Another car load of to the Post Office........

It has been a huge week at HQ Aussie Heroes.   At the end of last week this is how my table looked.   This was just SOME of the quilts I wanted to get in the mail this week. One Monday morning, once the request list was done, and in between answering request list emails, I got stuck into printing address labels and writing covering letters to go with all these quilts. 

On Tuesday I kept going so that by Wednesday the majority of  letters were written and the quilts which needed crests or labels were set aside so that they could be sorted on Wednesday when we had a sewing day. 

Wednesday day was a huge day.   Bridget arrived just after 9 with the mail, shortly followed by Bev U. We had loads of mail to sort through and photograph and has just about finished when our first visitor,  a Major, not long home from Kabul, arrived to receive his quilt and bag. 

The WPH ladies worked hard all day with the proceedings punctuated by various visitors.  Chaplain Christine dropped in for lunch. She was with the Air Task Group last year and early this year and wanted to touch base before being posted out of the state in the near future. 

Later in the afternoon Jay and Tessa from Veterans 360 dropped in to say hello, to collect a few quilts for the veterans they are trying to help and to have a homecooked meal.  

Earlier in the week I had been questioning if I would be able to achieve my goal of getting all these quilts in the mail by Saturday morning when I received a message from a recipient, now friend, called Lisa. She said she had some spare time and would I like a sewing day or some help.... WOULD I????

Lisa drove down from Newcastle yesterday arriving around 930 and got stuck into packing quilts.   She must have packed solidly from 930 to about 130 or so, if not longer. We did stop briefly for lunch but then got back into it. Thankfully Bridget had come along as well as we kept finding quilts that did not have labels on them.  No sooner would Lisa think she was reducing the size of the pile of quilts than Bridget would take another few out to the table.  No sooner would Bridget think she had sewn the last label than Lisa would find another one for her. 

At about 3pm this is what my kitchen table looked like!  There is no way that all of these quilts would have been packed and ready to go without the efforts of the WPH ladies and especially Bridget and Lisa!  Bravo ladies. 

And just when we had to load them info my car... it was time for a visit from the chaplain who will be deploying on our next ship.  Awesome timing.  So grateful for their help to load the car last night!

So that is what 31 quilts look like loaded into my car.  Thank goodness I don't drive a mini!!!

Up early and off to the shops for breakfast so that I can reverse park my car right next to the Post Office.  Two trolley loads later and all boxes lodged and ready for the next stage of their trip.

Some of the quilts in the collection include several from the Talking Threads Valhalla Quilters, from Maddy in Tasmania and also include the latest ANZAC Tribute Quilt that many of you sent in poppy blocks for.    Well done everyone!

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

Jan-Maree xx