Grati-Tuesday 4 August

Hi Christine,

First of all, a sincere thank you for the fantastic quilt you made for me. It's fantastic and now resides on my bed to add some colour and brings good memories to mind when I see the patches of 4wd'ing and sea theme.

You have a great taste in colour if I might say so, as well as yours and your husband's hobbies! I am a logistics officer by trade and have been in for 10 years now. I've had a bit to do with Hercules Engineers in my travels to date, they're a professional and hard-working bunch.

Its reassuring to know that our efforts here are appreciated, even though it may be difficult for the Australian public to understand how it relates to them. All I can say is that it's better the battle is being had away from our shores. 

Once again a sincere thank you, and I've attached a photo of myself with the quilt.

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Hi Jill,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag and care package, it was greatly appreciated. A little about myself, I have been in the Defence force for close to 30 years - and am still enjoying it. I have been married for 23 years and have two sons, a daughter and a 10 month old grandson as well as two cats and a dog. 

My family (most of them) live in Canberra, and are currently enjoying the winter, I'm in the fortunate position of being able to communicate with them on a regular basis.

Well, must go - again thank you for the gift.

Cheers

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Hi Cheri,

I am the Navy Electronics Technician on deployment in the middle east for whom you made an Arsenal quilt. First of all, WOW!!! I didn't know what to expect when I asked for a quilt and the detail and effort you put in, astounds me. Thankyou sooooooo much :-D I had so many mates commenting how awesome the quilt is and it's that good I think I'm just going to add it to my collection of Arsenal items. Cannot wipe the smile off my face so again, thankyou!

We are currently in Dubai and it's HOT. 47 in the shade yesterday but such an amazing place if you have ever been. Lots of money splashed about here. I can't wait to get home to my partner and our little french bulldog Henri.

Yes, he was named after my favourite footballer Thierry Henry whom you know so much about now haha. 

Hope this finds you well and glad we are all doing you proud.

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This was shared on Facebook but for the non-facebookers.....

Wow. Thank you soooooo much! I absolutely love it. It will sit on my bed over here in South Sudan but will be mounted on my wall at home (aka Egyptian museum).

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Hi Barb, 

Just sending you a thank you email for my absolutely wonderful quilt and laundry bag. 

It honestly filled me with utter joy to open that box. Thanks so much!

That photo is gorgeous and it's a great reminder of home. 

I am incredibly grateful for your efforts on the quilt and laundry bag.

Thanks again! 

Kind regards

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Last week I had the pleasure of presenting the Captain of HMAS Success with his quilt made by Irene.  It has been finished just before the last days of being able to post and the Captain decided that it was safer to wait till he got home to give it to him.... then came leave, and work and so on..... so Friday it was.   He loved it Irene and you will be hearing from him.

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Hi Jean,

I'm just writing to say thank you so much for the Laundry Bag. It looks amazing.

I appreciate all you wonderful ladies spending the time doing this as do the rest of the personnel in operations and we are grateful for the support.

I am missing my family and am looking forward to heading home once my deployment is over.

All the best.

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Hi Jean!!!

Thank you so much for the doggie laundry bag, I absolutely love it! The material is so cute and the colour on the back is so cheery! I am so impressed you got my initials on there too, that is awesome! There must be 8 different types of material on there, you've done such an amazing job!

I've just returned back to the Middle East after 2 glorious weeks of mid-deployment leave. I met up with my husband and we went on a cruise around the Greek Islands, it was amazing. The postcards don't lie, the little white cubic houses and churches with blue dome roofs are perched up on the hills overlooking it ocean. It was so beautiful.

So I was feeling very sad to come back last night because it's still a few months before I go back home. Then I saw there was a package waiting for me and it was the laundry bag you made! It made me laugh and really picked me back up again. Such perfect timing.

Thank you again for the efforts you put in, it is so lovely and I will definitely treasure it. Now to do some laundry!!!!

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Dear Jill,

I just wanted to email and personally thank you for the awesome laundry bag that you have made - I love it! We have six aircrew and ten maintainers onboard and they will all be jealous when I show them - we are all helicopter fanatics (as you would expect since it is our job!).

It is a very humbling experience receiving packages from people that we have never met, and whilst we are deployed, knowing that there are people (other than our immediate families) at home that care keeps us motivated and focused on doing our jobs as best we can. 

I will send you a photo of myself with your bag as soon as we are able and I can assure you that the lollies will also be given a good home!

I hope all is well for you back home and once again thanks for your support, it means a great deal to me personally and to the rest of the crew onboard.

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Hi Pennie, 

I would like to say a huge thank you for the lovely colourful laundry bag you made for me and how much I appreciate the time and effort you put in to making such a masterpiece, It's been put to good use especially up here in the heat of the Dubai summer where I'm having to wash every second day. 

It's really nice to know we are being thought about when so far from home and that you and so many others are wanting to make our experience just that little bit better. 

Thanks again for brightening up my day!

Warm regards,

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Dear Lynn,

I received my amazing Aussie Hero quilt yesterday that you so generously made and sent over to South Sudan.

I can see that you have put a lot of time and effort into designing and sewing what is definitely a beautiful piece of art. I was not aware that so many people are involved in making these quilts. It is such a team effort. Please also pass on my sincere gratitude to Sandra, Debbie, Jan-Maree and any others that have assisted you with making this great quilt.

You have captured my sport and fitness passion perfectly and made the quilt even more special with having an icon of the Brisbane Bronco’s (my rugby team that I have followed since I was much younger),  Petero Civoniceva, personally sign one of the patches. Even that I currently live in Canberra, my home is Brisbane.

The quilt is proudly laid at the end of the bed in South Sudan. I know that my girls will fight over it when I return from operations later in the year (especially if Brisbane takes out the minor premiership!).

Your letter was a beautiful read and added such a personal touch to this great gift. I really enjoyed reading the letter and hearing about your family, your history and of course your passion supporting the Aussie Hero Quilts.  Please tell Arthur that I believe you have worked off your probation!

The support that Aussie Hero Quilts provides Australian deployed personnel, not only her in South Sudan, is amazing and greatly assists the maintenance of morale while we are away for long periods of time from our families and friends.

Shortly, I will organise a picture of the entire contingent holding their quilts and blog on the OP ASLAN facebook page to thank Aussie Hero quilts for their amazing support for the members of the Australian Contingent serving with the United Nations in South Sudan.  

Thank you again for your passion, ongoing support to Aussie deployed around the world and the amazing quilts you produce.        

Kind regards,

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GDay Joan and Robin,

I am a recipient of one of your lovely laundry bags.

I would like to thank you for your time and effort that goes into making these wonderful items.
I received my Coca Cola designed bag on 25th July. It was a great surprise to receive this bag.

A bit about the person you did all this work for.
I joined the navy straight from school. In my 23 years I have done over 19 years in sea going positions, firstly on Destroyer Escorts, then on Patrol boats and Landing Craft.  Most of the patrol time was north of Darwin but some patrols took me south of Tasmania and around to Adelaide. This is my second run to the MER on a Frigate. First time was on HMAS Melbourne and we spent Christmas Day in Aqaba, Jordan. I must admit I am looking forward to getting home for a couple of months before my girlfriend heads off on her upcoming MER deployment.

Once again, Thank you very much for your kindness
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Dear Rosemary,

Thank you so much for the quilt you made for me. I received it a few days ago and I love it. The colours that you used are exactly what I was hoping for.

I have already been using it while I am in my room at nights as my room mate has the air conditioner on very cold and it really makes my room a lot brighter and homely.
 I work as part of the Air Load Team which means we load and unload cargo and passenger aircraft. We have been deployed since the beginning of April and still have another two and a half months before we come home. I have enjoyed my time over here, although it is very hot which can be hard to deal with at times.

Thank you again for my quilt, I will be very proud to take it home and have it on display in my house.

I hope you are well.

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Leanne,

I have just received your very well made and lovely Quilt. The time and effort that you and the other members of AHQ  invest is well received by all here in the Middle East Region (MER). Please pass my thanks to all in AHQ.

I plan to have the quilt framed as a momento of my time here in the MER and to remind me of the great work and support that all the members of AHQ give to us Defence members. Will also try to have a photo taken and sent back to your organisation and possibly displayed in my local newspaper back home in Wagga.

Thanks again for your support.

Regards

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OMG I love it!!!!!! 

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 Thank you so much Aussie Hero Quilts especially the very talented Carol L 

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for making this beautiful quilt. Its totally amazing.

Thank you so much for my beautiful quilt. Carol L you are amazing. The previous photo did the quilt no justice at all. Hopefully this pics will show how beautiful it is. Thank you so much xxxxxxx

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Hi Heather,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag you and Gail made for me, its great. Its funny how little bits of Australiana themed items reminds me of home.

I've been over in the Middle east now for around 4 months and only have a couple to go. Its been a rewarding experience myself, although definitely missing home.
I'm based in Darwin back in Australia with the Air Force. I have a wife and 18 month old daughter at home and I miss them to pieces. My daughter has already changed so much from when I left. I worry she won't recognise me, but maybe I'm catastrophising. My wife reckons she points at photos of me and says dada. She's cute as a button. But deployments are a rewarding experience in itself and the hard parts seem to get less hard with time, especially looking back many years on.

Thanks again for thinking of us, and making us these items. My mum and sister are keen quilters and I know how much time and money is invested into every one of them. Really means a lot. And I'll definitely enjoy the goodies too!

Please pass my thanks onto everyone who assisted.

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Dear Robyn,
                        Thank you so much for your hard work and for taking the time to make a laundry bag for a total stranger. I have been deployed a number of times now through out the world (this is my third deployment in the Gulf) and received various care packages (especially nice during Xmas) from different community groups. Your son will definitely come to appreciate the effort you have gone to once he starts going away and receives a surprise from at total stranger thanking him for his work. (I can imagine you are very proud of him). This however is the first time I have ever received my own personalised  laundry bag , so once again thank you very much.  And yes I do like motorcycles, I have had them since I was 13 and currently have a 2008 Harley Davidson FXDB and a 1942 Harley Davidson WLA (WW2 military model). If you're yawning at this information I will understand.

A little bit about myself is; I have served for over 17 years now, completing a 7 year stint then getting out for 7 years only to return and clock up another 10. My wife says the secret to our successful marriage is the amount of time I spend at sea!  Last year my family was living interstate and I saw them for a total of 50 days due to work. I had actually just moved them down to where I work and was crash posted at short notice to this Ship and subsequent deployment.  So this year I have seen them for at maybe 20 days .
 Every department onboard likes to claim the others are just passengers and without them there is no reason to be out here. Our motto comes down to the good old catch cry of " We put warheads on foreheads" sorry tacky military humour there.
So once again thank you very much for taking the time to make the laundry bag and send my "diabetes pack".
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Dear Sue N,

  Thank you for your quilt and laundry bag. I cannot even start to explain how much it truly means to me to receive such beautiful, thoughtful hand made items. I feel exceptionally lucky and blessed to have been a recipient of your handywork.

 I love Babushkha Dolls and collect anything Babushkha and some would say I am an unfortunate supporter of the Demons, but my heart beats red and blue so I would not have it any other way!!

Learning how to sew has been one of the most enjoyable skills I have ever learnt and also very rewarding. If I can get my skills up to an acceptable level (!!!) I'd love to make laundry bags for Aussie Hero Quilts... It may take me a few years to get my quilting skills together.. How you did mine so quickly blows my mind! It would take me months to quilt anything remotely like your work, with a lot of help too!

Thank you once again for your time, effort and thought you have put into our amazing quilts and bags. I will be thankful for and treasure mine for a very long time and never forget the generosity of those involved in Aussie Hero Quilts.

Take care and happy sewing,

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G’day Linda and Stan,

I just wanted to let you know your sewing efforts had made it through the mail system to South Sudan – it’s a slow system but it usually gets here and both packages got through.

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Many thanks for your sterling efforts – I’ve been amazed by all the quilts I’ve seen and have been looking forward to seeing mine!

It will be used too, have no fear!

Its pretty hot over here of course and if I was in a tent I wouldn’t need anything more than a mosquito net!

Fortunately, we’re pretty well accommodated here in Australia House and have air conditioning, but mine is too warm on one setting and too cold on the next.

I’m finding the colder setting is just right with a blanket now and far more comfortable! Coming from Tassie I’m used to snuggling into a blanket.

All the guys and girls on the contingent really appreciate the blankets and laundry bags – they show a lot of imagination and dedication and will be the most valued reminder taken home.

We did a photo of everyone with their bags at the start of the deployment (ANZAC day actually). After we get people back from leave I’m hoping to organise another group photo of blankets as well.

Keep a lookout on Facebook (Australian Defence Force in South Sudan) where we’re posting lots of photos - I think Aussie Heroes Quilts and Laundry Bags are linked to the page.

Thank-you again for the good wishes and gifts from home – it really makes our day out here!

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Dear Julie-Ann,

Thank you so much for the laundry bag you made for me. I received it a few days ago and absolutely love it. When I asked for something to do with the 100th Anniversary of Anzac Day, I had no idea what would come back, but what you did is amazing!! I am so happy with it and everyone I have showed is very jealous of it. It is so special for me to have that now and be able to remember this special time we were deployed over.

I have always been envious of people with personalised laundry bags when I go to the laundry, but am now proud to be one of them!!

Thank you for telling me a little about yourself and also for the lollies you put in the parcel. Aussie Hero Quilts is a great organisation and they are so appreciated over here while we're deployed. I think what you do is wonderful and it certainly puts a smile on our faces. I can understand why you get no sewing done when you have your grandson for the day! My sister has had a baby while I have been away and I can not wait to get home and spend lots of time with him. I went home to meet him and also help my sister out as he was born nine weeks early, so it has been hard being away from them.

I work as part of the Air Load Team which means we load and unload cargo and passenger aircraft. We have been deployed since the beginning of April and still have another two and a half months before we come home. I have enjoyed my time over here, although it is very hot which can be hard to deal with at times. I am glad we will be home before Christmas as I love spending my holidays in Adelaide with my family.

Thank you again for the amazing laundry bag you made for me, I can't tell you how much it means to me.

I hope you are well.
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Dear Jan-Maree
Thank you very much for the laundry bag I received from a random parcel that turned up at our hospital. The one I took with me was starting to get holes so I received the new one at a good time.  It was also nice to read your letter and find out about Aussie Hero Quilts.  I had not heard of you before this.  Thanks so much also to Bernina for their support.

This is my first deployment to the MER. It is very hot, dry and dusty here.  it is fairly repetative working every day but we break up the week with various social things.  

Good luck to you and AHQ into the future.  The work you do is much appreciated by everyone here.
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G'day Jan-Maree

I am currently deployed to Iraq - specifically TAJI. I am writing to say a very big thank you to all your wonderful Quilters across Australia for the quilts that they recently sent across for the Aussies here, it brought many a smile to the faces here.

They were looked at and compared and now I see lots of colourful laundry bags making their way back and forth across to the laundry.  It's true that the kind gestures of strangers sometimes have a huge impact on morale, and this was definitely the case here.

The quilters are truly talented and their efforts, pride and joy in making something for our troops is greatly appreciated. Please pass on to all who have up their time to make these for us. Of course it goes without saying to express our thanks to Greg Alexander (from Bernina) and his team in supporting this great "Aussie Quilts" group.

My mum is a quilter and she made me a wonderful quilt to bring across with me, and I am so grateful for it.  Mum also makes Quilts for charity - childrens' hospitals, Starlight Foundation and Variety for kids.  I know how excited she gets when she has finished a quilt to be sent with others, so I can only imagine the pride with which you quilters make these laundry bags for us. 

I would also like to thank you for your support of all the troops wherever we are serving across the world, and for your thoughtfulness.

Kind regards

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Till next time..............keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree  xx