Friday 26 July 2024

Weekly Dispatch 26th July 2024

 Hello Friday!!!

Another week of Amazing Quilts and Laundry Bags being sent off to our ADF pers!!

I think we can all agree, a great display of quilts and laundry bags, yet again from our amazing volunteers....

Please enjoy!!!

🌟 🌟 🌟

This week we dispatched 11 Quilts which takes our yearly total to 474 and our grand total to 16,497!!

We dispatched 31 Laundry Bags which takes our yearly total to 744 and our grand total is 35,151!!

Belinda P

Belinda P

Emma G

Kirsten O, quilted by Philomena

Kirsten O, quilted by Philomena

Lynn K

Lynn K

Moira M

Marilyn S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Ruth S

Sue N

Swanky G

Swanky G

Swanky G

Sylvia and the Chocolyn Laughalot Ladies

Cheryl F

Deni G with embroideries by Inge C

Ellen N

Janis K

Jenny N

Lyn R

Lyn R

Michelle T

Pennie T

Sally R

Su J

Su J
🧵🦘🇦🇺🪡

Tuesday 23 July 2024

Grati-Tuesday 23rd July 2024

Happy Tuesday Friends!


 Hope you week is going well. 

I am scrambling to get a quilt done before someone deploys so I am sewing before and after work.  Silly me for picking a fiddly pattern but is looking pretty good so far! 

We have another lot of beautiful messages from far and wide and some awesome images, so grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well deserved gratitude. 

Only 94 sleeps away until the Thank You dinner.

...

Dear Gayle W, 

I had the pleasure this week of taking stewardship of the phenomenal quilt you have made. Upon opening the package, I was immediately impressed with the craftwork, skill and attention to detail you have put into making my quilt. I adore the use of colour, patterns and animals you’ve been able to include. I also enjoyed reading your letter and getting to know the kind soul that has volunteered their time and resources to create this artwork for an unknown member of the Australian Defence Force

I hope your trip to PNG was excellent, I’ve not been there. It is an excellent endeavour to retrace the military steps people within our family have taken to appreciate their service. I have completed a similar pilgrimage to northern Finland (Lapland) to retrace my Grandfather’s service during WWII. My grandfather never spoke about his service to anyone in the family, so we only have his service records and unit history books to refer to gain any insights into where he went and the devastation they experienced.

 

I work in an Aviation Safety role here in South Sudan as part of Operation Aslan, which is a challenging yet rewarding deployment. South Sudan is the world’s youngest country, only splitting from Sudan in 2011.  There is a severe lack of infrastructure from many previous decades in South Sudan, and in the rainy season (now) all the dirt roads turn to mud, and transporting food or any other aid around the country relies upon aircraft. So I am here to ensure those aviation operations are conducted as safely as possible.

 

Again, I thank you for the kindest gift of my very own Aussie Hero Quilt, and if you don’t mind it is still too new to see service on my bed, and will be proudly displayed on the bleak metal wall next to my bed. It will remain as a cherished item throughout my career.

 

Kind Regards,

...

Good Morning Aussie Hero Quilts,


I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible support AHQ provide to Defence personnel through your beautiful handmade quilts. Your dedication and effort in creating these comforting pieces mean the world to those of us serving on operations far from home.

 

Your quilts are more than just fabric and thread; they are a tangible reminder of the love and support from back home. They bring warmth, comfort, and a sense of connection that helps us through challenging times.

 

Your kindness and generosity are truly inspiring, and your work has a profound impact on our morale and well-being.

 

Thank you to all the brilliant quilters. Your support makes a significant difference in our lives, and we are eternally grateful.

 

With heart felt appreciation,

 

Kind regards,

...

Hi Ruth S,

My laundry bag just arrived and it's excellent!

Thank you very much for your hard work on it. Great work capturing all the elements of Solomon Islands and the deployment.

Here's a pic of me, my wife and our dog Enzo with the laundry bag.

We used to live in Adelaide so it was nice to see the bag coming all the way from SA.

It was also nice to get your letter and hear about your background and what led you to making laundry bags. The Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags team does brilliant work.

I look forward to taking the laundry bag with me on future deployments.

Kind regards,


 ...

Hi Kirsten (Bindy) O,

 

Just writing to thank you so very much for the lovely quilt you made for me. It arrived yesterday, and I slept under it last night!! Such a good night’s sleep being able to leave the aircon on!!

 

The colours indeed do add some much needed brightness to my otherwise drab shipping container of a house!! I particularly love the little touches of select African animals. I recently went on safari in Kenya and Zambia for my first leave break, and I never tire of seeing animals in the wild. And Africa is fantastic for such experiences. The quilt is a perfect reminder of these memories.

 

Thank you also for your service. 27 years is a fantastic achievement. Hopefully you can look back on the challenges and opportunities that Army provided and the immense sense of pride in what you achieved, as well as some great stories and friends that you will have for life.

 

The team we have here in South Sudan is one of the best I have worked with over my time in Defence. There are only 14 of us, but everyone is motivated and very much looks out for each other, whilst also being able to crack a joke at all of our expense. Makes my job very easy in reality. Not sure if you have had the opportunity to work with the UN, but this is a different culture that does take some getting used to. My first UN deployment was in 1999, and it is amazing what has changed…and what has not in 24 years!!

 

Thank you again for the lovely quilt, and for the incredible work you and the rest of Aussie Heros Quilts does to support those of us away from family and friends. It is certainly very much appreciated by all of the Australian contingent here in South Sudan.

 

Take care, and I hope the Canberra winter eases up a little soon.

 

Kind regards

...

Dear Emma G,

Thank you for the beautiful laundry bag you made for our son.  I know he deeply appreciates it.  As a family it is so touching to know that members of the community value ADF service.  My son is 3rd generation ADF.  Thank you for all you do.

Kind Regards,

... 

Recently Marg B, Fran T and Jan-Maree B visited the Chaplaincy College in Canberra and presented our latest course members with their personalised laundry bags. There were lots of smiling faces.


...

Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.  

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Monday 22 July 2024

Request List 22 July 2024

Hi All

Hey folks, I have had a few takers but thought I would give you one more chance.

LAST CALL FOR NAME TAGS

They cost $15 each which includes your postage.  Please advise me VIA EMAIL with the subject reading NAME TAGS.  Once I have your email I will send you the bank details so that you can make a bank deposit.  When the badges are ready they will be posted out to you.



Here is the request list for this week.

Happy hunting.  I hope you can find something that tickles your fancy. Some of the requests have quite a bit if detail in their request but most of them are not too difficult once you know what they are asking for and I can give you a lot of help/guidance to make them a lot easier.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you are unsure what someone is asking for. Generally the requests are not as difficult as you might think.

PRIORITY REQUESTS

No particular priority requests this week…. YAY!!  All the requests are listed in priority order if that makes any difference to your selection.

POST BY DATE

The post by date for all Requests on this list is 26 August 24 please, or earlier if you can manage this.  If you cannot make that date, please let me know. Do reach out if you have any timing issues and we’ll resolve one way or the other. In fact, if you are going to be late posting it please let me know BEFORE you post it.  Also, if this time frame is too tight for you, there are options, just email me to discuss, thank you.    

Request Information

When selecting a request, remember, you do not have to include everything they have asked for. Footy quilts do not need to have the logo or even the team’s name. Using the team colours is all that is required. Simple is perfectly acceptable.  A number of these requests have given you favourite colours as well as footy teams or other hobbies and interests. It is fine to make a quilt using their favourite colours but please include at least one of their interests.  It is fine to keep it simple. 

If there is more than one request on this list that you would be happy to do I suggest that you send me a list of requests and tell me how many you want to be allocated….i.e. one of the following please….  There are always a few requests that everyone wants to do (and I can never pick them) so if the first one you ask for is taken then I can allocate another from your list if I have a list. 

Any queries you might have, please don’t hesitate to contact via the AHQ email as per usual with any queries and we will assist you from there.  We may not know the answer, but it will be our pleasure to research and get back to you.   

A reminder, when you are ready to post the quilt or laundry bag you’ve created, please use the PMKEYS number given you in any correspondence with the admin team.  This helps the volunteer admin team keep a track of what’s been sent etc.  The PMKEYS number is included in the address details we supply for your recipient e.g.  the 7-digit number in bold below. 

CPL Wanda Quilt 8765432 

TG 3456 

AFPO XX 

ADF 

Sydney NSW 2890

Also, please use the Aussie Heroes PO Box address on your parcel in the event the parcel is Returned to Sender -  the PO Box is a safe place in the event of  any mishaps with postage. 

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) 

PO Box 248,

Cherrybrook, NSW 2126 

Don’t forget to take a photo of your completed quilt or laundry bag to email to AHQ with the name and PMKEYS of the recipient and we can include in the Weekly Dispatches blog and add to the tally of quilts and laundry bags sent off to the troops.  I personally love viewing the photos of those projects dispatched – so inspiring. 

If you are using an AHQ supplied prepaid satchel please kindly use the AHQ address for the return address– also for your own packaging – if a parcel is Returned to Sender it is likely we can expedite its journey to the recipient from Sydney.

Please also please hold on to the Tracking number (the pink sticker that you should remove before posting – we’ve experienced mail delays lately (haven’t we all?) and having the Tracking number is very reassuring to keep an eye on the parcel’s progress in arriving at its destination. 

Don’t forget, if you look at today’s Request List and need help choosing, please feel free to get in touch to discuss, we will be ready to reply and offer guidance by email. Our goal is to help you find a request that you will be comfortable with doing. If you need a crest etc we may be able to post embroideries / printed fabric images or email some of these to you. 

Helpful info may be gleaned here  http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com/2019/07/information-post-for-those-that-sew-for.html    I look forward to seeing the photos of completed quilts and LBs when they are ready to post off. 

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE copy the ENTIRE line if you wish to nominate for a quilt or laundry bag.  

For example…. 

Marvel Theme. Ironman     M       LB      1 

This is really important to make sure that neither you nor I copy the wrong number which could lead to me giving you the wrong details for specific request.  If you find it hard to copy and paste, please copy the line out as above.  

Decoding The Columns 

The first column is the theme or preferences requested. 

The second column indicates the gender of the recipient. 

The third column is as follows. 

B=both quilt and laundry bag (feel free to nominate to JUST do the laundry bag if you wish) 

Q= just a quilt 

LB = just a laundry bag 

F= female 

M= male 

Please let the Admin crew know if you have any other questions....Just email friendsofahq@gmail.com  

Looking forward to seeing what you want to make this week. Happy stitching! 

Cheers, 

Jan-Maree

P.P.S.  Don't forget to check out AHQ on the Blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter


Light blue bag with some baby pink.
RAAOC corps badge, Australian & PNG Flag
Toothless (character from How to train your Dragon movie)
(we can provide the RAAOC badge and PNG flag)

F

LB

1

I bloody love to drink Fruit Tingles so can there be a cocktail on mine with maybe some anime characters. My favourite is Lucille. My mates call me XXXX   so could you put that on my bag too.
(we can provide image of Lucille)

M

LB

2

Creative freedom - something PNG related with a crossed Aus and PNG Flag with text
(we can provide the flags and text)

M

LB

3

Hobbies - Rugby League (St George Dragons - red and white), Golf and Running
Favourite Colour - Red

M

Q

4

ANZAC, Bahrain Flag, Aussie flag,
Motivational sayings,
Beach, Gym ,Crossfit,
Dragonboating (he does not compete now but he used to and enjoyed it),
name  in large bold font,
fav colour teal blue.
If you choose some motivational sayings I can have them embroidered on homespun.

M

LB

5

Golf themed, in green. Please include the callaway logo if possible  (Callaway logo can be printed on fabric for you)

M

LB

6

RAN crest, RAN Marine Technician Rate Badge - Diesel, Rock climbing, Light blue, Nickname
(we can provide the RAN crest and MT-D badge and nickname embroidered)

M

Q

7

Sydney Roosters NRL Team / Chameleons (the animal)

M

Q

8

USA NBA Basketball Team: Houston Rockets

M

Q

9

Red Bull Ampol Racing Team (Supercars)

M

Q

10

RAAF Badge, Royal Australian Air Force theme.
Low vis colours.
(we can provide the RAAF Badge)

M

Q

11

Parramatta Eels/ NRL

M

Q

12

Outdoor, Adventure

M

Q

13

Holden V8 Cars

M

Q

14

St. George Illawarra (NRL)

M

Q

15

Diver theme (we can provide a great dive helmet embroidery and a Clearance Diving Mine Warfare crest)

M

Q

16

Green/black Colour scheme
Supersports bike, camping , crossfit themes

M

Q

17

Navy Crest with text, Navy Theme, FFH/Arunta Crest and theme, Conquer or Die (motto of HMAS Arunta)
(we can provide the Navy crest with text and Arunta crest)

M

Q

18

St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Team, including three different logos
(we can supply the images of logos printed on fabric)

M

Q

19

Camping, reading & dogs

F

Q

20

Brisbane Broncos, Tooheys New, Bull Terriers

M

Q

21

Newcastle Knights NRL Team with Kalyn Ponga in Blue and Red (We can print a small picture of Kalyn Ponga)

M

Q

22

Penrith Panthers NRL team mascot in Black

M

Q

23

New Orleans Saints NFL team

M

Q

24

Sydney Roosters NRL in Blue

M

Q

25

Melbourne Storm NRL team in Purple

M

Q

26

Dark purple background with black pentagram, thorny red roses with a hidden my little pony and surname embroidered or appliqued - I have a picture for inspiration. This is a pattern from a T Shirt.

M

B

27

Sage Green
Camping, 4 wheel driving
German Pointer dogs

F

Q

28

South Sydney Rabbitohs, Clearance Diver Badge
(we can provide a copy of the clearance diver badge)

M

Q

29

RAAF Crest with personal details and dates.
Posting List to be embroidered
Aircraft
Macci
PC9,
FA18
Deployment info
(we can provide an embroidery of the RAAF crest with details and the deployment details. Aircraft silhouettes can be appliqued).

M

Q

30

Solomon Island Flag
Blues, greens and yellows, 
Islander them - native flowers, frangipanis, water, Islands
8/9 RAR BG RAM
Rising Sun
S-I-A-F badge
ZyZZ Jimmy badge
(we can provide the flag, Rising Sun, SIAF, RAM and Jimmy badges)

M

Q

31

Solomon Island Flag
Blues, greens and yellows, 
Islander them - native flowers, frangipanis, water, Islands
8/9 RAR BG RAM
Rising Sun
S-I-A-F badge
ZyZZ Jimmy badge
(we can provide the flag, Rising Sun, SIAF, RAM and Jimmy badges)

M

Q

32

AMCU (Australian Multi-Camouflage Uniform Pattern) with Bottle Green. Rising Sun, 8/9 RAR BG RAM Logo, and Australian Intelligence Corps Badge.
(we can provide the Rising Sun, BG RAM Logo and  Int Corps badge) We can also provide some AMCU Cam to use.

M

Q

33

Solomon Island Flag
Blues, greens and yellows, 
Islander them - native flowers, frangipanis, water, Islands
8/9 RAR BG RAM
Rising Sun
S-I-A-F badge
ZyZZ Jimmy badge
(we can provide the flag, Rising Sun, SIAF, RAM and Jimmy badges)

M

Q

34

Solomon Island Flag - Blues, greens and yellows,  islander them -native flowers / frangipanis, Islander theme, Water / Islands .
With 8/9 RAR BG RAM and an Rising Sun with the S-I-A-F badge.
Moana
The Mulan red dragon
We can provide the Flag, RAM image, Rising Sun and SIAF Badge. Please discuss Moana and Red Dragon with me if you like.

M

Q

35

Solomon Island Flag
Blues, greens and yellows, 
Islander them - native flowers, frangipanis, water, Islands
8/9 RAR BG RAM
Rising Sun
S-I-A-F badge
ZyZZ Jimmy badge
(we can provide the flag, Rising Sun, SIAF, RAM and Jimmy badges)

M

Q

36

Blue and Red 
Golf, Motorcycle riding
Owns a Boxer Dog

M

Q

37

Boatswain Mate(Weapons/ Seamanship)- Black, Gold and Blue.

F

B

38

Pink -
Taylor Swift 
Cats (Siamese)
Snowboarding (snowy mountains, pine trees)

**Multiple preferences/interests offered for variety of inspiration only!  Please feel free to choose any or all of the above.  Thanks so much, very excited to see the final product!

M

Q

39

RACT Corps badge, AFL (Richmond Tigers fan), snow skiing, fishing
(we can supply the RACT badge as an embroidery)

M

Q

40

Donkey Kong (flexing or pounding chest) - image supplied, Donkey Kong barrels and bananas. Jungle themed (we have an image that could be used for inspiration for applique)

M

B

41

36 SQN crest, C-17A silhouette, Shrek, Star Wars and Aussie Animals.
(we can provide the crest and image of C-17A in order to applique)

F

Q

42

36SQN crest, C-17A and 36 SQN Stallion
(we can provide the crest and images of C-17A & stallion in order to applique)

M

LB

43

"1SECFORSQ badge, Coat of Arms & airfield security.  Airfield Defence Guard Theme - we can provide four photos depicting security guards on duty.
(I can send you the badge as well as the four photos)"

M

Q

44

1SECFORSQ badge, Coat of Arms & airfield security.  Airfield Defence Guard Theme - we can provide four photos depicting security guards on duty.
(I can send you the badge as well as the four photos)

M

B

45

1SECFORSQ badge, Coat of Arms & airfield security. 
Airfield Defence Guard Theme - we can provide four photos depicting security guards on duty.
(I can send you the badge as well as the four photos)

M

B

46

1SECFORSQ badge, Coat of Arms & airfield security.  (I can send you the badge and also four photos depicting security guards on duty)

M

B

47

Hatsune Miku (Animegirl), Halo Combat Evolved video game, F22 Fighter jet (ask me if you need help with images for this one)

M

LB

48

Skippy Badge, Battle Group Heeler badge, Brisbane Broncos,  6 RAR theme - the mascot is the blue cattle dog,
(we can supply the two badges)

M

Q

49

Rising Sun,  AAPRS (Australian Army Public Relations Service) badge
Australian & Solomon Islands flags with text "OP LILIA"
Fiji flag with text 'Op Fiji Assist
Ukrainian flag and Ukrainian Trident with text 'Op Kudu
camera gear and a rifle EF88
(we can provide the Rising Sun, the AAPRS badge, text, flags and a silhouette of the rifle for applique)

Q

50

8/9 RAR colours - Slate Grey/Beech Brown
Skippy Badge with 8/9 RAR
Ram Logo
(we can provide the Skippy Badge and Ram Logo)

M

Q

51

Rising Sun, 8/9 RAR BG RAM logo,  Solomon Island Flag
Colours - blue, yellow, green, white and black -native flowers / frangipanis, Water / Islands .
(we can provide the Rising Sun, RAM logo and flag)

Q

52

Sydney Roosters NRL

M

Q

53

Phoenix Design (Fire Mystical)
Text - "Solomon Island 24"
Colours - Purple, Blue, Orange
(we can provide the Phoenix Design image)

M

Q

54

Brisbane Broncos themed

M

Q

55

Batman (but the softer images, like cartoons/logos not too aggressive)
Black, Grey and Yellow – but mainly Black
Text as follows:
Operation Accordion,
rank and name
19 Aug 2020 – 19 Mar 2021

M

Q

56

Star Wars logo and and Ferrari F1 Team logo please

M

Q

57

Submarines and Ice Hockey (we an send you some submarine fabric)

M

Q

58

Rising Sun, Artillery Corps badge, RAAOC Cartoon, 3RAR para wing, Photo of Fergus the DCD. Para Jump instructor, Para Rigger

M

Q

59

Helldivers 2 Malevelon Creek
(have asked member for an image)

M

B

60

RAAF Crest with text, F-111C Aardvark, F/A-18F Superhornet, C-27J Spartan, C-17A Globemaster, and Aviation maintenance symbol
(we can provide an embroidered crest with text, Aviation Maint symbol and images of aircraft in order to applique)

M

B

61

Helldivers 2 malevelon Creek Cape logo
(images are available)

M

B

62

Brisbane Lions Theme

M

Q

63

RAAOC Badge, corps colours red and royal blue.  
Embroidered Rising Sun Badge with personal details
Australian and Philippines National flag Embroidered  Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Wolf, Sun and Moon
(we can provide the Rising Sun with text, flags and Coat of Arms)

M

B

64

Combination of RAEME & Sydney Swans AFL team
(we can provide the embroidered RAEME badge)

M

Q

65

Middle East theme (camels, UAE flag for example) with Joint Service badge and HQME logos and list of deployment dates, title, name and PMKeYs.
(we can provide the Joint Service badge and HQME logo and embroidery with text)

M

Q

66

Model making,
Surfing,
Military history,
Reading,
Cooking

M

Q

67

Middle East, needle, nurse/medical, aircraft themes as your volunteers see fit

F

Q

68

Silver/White/Black
Enjoys making Taylor Swift friendship Bracelets, getting nails done, hiking and travelling (Bali, Snowy Mountains), interior design
Favourite Place: Canada - born in France (mum  Canadian and dad Moroccan)                                                          Has two Cats, Hindmarsh and Dexter, photos available

F

Q

69

Green/Blue
Bike Riding
Cats, King Charles Cavalier and Bichoodle                                                        
(photos have been supplied of her pets)

F

Q

70

Blue
Running, Cricket,
Football-Soccer- Tottenham Hotspur,
Renovating
Dog - Border Collie/Kelpie
Favourite place in the world: London
(photo of dog 'Pete' has been supplied)

M

Q

71

Pink
Loves Lego & computer gaming
Echidna
family
(family photos have been supplied)

F

Q

72

Rising Sun, RAAMC
East Timor - OP CITADEL - 2003
Sumatra - OP SUMATRA ASSIST - 2004
Iraq - OP CATALYST - 2008
West Tigers fan
Loves a good wine
Is from Longreach so he and QANTAS go together (he never shuts up about how good QANTAS is).
Has an Irish partner (and so now I think he believes he is Irish)
two daughters
(We can provide the Rising Sun and RAAMC badges plus patch with deployment details and family names.)

M

Q

73