Grati-Tuesday

Hi all,

Sorry the post is late. I kept starting it but kept getting distracted.  I am a bit tired today having had 6 gorgeous teenagers crash here last night after their POST-YR 12 Exams Formal.  I think it was 145am before I got to bed and 630 when I woke up.  12 sausages, 12 croissants and 12 eggs and they were fed but I lost most of the morning somewhere!  Anyway - here it is ...

I posted the following request on Facebook but for those of you who do not read Facebook I am re-posting it here.  

I am pretty busy getting ready for Brisbane and all the rest of the end of year stuff.  Can you please help me out.

If you have sent, or are sending off, a quilt/laundry bag this week can you please send me an email that has

1. the recipient's FULL name in the subject line of the email. 

2. the word "posted" in the text of the email

3. can you please attach a copy of the photo of the completed quilt, even if you have already sent me a picture.  

Can you please do this every week – it will make life soooooo much easier for me.

And for this week can you please send it even if you have already told me – and that goes for any quilts that were posted from last Friday onwards if they didn’t make it onto last Friday night’s Dispatches Post.

I am planning a big mail out again this week as I have some conscripts volunteers coming over for dinner tomorrow night.  Caroline and Chaplain Mark plus one other Chaplain, who will remain nameless till I ask if he is happy for me to name him.  He might be camera shy for all I know.  Anyway, once I have fed them we are going to get quilts and laundry bags into boxes ready to send on their way.
Woo Hoo.  Photos Thursday if you are lucky!

Don't forget you can still buy tickets to the Dinner and also for the raffle.  We now have two Aussie Heroes speaking on the night and maybe one or two others attending.  It is shaping up to be a wonderful night.  

Details on how to go about buying tickets for either are here

We have an extra raffle prize added to the list now too.  Hilary from Hilary Metcalf Designs will donate one of her personalised cushions.   You can click on her website here and pick the design of your choice.

POSTING ADDRESS FOR THE POPPIES

The Post Office Box is up and running so here is the address and I will edit last night's post to reflect this as well.

Caroline Gunn
PO Box 3079
St Mary's South NSW 2760

For tonight we have some more lovely thank you messages to share. 

Dear Sue,

Thankyou so much for the laundry bag. It's lovely that you have found the time to do such a thing. I'll let you know now that having the bag has made my life a little easier. Before I was generously given the laundry bag it would take up to 10 mins just to find the right one. Now only 30 seconds. Little "wins" like this keep us all going.   It's not every day that we are thought of but the bag does symbolise that we are not forgotten.

.....

Dear Gale and Jenny,
 
I wanted to say thankyou, thankyou, thankyou so much for the beautiful quilt you sent.  It is truly lovely and all of the girls in the mess commented when I took it out of the box.
I can't believe how clever you are to make something that elaborate in such a short space of time.  My mother use to do quilting, until arthritis got the better of her, so I understand how much effort is involved.
I posted a photo of it on Facebook and explained what it is.  There were so many likes and comments.
It looks so nice on my rack and gives the whole area a cheery feeling.   You are special ladies and now that I know how you made me feel with you wonderful act of kindness, I am inspired to learn how to quilt and do the same for others in the future.  What a blessing you are!
 
Regards 
.....

I got mail today!  And it was from you!  The quilt was awesome, it was all that I asked for and more! The back is the darker blue, with a strip containing Australian flags and kangaroos.  The front is lighter blue with the flaming bomb, and my big red kangaroo.  The orange in the flames really sets it off.  The leaves are the best, they are like a green and brown camouflage.  

I laugh to think you doubted your and your helpers handy work. This is the best, I have shown everyone, and I think they are all a bit jealous.  Now how can I cover it in plastic so it doesn't get dirty?

And it came right on time.  The temperatures have dropped by 10 degrees in the last week, and yesterdy it rained for the first time in six months.  It went down to 4 degrees last night, and I have started wearing a jacket at night.

I just can't decide whether to put it on my bed or hang it on the wall.

How cool is the stitching!

Thank you again, you have outdone yourself.

Thankfully yours.
.....

Judy C

I have been in the middle east for approx. 6 weeks now and have been given one of your lovely laundry bags. Thank you very much for the time and effort that you have put into making them, they are certainly well appreciated.

Just a short note to say thankyou in appreciation of your efforts, its wonderful knowing that we are thought of. "

.....

Joan,

Thankyou for the laundry bag and book, I appreciate it very much. I was only just saying the other day I was hoping to get a laundry bag and then one arrived in the mail! I was very excited.

Thankyou again.
.....

Joan and Robin,
I received the laundry bag on our last port visit.  It was great to receive it and it most certainly brightened my day.  I am a mad cyclist and loved that it had road/track bicycles on it. so thankyou very much.
This is my third trip to the gulf, though my previous two trips were 10 and 11 years ago. Thank you once again. My self and many other friends on the ship have enjoyed the laundry bags and quilts that have been made by Aussie Hero quilts.
.....

Hi Sue,                                                          

Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank you for the great laundry bag I picked up the other day courtesy of you. I am currently serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The weather here is starting to get cooler at night down to 4 degrees Celsius but still up about 18 degrees Celsius during the day. It rained last week for the first time in months. Hope you are still enjoying your sewing, I know the guys and girls here have enjoyed receiving a laundry bag from Aussie Heroes Quilts and laundry bags. Thank you again for spending your time making our time here better.

Regards,
.....

Just a quick thank you for the Aussie Hero Laundry Bag. All the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen love receiving these gifts. We are just here doing our job and don't see ourselves as heroes. We do appreciate you guys for remembering us while the rest of the country forgets.  Most people don't know the personal sacrifice we make for our country. Missing Christmas with our family, missing their birthdays, Easter and other family events. This is why we appreciate people like yourself, who take time from your own busy lives to give something back to us. Something as small as a laundry bag or quilt means so much( by the way how do you get a quilt?) these parcels really brighten our day.
.....

Did you make a pretty pink block for the Little Girl Mystery Quilts?

This next one is rather special.  This lovely father requested a quilt for his little girl, Madison, instead of himself and I always find those sorts of requests rather touching.  This is one of the pretty little girl quilts that were one of the Little Girl Mystery Quilts we did recently.   I think it is just gorgeous and credit has to go to all of you who created the blocks and especially to Debbie who appliqued the centre of the quilt and pieced, quilted and bound it.  I have been told Madison says her favourite part of the quilt is the castle.  Madison's father was delighted to see his daughter's response and sent us these photos to enjoy.  I normally don't publish pictures of the children but in this case Dad has said I can use these photos however I see fit, saying he will tell Madison this is the beginning of her modeling career!  I think she makes an excellent quilt model don't you?

Jan-Maree

I just wanted to send a short note (and some photo's) to thank you again for the work of yourself and team.

My daughter was absolutely thrilled to receive the quilt and my wife was bought to tears by the lovely letter you wrote.

Thank you very much for the incredible work that you do.

Kind regards 

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