Grati-Tuesday 15 Dec

Hi all, ten days til Christmas... are you ready???  Stressed?? 

Take my advice, grab a cuppa and take a few minutes and read some of these messages. I guarantee you will feel better.

Enjoy

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Hi Jan-Maree

I would like to thank you for the great quilt Sue N made.   I'm currently in XXXX and while be here for a while.   The arrival of this quilt has made my day. 

Thank you. 

Kind regards, 

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Hi Fran,

Wow, thank you very much for my quilt and laundry bag! It is amazing and so much more than I expected. It is very humbling to receive something like that personally made and with a thank you. I have sent my beautiful quilt home as a gift for my husband, he is the one really doing the hard yards at home with our two daughters aged 8 and 6, of course they are sad their mum is away however understand it is part of my job. They are counting down the days, as am I! 

Your work and the work of the other volunteers is very much appreciated over here and everyone looks forward to receiving their ‘surprise’ in the mail. It is a very special thing to us and would like to thank you again. 

Lastly, I’m glad to hear my Hawthorn quilt and laundry bag came from a fellow Hawthorn supporters home, it makes it just that much more special! Go hawks!

Thanks again Fran,
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Dear Cher T,

Today I received the quilt and laundry bag you made for me and I was blown away. They are awesome!! I will use them while here and give them to my boy when I get home, who will love them even more than me. They do indeed radiate with love and warmth. 

Thank you so much. 

Kindest Regards

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Good Morning Joan & Robin,

Thank you for the laundry bag it is much appreciated. Joan you need not worry about the choice of material as every time I see the bag the pirate island theme makes me smile, I love it.

Cheers

and from the same fellow when I sought permission to publish his photo...

Thank you for starting the Aussie hero quilts, it does make a difference. Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved.

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Hello Jan Maree

I am writing to say thank you for the lovely quilt you sent to me (made by Rita M). It is starting to get a bit cooler, but to tell you the truth, no colder than Canberra in February. Its not so bad here but I do miss my kids and have promised my daughter my quilt when I arrive back home. She graduates from primary school today.

You and your friends are doing a wonderful job, and I can speak from everyone who has received a quilt or laundry bag, they are very happy with the designs and obvious care that has gone in to producing them

Thanks again, have a wonderful Christmas

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Dear Anne and Alan,

We all appreciate the awesome Laundry Bags we have received. They have been very useful and we do love some of the interesting patterns and colors.

They have certainly livened up the Mess. Our issue bags are pretty boring just some mesh and string, Very cost effective for the Navy hah.

It was interesting to read about you and your husband both serving in the Navy, much respect.
And I hope you have a lovely Christmas

Best Wishes and a Merry Christmas.

Kind Regards,
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Dear Rebecca,

Recently I received your delightful Aussie Hero quilt and it was such a pleasure to receive a wonder item made with much care. I find it absolutely wonderful and would like to thank you for taking time to make something special for someone that you have not met. Receiving a gift like this while away from home does brighten up ones day and I have now placed the quilt on the foot on my bed.

Once again, thank you for the quilt, it is something that I will treasure.

Have a happy and safe Christmas.

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Hi Sue N,

Thank you for making me this beautiful quilt. It must have taken you a lot of time and effort, and I am thrilled to receive it.

 I am 24 years old and this is my second deployment to the Middle East and I am enjoying it. I am in the Army, however I am surrounded by predominately Airforce members (which is awesome).

I saw the quilt on the facebook page a few nights before receiving it. I saw the laundry bag below and really hoped that it was the one I would get. When I saw the package on my desk it made me so happy and it turned a bad day into a great day! I showed it off to everyone, they all loved it and are a bit jealous I think ☺.

My mum is 53 years old too, she likes knitting and crochet. We used to knit squares for the homeless when I was younger. I actually bought some wool over to do some squares, I have had no time do do any yet.

I'm not sure when you sent this lovely quilt, I got it on the 16th November.

Your children are very lucky to have such a lovely thoughtful and caring mother.

Thank you again for taking the time and effort to make this quilt for me. It is perfect and I love how much detail and effort you put in and the detail is amazing.

Kind regards,

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Dear Jan-Maree and Bev

Thank you very much for the Aussie Hero laundry bag (and the lollies!) that I received today. I love the design, particular because I'm a WA lad, so the Black Swan means a lot to me.

Thankyou for the great work you do, it means alot to the guys and girls here that there a people like you out there thinking of us.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Regards,
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Hi Joan,

I hope this small token of my appreciation finds you well and gives you even a small portion of the satisfaction your kind gesture did for me this year.

The laundry bag proved exceptionally useful during the deployment and will continue to serve me for future trips as I tend to be away quite a lot.

The gratitude should be extended to you for the kindness you bring to those deployed away from everything they hold dear.

I have lost count of how many different and cleverly designed laundry bags I have spotted over my tenure. 

I know this is only trivial compared to your kind gift, but hopefully it improves your day and that you and your family have a Happy and Prosperous Christmas.

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Hi Karen,

Thanks heaps for the laundry bag and goodies.  It was an unexpected surprise as I had only corresponded with Jan-Maree about a quilt request.

The good news is the laundry bag and quilt match.

I am really pleased that you have joined the Aussie Hero Quilt group; I think it is a fantastic idea and I encourage you to continue.

The little treats in the package are a good morale boost, I don’t know who put you onto that idea, but it’s great!

Please know that I will keep this bag and quilt as a special keepsake when I return to Australia, they mean a great deal to me already.

Thank you,

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Hi Jacqui,
I'm a reservist soldier from currently deployed to rifle company Butterworth in Malaysia. Just wanted to offer my sincere thanks for the laundry bag. Thank you again for the thought. It's not the best time of year to be deployed (worse since my birthday is January as well) so it's good to know. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

From a very hot, sunny and frequently rainy Malaysia.

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Hi Jean,

How are you?

Thank you for the laundry bag, looks great. Adds some brightness to my room.

Travelling is great, I am lucky enough to be aircrew in the RAAF, so get to do so as a job.

Once again thank you for the laundry bag but mostly for your support.

Have a wonderful Xmas with your family.

Cheers

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Hi Olivia,

I just collected the mail and was surprised and so pleased to receive the quilt you have created for me. It is beautiful and so so perfect!!! I love the colours, they're so bright and cheery and the detail of the runner on the bottom corner, it's just amazing thank you! I love the fabrics you have chosen and it reminds me a lot of home, the flowers and leaves from our gardens, the kangaroos in our paddocks, that come up to the yard and eat our lawn! The birds remind me of our chickens and all the birdlife at home, the cherries and bees from our orchard and that hang around the lavender in the garden, and the love hearts for my daughter and partner back home. I don't know how you did it, but it could not have been more perfect for me.

Thank you for the lovely letter and gifts as well, just what I need. 

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family, and thank you for the work you put into creating these quilts for us. I know everyone here really appreciates them.

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Noeleen,

I received a beautiful quilt made by you and sent to me in Iraq.

The quilt is stunning and I can see how much love and effort has been put into creating such a beautiful piece.

Many of my friends were jealous of the beauty, and of all the colours and beautiful patterns you created.

It was a perfect match for me and so lovely to have something so special made for me.

You’ve created a beautiful reminder of my time overseas.

Merry Christmas, all the best.

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Good evening Gay,

I firstly want to thank you for the Aussie Hero Quilt that you have sent me. It is absolutely beautiful and is an item I will cherish forever.

The quality and workmanship of the piece is outstanding and I really do have to compliment and thank you again for your effort into making such a treasured item. I am absolutely positive my wife and three boys will love it over the winter time in North Queensland (although, it is not much of a winter there :) )

Thank you again Gay, I do hope everything is going well for you and your family on the land and you enjoy the Christmas break, from the note you have provided, you have all earned it!

Best wishes for the festive season and warmest regards,

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Hello Jan-Maree,

Just to let you know that I received my Laundry Bag yesterday and I just love it.  I have written a personal letter to Di T to let her know I have received my laundry bag and to thank her for it and the care pack of goodies that she has sent to me.

I also saw my laundry bag on the “Aussie Hero Quilts (and laundry bags) face book page and liked it there as well.

Thanks again, the hard work, dedication and beautiful work undertaken by you and your team is truly admired by all personnel within the MER.

Kind regards,

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

Jan-Maree  xxx