Sunday Sharing

Well, I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend and maybe even had the chance to enjoy a bit of a sleep in.  If you have, spare a thought for a friend of mine who tells me he has been getting up at 430AM (totally inhumane time) to go to work somewhere in Afghanistan every day for the last week.  

A big Welcome Home to the crew of HMAS TOOWOOMBA who arrived home from their Operation Slipper Deployment.  You can read details of their return home here  and if you scroll down to the bottom you will find two links which will take you to more photos.  

Still talking Navy.....

Allow me to introduce you to 

Sarah, Rebecca, Emily, Erin and Matt.

Well, maybe I am really introducing you to their work.  But what is so special about this group.  Well, this the family of our HMAS Chaplain HMAS Newcastle and I thought it was really important that you know that they, and I mean all of them, are sewing along with us to make quilts and laundry bags for HMAS Newcastle's crew!  I think that is just awesome.

This is their first quilt that is already on its way and there are more to come!

And now for a little more fun - here are some thank you messages.  

Dear Fran,

Thank you very much for the quilt and laundry bag. I had not brought with me many creature comforts as I am required to travel a lot, so I was genuinely surprised with how happy I felt when able to place the quilt over my bed. I should not have dismissed so readily the effect something so homely could have, and the fact it is pink and pastels has actually lifted the room from an austere 'anyone lives here' to 'a woman lives here'.

It is great that you are putting your craft skills to such a lovely cause, and I hope that you continue to do so. My daughter will inherit this quilt as a memento of my deployment when I come home. Kind regards,

Hello Fran         Thank you very much for my beautiful quilt and laundry bag. It brightens up my bed and it will come in handy when the weather get cold. The laundry bag with my initials was a pleasant surprise as I didn't notice it the first time I looked at it and only discovered my initials when I was showing it off to my boss who also loved it.  Keep up the sewing because I know there are a lot of soldiers who are looking forward to receiving their quilts.         Thank you again.


I am currently deployed to Kandahar Airfield with Rotary Wing Group 8. I am writing to thank you for kindly making me my new laundry bag. It looks brilliant and is a good Aussie reminder. 

Thank you very much again,

G'day to you,

Today I received a laundry bag with your tag attached and wanted desperately to tell you what a beautiful bright gift you have provided, particularly in this dry, dusty, bland terrain of Kandahar Air field, Afghanistan. I certainly appreciate the effort you have gone to to make such a delightful and useful product. Although, I am a little hesitant to put my dirty gear in such a wonderful item.

Many thanks to those of you involved in bringing a smile to Aussie faces. The bags are truly a fabulous and useful idea, gratefully received.

Sincerely

Hi Joan,
 I just wanted to say thank-you so much for the beautiful laundry bags you sent over.  I have had plenty of people come and pick them up to use while they are deployed and they are so grateful for all the time and effort you have put in to making these. Not to mention very handy when doing the washing as we don't want to get our clothes (which are very similar as you can imagine) mixed up with anyone else! I love the fabric and colours you used they will definately brighten up a soldier, sailor or airman's day.

Dear Joan and Robin,

I am currently serving in Uruzgan, Afghanistan.. a dusty little place at the bottom end of the Hindu Kush which has had a few problems over the course of the past few years. You may have heard of it. 

Three days ago (and by sheer good fortune) I was handed one of your laundry bags. It has, and will continue to prove invaluable during my time here. 

I sincerely thank you for your support. Small, selfless acts and symbols of appreciation such as yours, mean more to blokes serving overseas than you may ever realise.  

Wherever you are, I wish you all the very best.  

Respectfully and with  sincere gratitude.

Good Afternoon Janine,

I would just like to send you a very big thank you for the personalised laundry bag that you've made for me. I received it yesterday in the mail and I was very pleasantly surprised. I especially love the patriotic motif that you have designed. It will be particularly handy in our (international combined) laundry facilities. This will be a keepsake that I will take home and it will certainly remind me of my time here, the experiences and friendships I've made. 

Thank you for all your time and consideration in not only creating a wonderful gift but also sharing with me your story through your letter. I can assure you that the hard work that you and all the people of Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags provide is very much appreciated, and brings happiness to all the recipients. 

Thank you once again

Dear Catherine,

Today I was lucky enough to receive a quilt made by you. I would like to thank you for the time and effort you obviously put into it. I wish you and your family all the best and I am sure you are proud of your son who is in the Navy.  It is not such a bad thing that the tim tams didn't make it into the package as I am trying to work on my fitness while I am over here. :-)

Thanks again for the quilt and also the letter. It was a very personal touch to top off a wonderful gesture.

Regards,

Hi Sarah L,

I wanted to say a quick thank you for the quilt, I think it is amazing and it will add so much needed colour to the bedroom.

I love the colours and think my name and the aircraft are a great touch.

I hope that you have a great weekend as you have just made my weekend even better.

All the best, 

Joan and Robin,

Just picked up a laundry bag and received your note.

I would like to take the time to sincerely thank you and anyone else involved in the provision of these items.

Whilst they may seem insignificant to others at home, I can assure you that they are greatly appreciated by us.  These gestures help assure us that our efforts and the separation from loved ones is acknowledged and appreciated by the broader Australian community.

Whilst I am intending to use mine as a laundry bag, as others do, I have also seen these used to store personal effects and to assist in keeping electronics free from dust etc; so rest assured they are being put to good use.

Again, thanks for the efforts and well wishes.

Sincerely

Hello Joan,

Thank you so much for going to the effort to make something special for me, I love it. 

I love the bright colours of the fabric, the sugar skulls are great, and the dancing Mexican skeletons are an awesome touch too. The laundry bag will come in handy over here and will add a personal touch to my bland boring room. It will also be a great reminder of my deployment, when I finally get back home to Australia.

Sorry it has taken me a while to write back, I received it in the mail a few weeks ago.

Thanks again for showing your support.

Regards

Hi Sue,

My name is XXXXXXX and today I received a laundry bag made by yourself. I wanted to say a big thank you for making it, I really appreciate it!!! All the best. 

Kind Regards,

Lynne,

I would like to thank you for the quilt you made me. It's outstanding! I was in dire need of a quilt as my sleeping bag seems to get dirty quite quickly and is difficult to wash. I really enjoyed receiving your package as I was having a bit of a bad day until then.

I also have two children, my daughter XXXXX is two years old and my son XXXX is seven months old. I would be happy if they where to join the defence force. I personally benefited a lot from joining the defence. At 17 it taught me to be a responsible adult. Now at 26, my career has enabled me to settle down with the love of my life XXXX and support our wonderful family.

Your kind words on your card meant a lot to me. They made me feel very proud to be serving our country. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you kindness.

Your sincerely

XXXX

PS: The fishing theme is great. 

And from the same fellow I received this email to thank me for my "Aussie Heroes don't wear Capes they were Dog Tags" Laundry Bag.

Jan-Maree
I recently recieved the laundry bags you made me. They're fantastic! They are a big improvement on old laundry bag (being a pillow case with a piece of chord threaded through the seem). I like the saying on the front and i'm pretty sure I have the best laundry bag in the ADF now. Thankyou for the second bag, i have given it to one of my soldiers as he also was without a bag. He is very appreciative of your kindness. I can assure you no one will steal my laundry bag it's one of a kind.
 I am very proud to be serving our country on operations for the third time and even more proud that my wife loves me enough to ask for you to make me a laundry bag. No man ever had a better wife.
I can't thank you enough for your kindness. It's greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely

The following three messages were left on facebook

Thankyou to everyone who has sent us laundry bags. We received some today in Kandahar. We really appreciate the effort and thought you all put in. Thanks again!!

Your laundry bags are fantastic!! Thankyou! :)

many thank you for the good work you all do as my son got one and still uses them today

 so thank you from a proud dad

Finally, don't forget that the next Sewing Day in Penrith is coming up on Sunday at 

Penrith Patchwork, 97b Henry Street.  Parking at Rear.  10am to 2pm.

BYO lunch and sewing machine.  I will provide the fabrics.

Hope to see you there.

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

JMxx