Aussie Hero All Sorts!

I am always tempted to call these sorts of posts Licorice Posts - as in All Sorts but I am not sure that my sense of humour will be universally understood.  

First up - Bigpond is struggling for some reason and my email are not downloading well.  I have checked and it is not a Jan-Maree problem but a Bigpond problem so if it takes me a while to reply to your emails you will know why.  Most of you will know that I tend to reply fairly promptly so you may have to wait just a bit longer this time- contact me via phone or  facebook if it is urgent!  

Gotta Love Telstra - NOT!!!

And talking of annoying glitches - apparently a few people stopped receiving their copy of the blog posts via email on or around the 23rd of August.  I know of three ladies in SA and one in Brisbane, who have had this happen.  If anyone else has experienced the same problem can you please let me know- email, comment or facebook message.  The Tech -Guru is trying to work out what is going on - I am thinking a blogger problem as I didn't do anything - HONEST! 

 I wouldn't know how!

Now a quick word on WWQs.  If you are making one and are planning to send it off from your home when the call comes, please be aware that you need to have a vacuum pack bag at the ready.  These quilts are held on site in Afghanistan and it is a very dusty place.  Obviously they are being given to injured personnel so must remain clean and dust free until handed to their new owner.  That is why they need to be sent and will then be stored in a vacuum sealed bag. 

These are the ones that I use and I buy them from Bunnings.  The Small Size would probably suffice but I have never been able to locate them so I am not even sure if they make them.  The medium size will do the job just as well.

 

I usually place the quilt, a laundry bag and a postcard in the bag in the box before I set the vacuum to work.  I think it makes it easier to know when you have vacuumed enough.  You don't need to get as much air out as you can - just enough to seal the bag and be able to close the box.

Cat sent in this message and a picture of her rolled quilt, before she filled the box with more treats!

I sent the crazy star quilt in the mail today. I found that folding the quilt to the width of the box and then rolling it up made fitting it in the box really easy and left plenty of room for some treats! 

A lovely thank you came in last night from this fellow for a quilt that I posted off - the top was made by Heather T and it was quilted and completed by Carol, both Turramurra Quilters.

The combination of a slow mail system and me being away for a while meant that I only received the quilt and laundry bag last week.

Can you please give Heather T and the Turramurra Quilters my heartfelt thanks for an absolutely wonderful gift.

They have brightened up my otherwise bleak and bare quarters, as you can see from the photos. 

Once again, I would like to pass on my sincerest thanks to your wonderful group for providing the men and women over here a small piece of Australia to brighten their days.

We have lots of great talent working with us here at Aussie Heroes and all of them are very humble.

One of our members has quietly published another pattern in the latest Quilter's Companion Magazine and I would never have known if Liz had not tipped me off.

This is the work of Christine C from Queensland - You will have to buy the magazine to learn more about her  and her pattern but I will share a few pictures of the magazine.

You can also check out Christine's blog here

We also have some gorgeous young talent among us too 

You may remember me referring to Angela of the Chatting Chooks.  
Well, meet her daughter, Amy!

She is in Year 10 and when she wrote to me to ask if she could make some laundry bags for those on HMAS ANZAC she said in part -

I think what you do for these soldiers is great and something from home, which I am sure they miss when over there fighting, so thank you.

What a little gem!  Well I like to encourage new sewers so of course I said she could sew for us and I asked her mum for some photos of her sewing to share!

Once she had finished the first one, according to her Mum she said "these are easy”!  She whipped up a second then asked Mum if she had any more fabric? What a question to ask a quilter.

Angela I think we will be making another 2-3 over the following week/weekend. 

For those of you not on Facebook you will not be aware that we have had a huge growth in numbers in the last 24 hours - we have gone from less than 500 likers to 522 as I write this at 230pm and loads of lovely encouraging and supportive comments.   If I get time........I will try and  copy some of the comments on to the blog for you but that means re-typing all of them so that might take me some time unless  someone has time to do that for me and email me then I can put it up on Thursday.   (As at 8.30pm Central Aus time the info requested by Jan-Maree has now been sent)

Till next time..........keep spreading the word and happy stitching!