Thanks on Thursday

Greetings all,
Some lovely thank you messages to share with you all a little later but first a bit of info re our dinner.  Angela and I will be having a planning meeting, via phone, on Monday and will be firming up as many of the arrangements as possible.  There will be a big post about all the details as soon as I can next week.  

Save the date - Saturday 30th November

The Venue - 
United Service Club Queensland
183 Wickham Terrace
Brisbane

We will be having a Raffle, there will probably be door prizes.  We have yet to determine if you can buy raffle tickets if you are not attending - need to look at issues like how to get prizes to winners etc.  AHQ cannot afford to pay postage.

The challenge quilts from last year will be on display on the night. They are quilted now - thanks to Carol - and are going to Gail to be bound tomorrow.  Gail actually put the tops together and they look awesome so big thanks to Gail for her efforts and to Carol for the quilting!

We have at least 4 recipients attending.  :-D  but we would love more.

Now to one of the Raffle Prizes!

Guess what our next Mystery quilt is going to be.  

A Raffle Quilt.  

This may be a separate raffle prize on its own and AHQ will post this to anyone in Australia or on deployment!  Details on how to purchase raffle tickets to be advised - once Angela and I have worked them out!

Quilt Details
One block per person to give everyone a chance to participate.  I am going to choose a fabric and you will be asked to make a block using the fabric.  The quilt must be GENDER NEUTRAL please.

The block must be ten and a half inches. It can be bigger as long as it can be trimmed down to ten and a half inches. 

If you wish to make a block you need to send me a stamped self address A5 (that is half A4) size envelope and I will send you some fabric.  BEFORE you send the envelope you need to email me (NOT PM PLEASE) friendsofAHQ@gmail.com to let me know.  

There will be room for 28 blocks on the quilt.  If we get enough of a response we might do a second one but let's get the first twenty eight first.  If you really want to do more than one block let me know and I will put the extra blocks toward the second quilt. 

Size matters!
Now this is really important!  If your block does not come out to ten and a half inches and can not be trimmed down it may have to go on the back if we can not incorporate it on the front.

Blocks need to be made and sent in promptly in order for us to get the quilt top together and the quilt quilted for the night.   I would expect that all blocks need to be in NO LATER than 25 October so start thinking about it.  I will start returning envelopes as soon as I receive them. (Caroline I have a job for you  :-D)

I think that is all for now - standby for a very exciting post about the dinner next week.

And now to some thank you messages

Good afternoon Jan-Maree

Just a very quick note to say a big thank you, and especially to Bev, as I have just received a Laundry Bag which was a pleasant surprise to say the least.  So a very big thank you.

Thank you again, and if the laundry bag is a measure of what to expect with my quilt, I will be thrilled.

Thank you all.
.....

Hi Caroline,

Great excitement today as a wonderful quilt and laundry bag arrived in the mail.  Words can not describe my feelings at seeing such a beautiful design with great colour selection. You have been able to capture me in a quilt.  I can not thank you enough for making this possible and taking the time to not only create this wonderful quilt but to also do this for so many other Defence personnel.
.....

Debbie,

I just want to say a very big thank you for my quilt.  Such a nice feeling when I opened it and I realized that someone had gone to the effort to make me something.  The trip away has been long and is nearly over now. I want you to know, that it may just be a quilt to you, but it means so much more than that to all the boys out here, and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, its people like you that make Australia such an amazing place and also make serving and protecting it a pleasure.

Thank you so very very much, enjoy your Xmas and I hope all your family returns home in good health for the break 
.....

Joy made a quilt out of some of our disappearing nine patch blocks (lots of those from Sue N I believe) and sent it off and here is the response.

Hello Joy,

I'm currently deployed with the ADF.  I'd like to take a moment to thank you for the effort and support you've shown by taking time out of your own life to make quilts and laundry bags (or three!) for those of us serving away from home.

This being my third deployment outside of Australia, I can attest to the comfort something such as a handmade quilt can bring.  I passed the extra couple of laundry bags on to our Padre, who has since passed them onto others who also pass on their thanks.

I hope this email finds you well, thanks again for the support and care you display for those of us away from family and friends.

Kind regards, 

(note Laundry bag in the photo by Julie Ann I think!)

.....

Dear Sue,

Just a quick email to thank you for the beautiful quilt you recently sent over to OP SLIPPER.  You have not only brightened my room but also my heart, and I want you to know that we are all very thankful for the kindness and generosity of wonderful Australians such as yourself and your quilter group.

Warm regards
.....

Hello Laurel

I received your quilt that you made for me today.  On receiving it my day was a lot happier.  I have been deployed for 4 months and I still have 5 months to go.  Surprises like this from kind people like you gives everyone here a smile.  Thank you so much I love the quilt.  Thank you 

.....

Dear Jan M,

Thank you for the hand made quilt.  I especially love the personalized  touches of the rabbit and the aviation theme.

Once again thank you:)

Cheers
.....

Good Morning Stephanie,

First off I would like to say how humbled and appreciative I am to have received a handcrafted quilt from yourself. It means a great deal to know people back in Australia, who I personally don't know are thinking about us over here in Afghanistan. I have already made good use of my quilt as it has allowed me to throw out the poor excuse of a blanket I had! From personal experience as my grandparent all sew, I can appreciate the level of detail involved in sewing a quilt of this size as well as the time it would have taken you. I know that this would have been no small feat!
Again I would like to thank you for the time and effort you have spent in 'sewing' this quilt for me. It will provide excellent warmth whilst I am over here as well as when I return to Australia. 

Kind Regards 
.....

I have received some other thank you messages which have come in the form of forwarded letters but I don't have time to transcribe them today so that will be included in a future post.  If at all possible, if you receive thank you messages as attached letters it would be great if you can transcribe them for me - it would save me so much time.

If you have sent off a quilt or a laundry bag this week then your name should be on the list below but this has been a hugely busy week so I will not vouch for its accuracy. Please email me if I have left you off so I can rectify it in time for the post tomorrow night.  It is 1130am as I write this and I will not edit it before it publishes tonight so any photos sent from now on will be included in tomorrow's post even if they do not appear here.  Additionally if you have posted and not sent me a photo please remind me as the photos I receive are what I use to remember who has posted.

Nancy
Christine C
Debbie
Jenny and Gale
Joan
Judith R
Judy C
Katherine
Liz
Lynn
Pam Y
Sophie
Stephanie
Su


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