonderful day, and yesterday was a tad frustrating. There are four women who are still having trouble with a quarter inch seam allowance, and one in particular who seems to get worse and worse the more we correct her. I have talked to them about the need for "good quality", but sometimes it seems there is a gap in understanding that can't be explained in words. It's then that I remember that for these women, making a table mat is the difference between being able to feed their families or not. Which sometimes results in their less-than-careful sewing. They can practically see the shillings piling up each time they complete an item, and no-one wants to get left behind.