Grati-Tuesday 6 May

G'day all.  The weeks seem to be flying by far too quickly at the moment.  Is it the same for you? 

HELP!!  Someone emailed me yesterday (I think it was yesterday but it could have been earlier than that) and asked me to send them some selvedges for the BOMs as they were half way through some BOMs and had run out.  I can't find your email.  Please email me again!

 Anyway, it is time for another Grati-Tuesday post so here goes.

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Hi Stephanie,

I would like to say a huge thank you for my beautiful quilt and laundry bag.  They are perfect and I love the colours and the pigs!!!  I decided that the row of pigs were looking out for the beautiful green ploughed 

pastures (or veggie patches) of the farm!!! You are a very talented quilter and I really appreciate the time and effort that you took to produce something unique for someone you don't know.  My quilt already has pride of place on my bed and will when I arrive home in another 4 months.   

Again my heart felt thank you.

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Hi Sue

I am writing this email to say an enormous thank you for your wonderful gifts that arrived last night.  We have been in port for 4 days now but unfortunately it takes a few days for our mail to clear customs but we got it just in time.  We are just about ready to start our third patrol having had a short stay in XXXXX  Africa - quite a different place and we are not that sad that we are leaving.

Again thank you so much for you wonderful parcel.  The laundry bags are very popular and always find a home.  I think we are getting to the stage now where nearly all the crew have a laundry bag - it is fantastic to see all the colour and the way something as easy as a laundry bag, can bring a smile to someone's face and remind them of home and why we are out here.

You could not begin to imagine the impact AHQ has had on the crew this trip.  When I first heard from Jan-Maree and she told me what her team of AHQ wanted to do for the ship, I thought 'that is a nice gesture, I am sure some people would like that'.  How wrong I was.  People have loved every gift from AHQ and have been genuinely moved by the generosity and love shown to them by people they only meet though a parcel and a letter.

Your heartfelt generosity really does make people happy.  You would be surprised how lonely it can be at sea, even with lots of people around us all the time, and gifts such as yours really make a difference.   

Once again thank you for all the time and love you show, it reminds us of just how wonderful people back home really are.  I hope you have a good week you deserve every bit of goodness that comes your way!

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Hi Caroline

I am writing this email to say an enormous thank you for your wonderful gifts that arrived last night.  

The laundry bags you sent were wonderful and given that we were in Africa, quite fitting.  To have Monkeys etc on them really matched the safari we had been on our brief port visit.

And can I say 'Hunni' looks like she is enjoying her camouflage jacket.  I dare say it will be getting cold back in Australia so it will keep her warm.  We long for the cold weather over here, it is extremely hot but the ship does its best to stay cool for us.

Thanks for being a part of AHQ and all the great things you do for us.  When I get home from this trip I will definitely look at following your example and helping out AHQ.  I can't sew, therefore making quilts is out of the question, but putting together care packages etc is definitely something I will be looking at.  Your heartfelt generosity really does make people happy.  You would be surprised how lonely it can be at sea even with lots of people around us all the time, and gifts such as yours really make a difference.   

Once again thank you and I hope you have a good week.

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Dear Lisa,

In the last mail drop we had I was so excited to see my quilt had arrived. When I opened it, I was so happy! Thank You SO much for your effort in making it. I love it! Your letter was very kind and touching. It's funny I was having the worst day I'd had so far this deployment and I was feeling down.  At about 2030 that night it arrived. It really did improve my morale. It could not have come on a better day! I know you sacrificed money and time to make the quilt and I really appreciate it. To know people back home are thinking of us and care about us really does mean a lot. Thank you for the snacks too! I was a favorite in my cabin that night. Please keep up the great work you do, it really does mean so much to us all over here. I have attached a picture for you. It went straight into use the night it arrived and its perfect as a doona was too hot up here and a sheet just wasn't enough. The best thing too is how it brightened up my cabin and gave a real homely feel to it. I can't thank you enough. 

Kind Regards,

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Hi Jan-maree,

I am a friend of XXXXX. I recently received a beautiful patchwork quilt. I would like to thank you and the team who put them together and also for your invaluable efforts in supporting ADF members who are in harms way. It means a lot to us that there are such kind people out there.

Many thanks

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Hi Jacqui,

I received your lovely quilt creation and matching laundry bag and have a huge 'THANKS!' to say to you! 

I am overjoyed, the colours and fabrics, patterns and the sneaky little Aussie flag patch is perfect and I can see you have a lot of pride when it comes to making your quilts.

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Rita.

What can I say I’m blown away, the Quilt is awesome.

I will be the envy of the whole RAEME corps. I can’t wait till I get home, just to show the rest of the boys in the workshop. Yes of  course I have showed every one else here as well. Although some people said the quilt was ok. I could tell that they were envious of how awesome quilt is. 

I will use the quilt will pride, and when I return home the quilt will go onto my bed at home. 

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Dear Sue N,

Thank you so much for creating and sending us the wonderful laundry bags. They will be given to members here on the base, and I also intend for a few to go into country for our members there too.

 Thank you for donating your time and effort to create something which will no doubt put a smile on their faces.

 I truly think that Aussie Hero Quilts is such a wonderful organisation and perhaps in the not too distant future I would like to also give back to our defence men and women and have a go at sewing. Although I must confess I will need to do a lot of practice before I can send them on.

 Thank you so much for your wonderful donation, all of us here send you our best wishes. Warmest regards.

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Dear Pennie,

                       I wanted to thank you for the laundry bag I recently received in the mail. The lady at the cash office has a few spares on hand, so I had taken one of those and hadn't even asked for a laundry bag on the request form, you can imagine how surprised and pleased I was when I got one anyway. Normally I like bright pastel colours, but I must say I like your one much more than the one I chose for myself: I spent a lot of time in India when I was growing up, the elephant and peacock very much remind me of hangings we had there. 

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Remember the pretty pink girly star quilt we made as a Mystery Quilt -well it has arrived.

Jan, I recently received 2 x incredibly special parcels; one was from a lovely lady, Kerri H, who sent me a gorgeous laundry bag accompanied by a hand made beanie, some Easter treats and what every lady needs over here, lucious hand cream. The second one was from yourself with an adorable 'pink and girly' quilt which was exactly what I asked for - a special quilt for my special little girl waiting for me at home.  She is very excited to have it as part of her room decor  I can't thank yourself and Kerri (and those who contributed) enough for the truly wonderful and generous support that you provide to deployed serving personnel. I am so humbled to have received such heartfelt gestures from such a special group of people. Your efforts are certainly recognised among those who have and continue to serve overseas; there would not be many who have not heard of the Aussie Hero Quilts band of sisters who provide invaluable support and much needed morale. Thank you Jan, and Kerry, and all those who continue to generously devote their time to our Aussie troops serving overseas; your time is sincerely appreciated and on behalf of all those who have received and will continue to receive your support, God Bless x

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Dear Hilary,

I am writing to say thankyou for the wonderful quilt you made for me.

It looks amazing and is exactly what I was after.

What you do is very special and puts many smiles on the faces of members deployed on operations.

Our trip has been very successful as you may have seen on the News.

Thankyou again and take care. 

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Hi Julie Ann,

I am writing to you to show my great appreciation for the laundry bag that you have created so well for myself and xxxxx.  After reading your message we are extra grateful after seeing how busy your life is. It's is very nice for us to receive something from home and know that you thought of us.

Once again thank you from both of us and I hope you are spending a lot of time with your grandson.

Kind regards 

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Dear Sue,

I am one of the officers in Darwin. I was recently passed a lovely and beautiful washing bag from the ship's Padre,  which I have already put to good use.  The handiwork is quite simply amazing and I love the nautical theme.  It has put a smile on my face, something that can go a long way while we are away from home for some long. I think I will get many years of enjoyment out of it  

It's great to know that there are people back in Australia such as yourself that are thinking of us while we are away.  Thank you very much for the gift you have sent me - it has made a difference.

Most kind regards,

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Steph,

I would like to take this time to thank you for the laundry bag that you made, that now resides at the foot of my bunk. It is a unique item that now stands out clearly from the rest (Lime Green in colour) making losing my laundry that much harder. These bags and quilts go a long way in reminding every person on board that people back home do care about the job we do and help to invigorate us everyday.

Thank you again for the laundry bag and your commitment to supporting deployed members of the ADF, it means more than you can imagine.

Best wishes 

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Good morning Steph, 

I would like to thank you for the wonderful washing bag that I received during our last mail drop. I have to admit it has made the washing days so much easier just for the simple fact that I can now locate my laundry with a minimum of fuss. That added benefit is that it actually has class and style, I was fortunate to get the blue bag with the trucks on it. 

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Aussie hero quilts sent me out a care package containing a quilt, laundry bag and box of delicious goodies. 

I just want to say thank you. From someone that isn't feeling down or under any enormous sort of pressure this still lifted my spirits and made me feel cheerful. A lot of good things come in small packages. A gift like this can make the world of different and save lives.

Thank you dearly.

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Dear Rita M,

                      Hi Rita, I would like to inform you that I received a very generous gift today. I received the best quilt I have ever seen. It blew my mind. I had a picture of what I wanted in my head when I sent out the email on what I would like put on my quilt. Well the effort and hard work you put in to my quilt out shone the image I thought it would look like. It is amazing and too good to use on the ship. It is better than I thought it would look like.

    I showed most of the crew on HMAS Darwin this morning after opening the parcel and I saw so many jaws drop in amazement at how good the Quilt you made turned out. I am forever grateful for the quilt and I will cherish it for many years. I find it a great memento of the hard work the crew and I of HMAS Darwin put in over the 7 month deployment.  I am also grateful to all the team of Aussie Hero Quilt for the time and effort put in to the quilts that every one enjoys receiving. 

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Good Morning/Afternoon Jan-Maree,

I’m happy to report that I received my quilt and laundry bag yesterday, thank-you.  They are fantastic and I am extremely grateful.

Rita Mee has done a wonderful job and I will be contacting her personally to thank her also.

As mentioned in my last email, I think you have created a fantastic initiative.  I’m sure I speak for all men and women serving in the Australian Defence Force when I say that it’s kind people like yourself and your amazingly generous team that make us proud to be Australian and proud to defend Australia’s people and interests.

Thank-you again for this wonderful (and useful) memento of my time here in Afghanistan, and I can’t wait to show my wife when I return to Canberra, Australia in about two months’ time.

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Hi Louise,

I received the Laundry bag that you sewed for me. It will come in really handy over here, I've already used it a couple times. I'm just emailing to say thank you. I thought it was really cool to receive and to know that people back home care enough to put that much work in.

  

Thanks again,

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