Friend of the Day 4 November

As we had the launch of the November Block of the Month last Thursday we couldn't also fit in the Friend of the Day so here she is, a few days late.
Enjoy!

Hi, 

I am Leonie from the very beautiful Townsville Northern QLD.   

I’m originally from NSW & have lived up here for a few years now. 

 I’m a busy mum to four darling children, 17, 6, 4 & 1, oh our 9 week old boxer puppy 

(he’s just so cute & devine, yes bit smitten).

(Look at those cherubs! Apparently Mr 17 would not be in the photo!)

I’m a full-time worker

& I work as a Customer Care Representative in a call centre for a major electricity company.

I’ve been sewing for Aussie Hero Quilts & Laundry bags for a few months now, I honestly love it & enjoy it.  I’ve came into contact with some amazing people – thank you Jan-Maree. 

Sewing & supporting AHQ for me is such a small thing to do & it’s so great to be able to take part & support the wonderful people who do so much for us & for others here & abroad. Words will never express the Thanks...

Every thing I create becomes family affair, my husband & kids all get involved.  They help pick

colours, do the matching, some setting out & some design.   I get fabrics whenever & where ever I can, both at local shops & online.

I’ve always sewn since very young and my first memories of sewing are sitting watching my grandmother and mother sew. Sewing for me is a joy, not to mention a bit of me time.  The reward of supporting so many fabulous people is FANTASTIC & means so much!!!

I machine sew & am very new to the quilting side of things.   I look forward to participating in some quilting classes very soon so I can gain more skills to one day to be able to not just make quilt tops, laundry bags but fully assemble a quilt from start to finish.

My Miss 6 sits up beside me; often watching me & tries to help.  She’s got a real lead foot on that pedal when I’m not ready & I’ll pass on these skills to her & my other children.  Oh that’s not the lead foot skills either... Even my Mr 17 has even said he’d try &  make a laundry bag, I’m looking forward to that.

(Okay - YAY for Mr 17 - that makes up for no photo!)

I first heard about Aussie Hero Quilts & Laundry Bags when a sewing group on face

book TSL – (The Sewing Library) participated in doing a sew along to support AHQ.   After reading posts on the AHQ blog & facebook page I was moved & knew that supporting was

something that I could do & am able to do.  I look forward to making & supporting AHQ for long time yet, possibly getting to meet some AHQ friends & hopefully one day, or maybe right now a person who has received one of my items will get to also see this post.   

I also sew a lot of different items, clothing, tag blankets, cloth tool sets, dolls, teddy’s the list is endless but what I’m also very passionate about is sewing for hospitals particularly NICUs (Neonnatal Intenstive Care Units) and Special Care units.  

By supporting them I’m helping to support premmie bubs and bubs born sleeping and their families.   Items I sew for them include, but are not limited to, MCN (Modern Cloth Nappies), rugs/wraps hospital gowns, bereavement outfits & many other much needed

items for such special babies and their families.  I send and deliver these items directly to hospitals Australia wide & organisations that support them as well.  

Thanks for that Leonie. It is great to know a little more about you and to be able to put a face to the name.

Leonie has even taken the time to join some of the BOM blocks into a quilt top.  

Great Post Leonie - thank you for sharing!

Time for some thank you messages!

I have told you before of  Queensland Jill's daughter and her BFF -  Siobhan and Sally Kate.  You can read a little about these two here   Well yesterday whilst driving along Sally started to scream and Siobhan, thinking something terrible must have happened, pulled over quick smart!

Guess what had happened!  Sally had received a thank you email from a Sailor!

SCREAM!!!

Sally Kate,
I am writing in appreciation for the laundry bag which I received from you whilst deployed to the Middle Eastern area of operations (MEAO) on board HMAS Anzac. It was a real buzz to receive such a quality made bag and being a fellow Queenslander (I am from a town in FNQ), it made it even more special to be getting something from close to home. I loved the embossed initials and race cars too!
I currently serve as an XXXXX on Anzac and we are tasked to conduct various counter terrorism and piracy patrols within the area as part of Operation Slipper. Our tasking will see us deployed in the area until early 2013 and we will operate as far west as the Red Sea and within the Straits of Hormuz to the east.

Once again Sally Kate, many thanks for your efforts in producing items such as the laundry bag which you sent me and the enjoyment that deployed personnel such as myself get from receiving such a gift is fantastic. You obviously have a great talent there with your quilting and I hope that you continue to kick on with it in the future.
I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy and it is great to know that we are supported back home by members of the Australian public such as yourself whilst we are here making a contribution on behalf of the nation. Gestures such as yours certainly make home seem less far away and I am truly grateful for your generosity.
Thanks again and I wish you all the best for the future.  

The following email was greeted with a little less screaming but no less enthusiasm by myself!

Good Morning, 

I'd like to thank you and the 'Aussieheroquilts' team for the wonderful laundry bag that I received a short time ago. Unfortunately my plain old cotton laundry bag went walkabout aver a month ago and your gift came in very handy - I can now walk to the laundry with my head held high instead of trying to carry a whole lot of laundry in my arms that insists on dropping to the ground on the way.

By way of introduction, my name is XXXXXXXXX and I am currently deployed to Kandahar Airfield in Southern Afghanistan (just south of Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan Province which is where the main concentration of Australians are based). I have been here for 11 months now and will head home back to my Family in mid December. I have attached a photo to show you that I exist  and that I indeed appreciate your gift and efforts. Kandahar is starting to get cool as the Winter approaches. Last year we had a little bit of snow but normally it just gets very cold around late December and into January.

Thank you again for the work that you're doing to recognise those who serve overseas. It is great to know that people do care enough to take the time to do this for us - I know how much effort goes into these bags and the quilt covers you make as my wife has quilted a number of beautiful things over the years.

One of Nancy's quilts and laundry bags made it safe and sound to its new owner and he left us a lovely message on facebook.

Yesterday I received a nice surprise in the mail. A beautiful quilt and laundry bag. I don't think you understand what an uplifting feeling it is to receive such a thoughtful gift when you are so far from home. To all that are involved with this organisation and on behalf of all of us over here...Many Thanks and God Bless.

Amy also received a lovely thank you message.

Amy, 
 It was a real buzz to receive such a practical, quality made bag and being a fellow Queenslander, it made it even more special to be getting something from close to home. 
Once again Amy, many thanks for your efforts in producing items such as the laundry bag which you sent me and the enjoyment that deployed personnel such as myself get from receiving such a gift is fantastic. You obviously have a great talent there with your quilting and I hope that you continue on in your "chatting chick" role! 
I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy and it is great to know that we are supported back home by members of the Australian public such as yourself whilst we are here making a contribution on behalf of the nation. Gestures such as yours certainly make home seem less far away and I am truly grateful for your generosity. 
Thanks again and I wish you all the best for the future. 
Say hi to Barney for me! 

Recently Naomi sent some quilts, made by the lovely ladies of the Berri Uniting Church, to the guys in Egypt as part of our Sinai Peacekeeping Force.  Today I received a lovely message of gratitude from one of them.

 Dear Jan-Maree
I am writing a quick note to thank you and your group for the wonderful work you do.  

From a soldier that has served for 14 years in over seven countries,
it is a welcome gesture and very much appreciated.   It is not often today that we meet impartial Australians who realise that we are not the politicians/ policy makers, so to experience a group such as Aussie Hero Quilts is a very welcome change.
Once again, thank you very much for your kind gesture. Please pass my appreciation on to the other ladies.
Kind Regards

:-)

And finally, courtesy of the Chaplain on HMAS ANZAC, this photo!  Look who dropped in to visit whilst she was in the area!

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