Grati-Tuesday 8 September

Greetings from Canberra.  Some really lovely messages for you to enjoy tonight so grab a cuppa and enjoy some goodness. 

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Hi, my son has come home today from the Middle East , he was on HMAS Newcastle, his quilt and laundry bag was made by Robyn W, I would like to just give her a big thank you. It is such a wonderful thing done for our service guys and girls. I will send a photo of him and his quilt and bag.

Thank you

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Hi Kate,

First off can I apologise for my tardiness in the delay in sending you a very big thank you for the time and effort in producing my brilliant quilt.  I had not heard of Aussie Hero Quilts before this deployment and had not seen any of the previous quilts sent to other deployed units, so I did not know what to expect.  I did not rip in and take the plastic off the quilt but read your nice letter first.  To say I was over-joyed with the finished product would be an understatement.  It goes beyond my expectations.  I think the picture of Newcastle really sets it off.  I have tried to find all the embroideries sections.  For information, “HTGP” stands for "How Good is the Puss" which is slang for Navy.

I have not had a chance to look up the tutorial you mentioned, but will when I get on a reliable internet.  Ships one is not flash and very slow.

I am a 30 year veteran of the Navy.  I enjoy passing on all my knowledge and experience to my younger members to allow them to achieve to be better sailors.

I am married, this was our 29^th anniversary and have two great daughters, one of which has followed me into the Navy.

Once again thank you very much for the quilt and well wishes.

Kind regards

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Dear Pennie,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag and treats which arrived on Monday.  The treats were certainly well received and I have to admit, didn’t last very long when I brought them into the workplace.

The laundry bag is wonderful and has already replaced my dodgy old pillow case; it is worth its weight in gold.  I’m very proud that the fabric is actually from the Western Front region in France, it just adds that additional, special meaning particularly in this ANZAC centenary year.

I am personally very humbled that you have taken the time to put this package together and I know that all of the other members here who have received gifts feel exactly the same.  This is my sixth deployment throughout my career and the first time that I have been the recipient of such a thoughtful and practical gift.

Your work is sincerely appreciated.  For personnel deployed on operations being able to see tangible evidence that we have the support of good folk like yourself from home makes what we are doing seem so much more worthwhile.  So from me on behalf of all the other servicemen and women deployed; thank you.

Warmest regards 

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Dear Joan & Robin,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag that you so kindly made for me….a much unexpected surprise :-D

I received your bespoke laundry bag during our second and last visit to the Seychelles, but I must admit that it has been a while that I have been able to find time to reply and to thank you for such a quality piece of work.

As a Navy Imagery Specialist (Photographer), my job is to document life at sea with the use of a variety of stills and video cameras.  I cover the various evolutions (events) which we carry out, such as public relations or the more important task of documenting the operational side of what we do, such as the seizing of narcotics that we find onboard some of the Dhow’s that we come across.

As I am the only Imagery Specialist onboard, a lot of my time is spent in post production with my imagery and vision that I take and rarely get to bed before 11pm (sometimes later).  My reward is that I get to see my imagery and vision used in the various media outlets from time to time. 

I hope that you continue to keep up the fantastic work that you have been doing, knowing that every laundry bag or quilt that you make is greatly appreciated from those receiving one, including myself.

Once again, I thank you for your time, your efforts and your generosity into making this wonderful laundry bag and I wish you all the very best for your continued support for our Defence Force.  All the very best to you both…and again, thank you.

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Hi Joan and Robin, 

I just wanted to write a quick email to thank you for your beautiful laundry bag! It was a Cherry blossom one and I absolutely love it.   Thank you very much. 

Also - thank you for doing what you do, it makes every difference and definitely brightens the days of those that receive  one of your handmade gifts.

Much appreciated, 

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Hi Sophie,

Just a note to say many thanks for the care package - treats and laundry bags are always gratefully accepted here and we have had many people coming and going of late. Your letter was also very kind - it is so comforting to know that people at home are thinking about us.

I have been here about four months now and am starting to count down until home time. Still a few weeks to go though. I saw the heat of summer and the weather here has started to cool down now - a welcome change. By the time I leave they are anticipating snow on the mountains so it will be nice to come home to an Australian summer. I'm based in Sydney so am looking forward to spending some time back at the beach! 

Again, thank you for all your love and support to deployed troops. I cannot explain the joy that people get when they receive little things from home. It really is appreciated by each and every one of us.

Best wishes,

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Hello Black Head Beach Quilters and Beth D,

I received your lovely quilt in the mail today - it is really nice and has such a beautiful Australian themed pattern. I showed everyone in the office the quilt, they really like it too. I am the only Aussie where I am, they are all different Nationalities so it is a nice representation of Australia. Wow what an amazing photo and location to meet at and do quilto in the future. I showed my 4yr old son the quilt on Skype and he also likes it - I will give it to him when I return home next year.

I will try and get a photo of myself with the quilt, it is difficult to email photos out from this part of the world, for obvious reasons so it may take a few weeks.

Kindest regards, and once again thanks for the lovely quilt and the support you provide through this wonderful organisation.

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Dear Jan-Maree,

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for the quilts that have been made with thoughtfulness and care,  These quilts are very popular amongst the deployed personnel within the Middle Eastern Region and they generate a great deal of morale and excitement, which is very important living in our conditions away from our families.  The quilts that are individual, expertly made and generously donated are greatly appreciated and provide a personal touch to each of our members.

Please pass on out thanks to all volunteers that are involved in the making of the quilts and thank you for your continued support and efforts.

XXXX

Group Captain

Commander Task Unit

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G’day Rita M!

Firstly, sorry it has taken me this long to reply.  As you can imagine work keeps us very busy here and I have been working some very long hours, day and night.

The blanket is amazing!  Thank you so much!  I have had it on my bed since the day of receiving it.  It’s a welcome addition to my quilt as (due to the extreme heat here) the guys in my tent have the air conditioning on very low, so night times can get quite cold.  May I ask how long it typically takes you to make a quilt?  I imagine quite some time.

I had a taste of sewing in high school many years ago.  We had a few semesters of Home Economics and were given the task of making aprons, pyjamas, etc.  I did pretty well at it, but my interests definitely were with the wood working class.  I guess that’s what lead to my undertaking an apprenticeship as a Cabinet Maker straight out of school  Unfortunately the money wasn’t the greatest producing furniture so it lead me to look elsewhere – welcome the RAAF.

I’ve been in the Air Force now for just over ten years.  This is my fourth deployment overseas and upon completion of this trip, would have committed just over two years of my life serving overseas.  I’m very proud to be able to say that and, despite everything I’ve missed out on during those trips, I wouldn’t change any of it.  They have all been great experiences, and have brought me some very strong friendships and fond memories.  Having said all that though, I will be trying to make this my last deployment for a while.  Leaving my partner at home for such prolonged periods of time is just as hard on her, and it delays our plans as a couple. 

Anyway Rita I must get back to work.  I only have 4-5 weeks left here before I get to return to Sydney!  The time has gone amazingly fast but I am looking forward to returning home and spending some quality time around the Sydney beaches!  I think we even have a weeks trip planned down at Mt Hotham for some snow time.

Thanks again so much for the quilt!  It’s an amazing quilt and you’re all very king to be spending your own time in making them for us!  They are all very much appreciated by all!

Hope this email finds you well Rita!

Take care J

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Good Afternoon Debbie,

Firstly I would like to say a big thankyou for putting in the time and effort to make me something very unique and special.  Its things like this that make us smile and makes us feel like we matter back home.

I'm finally about to take some much needed leave in Italy for 2 weeks with my fiancee and I can't wait to see her.

 I am born and bred in Brisbane and I cant wait to get back there and see how much things have changed. I am a huge broncos fan and hopefully they can take the premiership this year.

Good luck with the farm and I truly hope you guys get a good amount of rain.

Once again thankyou for you time and effort into  making this quilt for me. It will be treasured forever.  Keep up and good work and thanks for your support.

Sincerely
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Good morning Mrs Ball  

But I would like to thank you for helping make the quilt that I received. It is such an amazing design and I love everything about it. I can't believe that one of the squares was signed by Petero Civoniceva! It made a couple of the guys jealous when I told them that it was signed by an old broncos player.

I have only been onboard HMAS Newcastle since Feb 2014.This is my first overseas trip and I have loved every port that we have been to. It has definitely made me realise how much I love and appreciate Australia! Even though it has been heaps of fun going to new places and seeing what is out there we now have a count down at work for when we are home and its not long now!

You do an amazing job running the AHQ and we are all so grateful for all the time and effort you put in for us.
Once again, thank you so much!

Kind regards,
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Good Morning Liz B

I am currently onboard HMAS Newcastle participating in OP Manitou.

I would like to thank both you and Diane M for making my quilt. I received it in our latest mail run. I can't imagine how long it must have taken to create such a beautiful quilt.
I love everything about my quilt and I've had it on my rack every night since I have had it.
I was really surprised with the signature of Petero Civoniceva, you guys really do have some good connections. 

I really appreciate everything that you and the Aussie heroes do for people on deployment. It was such a good time on the ship when the girls in my mess receive their quilts or laundry bags everyone has loved the designs Aussie Heroes have come up with and the creativity in each quilt.

Thank you once again for everything!

Kind regards,
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Jan-Maree,

I have received my Aussie Hero Quilt (made by Lisa N) & it is absolutely beautiful.

 I like to say thank you to you & all the ladies that make these quilts, you put a smile on the faces of all the soldiers that receive them.

Once again thank you.
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Hello  Julie-Ann

First of all I would like to thank your time and effort making and sending the laundry bag for me. The workmanship and attention to detail is second to none. It will certainly stand out from the others and make it easy to find!
 I miss the family a lot however we are all quite used to spending time apart as this is not my first deployment.
The weather here is the antithesis of what you are having in Adelaide. Its not uncommon for days to reach 60 degrees Celsius here and we have had days with feels like temperatures of up to 70 degrees. Needless to say I am looking forward to the cooler months here and ultimately returning home to Brisbane in time for Christmas.
Thank you again for the laundry bag, I appreciate it.
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Till next time..............keep spreadng the word and happy stitching.

Jan-Maree xx