Hopefully as we get more and more people on board making quilts we will be able to spend a little more time on each and make them a little fancier and prettier (or more handsome for the guys) but at the moment the priority is to get quilts over there. Even then I will always consider the strippy quilt to be the original Aussie Hero Quilt and today I made my first one for a lady!
Other great news is that I received a phone call this morning from a lovely lady Rhonda who was given my number and she has a group of 11 that she thinks will be really happy to sew laundry bags and quilts for us. Woo Hoo.
Kathy found me on Tarnyia's blog and she is interested in making both laundry bags and quilts AND she works at Spotlight and can sometimes get some great bargains!
And then an email from Pauline to check some details for the laundry bags and quilts.
Marg, whose two lovely quilts were featured here, emailled me yesterday with a great idea which I thought I had already posted but I just found it in draft form!. She suggested that we incorporate Aussie teatowels into the centre of our quilts and I think that is a great idea. It made me think of some of the funny ones too - the Aussie slang tea towel etc. I am sure most of us have one or two (or lots) of souvenir tea towels stuck away in our linen cupboards that we don't use, you know the ones that Aunt Mary or whoever gave us. Hmmm, I might have to go and check my cupboards tonight........
Oh and by the way, she also mentioned that her two grandsons (aged 24 and 26) want to steal the Dingo Flour Bag QuiltDingo so that means she is on the mark with that age group!!! Well done Marg!
Sue, from Quilting Block Swaps Australia, emailed me yesterday also and she is sending me a gorgeous quilt top called Bold Star.
You can read all about it here on QBSA or here on her other blog where you can also check out the cute green owl she made. Someone's room is going to be much cheerier with this quilt on their bed!
Another lovely blogger, Tarnyia, mentioned that she knew a young local lad who had come back from Afghanistan. As my quilt group has also been sending care packages specifically to our lovely warrant officer I asked her if she could ask him if he had any suggestions as to what we should include. This is part of what he said
"It is true that gifts sent from Australia mean so much when you are deployed. It is very easy to feel dislocated from home and everything you are used to in a place like that and I think the greatest gift any Australian can give a deployed soldier is just that they care. It doesn't matter to us if people support the actual campaign or not, or agree with our presence in another country, but be supportive of the fact that we are putting our lives on the line on the nation's behalf to help those that can't help themselves in an attempt to try to make the world a better place. This is why gifts from random Australians, otherwise unknown to us, mean so much, not so much because of what they are, but because of what they mean. It's that show of support from Australians that means so much and keeps you going."
This is the sort of feedback I have been getting from all the things that I and my quilt group have been sending over and this is why I decided to launch Aussie Hero Quilts!
It hasn't been ironed yet as it is really late and after this post I am going to bed!!
Other great news is that I received a phone call this morning from a lovely lady Rhonda who was given my number and she has a group of 11 that she thinks will be really happy to sew laundry bags and quilts for us. Woo Hoo.
And Sue!!! Sue emailed me tonight to let me know that she has put a parcel in the mail. She has sent 100m of made binding (enough for 16 quilts I think - not sure I trust my maths) AND 43m of sewn together 6 1/2 inch strips. She was apologetic because time is short as her first GRANDCHILD arrived last night - boy I can't imagine what she would be able to do if time wasn't short!!!! Congratulations Sue! Please let us know if you have a grandson or grand daughter.....when the dust settles.
And that is not all....
Kathy found me on Tarnyia's blog and she is interested in making both laundry bags and quilts AND she works at Spotlight and can sometimes get some great bargains!
And then an email from Pauline to check some details for the laundry bags and quilts.
Yes I am doing a happy dance!
But wait there is more!
Oh and by the way, she also mentioned that her two grandsons (aged 24 and 26) want to steal the Dingo Flour Bag QuiltDingo so that means she is on the mark with that age group!!! Well done Marg!
Sue, from Quilting Block Swaps Australia, emailed me yesterday also and she is sending me a gorgeous quilt top called Bold Star.
Another lovely blogger, Tarnyia, mentioned that she knew a young local lad who had come back from Afghanistan. As my quilt group has also been sending care packages specifically to our lovely warrant officer I asked her if she could ask him if he had any suggestions as to what we should include. This is part of what he said
"It is true that gifts sent from Australia mean so much when you are deployed. It is very easy to feel dislocated from home and everything you are used to in a place like that and I think the greatest gift any Australian can give a deployed soldier is just that they care. It doesn't matter to us if people support the actual campaign or not, or agree with our presence in another country, but be supportive of the fact that we are putting our lives on the line on the nation's behalf to help those that can't help themselves in an attempt to try to make the world a better place. This is why gifts from random Australians, otherwise unknown to us, mean so much, not so much because of what they are, but because of what they mean. It's that show of support from Australians that means so much and keeps you going."
This is the sort of feedback I have been getting from all the things that I and my quilt group have been sending over and this is why I decided to launch Aussie Hero Quilts!
On that note, please keep spreading the word. Every little bit helps.
Till next time.........happy stitching!
Yep that is what all the gals and fellas like. Our support for them.
ReplyDeleteSeems there are a lot of us willing to sew a little comfort for them too.
good on yah !!!!
Hi Jan,
ReplyDeleteI've been following the blog for a couple of days... found it blog hopping. I thought about the teatowel idea yesterday also. Mum just cleaned out her linen closet and found 14 Aussie teatowels, 6 of them have calendars on them(1979 etc...LOL), I am going to see what fabric I can find to accompany them and see if I can get a couple made up into quilt tops. The calendar ones might be a bit quirky... Maybe the guys will find their DOB!, or do you think just the ones with pictures. Will send you an email when I get some goodies together.
Keep up the good work.
So wonderful the word is spreading out there Jan-Maree xxx
ReplyDeleteGosh- I've got ironer's elbow (well, hand really) today after ironing fabric for two hours yesterday! Jan-Maree, do you think a 'cotton' aussie flag stitched onto a quilt top would be okay? I'm not sure they would be sturdy enough to be part of the structure of the quilt, but maybe a decorative part? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteJust checked out my tea towel drawer- got a NZ one, I wonder where that came from?! I'm off to Spotlight today to get cord, I'll see if they have any tea towels and maybe some cotton Australia Day flags.
how about people who don't sew but knit making bedsocks so that our soldiers can keep their toes warm under their aussi quilts?
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Jan-Maree! You gals are amazing!! Keep up the great work.
ReplyDelete