Weekly Dispatches 17 Feb 17

Well it has been a HUGE week this week.

it is Thursday night as I write this as I won't have any time tomorrow.

All around the country there are people making laundry bags and quilts, embroidering patches to be included in quilts and laundry bags and more.  This week though, after a huge week, a massive day today and another big day tomorrow, I want to take a minute to say thank you to the ladies that come and sew at my home.  

Actually "sew" is such an understatement. They do sew quilts and laundry bags but they do sooo much more.

They collect the mail, they take parcels to post.  They pack parcels, they shop for me for fabric and other things we need.

They do all the GRUNT work that often people do not want to do. They quilt, they bind, they sew on labels, they trim BOMs to size, they cut batting and backing. They sort donated fabric and tidy everything more than once. 

They help me with photographing everything that comes in.  They hold up quilts and laundry bags and arrange blocks.

Today as an example, we sorted out requests for about 100 troops.  We allocated quilts and folded and packed up a bunch.  They pulled out fabric and made up kits for us to sew in Penrith on Saturday, tomorrow at our sewing day, and to send away to a quilter who is filling requests. 

Tomorrow there is a stack of quilts that need layering and some of them will go home with sore backs from bending over the table to do it.  

Much of what they do goes unnoticed and unrewarded apart from the satisfaction of knowing that they are doing something to support our troops who very much appreciate what we do.  Noone sends them a thank you letter for layering all these quilts or binding them etc.  Noone notices them going to the PO with a 5kg parcel or collecting armloads of mail. Noone notices them stopping off to buy fabric on the way to or from a sewing day.

Noone but me!  and maybe their husbands who notice they often come home with more than they left with... homework to be completed before the next sewing day. 

I notice! and I just want to say a HUGE thank you to these wonderful ladies who I am so proud to work with.   Make no mistake, there would be people NOT getting quilts and LBs without their efforts and so I just wanted to say again, a huge thank you.  

I won't name you as it is late as I write this and I am a tad weary.  I am afraid that I will forget someone, but if you come to my home to work  for AHQ please know that I appreciate every thing you do and more than that, I appreciate the wonderful spirit that you do it in. 

I am blessed to work with such a wonderful team!  

Thank you.

And now for this week's massive show and tell.

So far for 2017 we have sent off 491 laundry bags 

which brings us to a total of 13613 since we started...

and...

We have also sent 244 quilts 

bringing our total since we started to over 6899 quilts

Lynne V used some BOMs to create this awesome quilt 

Bridget

This one is a bit of a joint effort.  Brian airbrushed Marvin, I appliqued the anchor, helicopter and ship and Bridget did the rest.  

Caroline G

Caroline L 

Cath W

Cheryl T

Clarissa

Another joint effort. The Sig Corps badge was hand embroidered by Maureen.  The large blue embroidery with the Rising Sun was created by Cheri.  The flags were created by some of the WPH ladies and the quilt top was put together by Bridget.

Diann

Pat and Helen G

Joan  

Joan H 

Joan Mck

Joy H

Julie L

June A

Kate K

Krazy Kwilters

Lisa N

Luisa

Lydia 

Lynn made this quilt top and Bridget added the roundel to it. 

Lynn created the quilt top and Bridget quilted it.

Lynn M 

Lynette L-L

Madelyne

 Marg C  

Margaret B

Michele

Nicole W

North of the Yarra Quilt Group

Pam Hu

Pam Y

Pennie

Philomena

Rainbow Quilters

Robyn W

Ruth 

Sandra D

Sandy C made this top using BOMs and Anne MacG quilted it.

Sue N 

Sue P  

Tamsin

Vicky

 Ailsa

Amanda B

Betty S 

Bev F 

Di G took some BOMs and made this quilt top which was then quilted by Jo H NSW 

Blocks made by Dorothy were put together by Bev F.

Awesome job everyone... 

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

Jan-Maree  xx