Grati-Tuesday 13 June

Lots of lovely messages tonight... enjoy!
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Hello Joan & Robin,

I just thought I'd write to pass on my sincere thanks to you both for the wonderful surprise I received in the mail today, which of course was a beautiful monogrammed laundry bag that you both so kindly made for me.

It's absolutely tremendous what you and others like you do for the men and women on deployment and each of the quilters should consider yourselves heroes for the sacrifices you make with your time and money to help make us feel that little closer to home.

Rest assured, this laundry bag will be a treasured item. As this is my first deployment in 26 years in the RAAF, the laundry bag will have an even more special significance for me.

Thank you again for your kind and generous gift - it was an honour and privilege to have received it. As per your request, I have attached a photo of me holding the bag, which you may share on your blog if you wish.

Sincerely

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Made by Bev F 

Morning Aussie Quilts ,

Please find the photos of my gorgeous quilt. This brought me nothing but happy tears and thoughts that I was proud of myself of the job I am doing over in the UAE. The time and personal touch that has been put into my quilt is evident.

Thank you so much for bringing me the joy that I felt. I will treasure this quilt and it will stay with me for a lifetime. xxoo

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Jan-Maree,

           I have returned from South Sudan and received my quilt that you had dropped off at my sister's place. As you can see from the photo it has many colours that are the same as my lounge. I really like the design ‎and all the details in the patterns. I understand the work that goes into making the quilts and mine in particular. Could you please pass on my thanks to Robyn, Abbies Long Arm Quilting and Lenore for all of their excellent work in making the quilt. It will take pride of place in my lounge where I will use it on the cold nights in Canberra when watching TV. It will always remind me of the wonderful support that ADF personnel receive from people like yourselves when we are deployed. I really appreciate the  work that Aussie Hero Quilts do for the ADF, and in turn all of your wonderful quilters that work so hard to produce results such as the beautiful quilt I have received.

Thanks

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Dear Ruth,

                      Thank you so much for the lovely laundry bag. It’s very thoughtful of you to go to that effort.  I picked yours because I’m a mum of two beautiful teenage girls and the material you choose reminds me of the doona covers they used to have on their beds when they were little.    Everyday when I look at your laundry bag hanging off the end of my bed I think of them and it makes my heart smile.  So thank you for your support it makes me feel better for being away from my family that another family are supporting me through their generosity.

                        May 2017 bring you, your family and especially your three grandchildren peace and prosperity.

            .....            

Dear Ruth 

Thank you very much for the laundry bag. It is a good reminder of home.

All the best

Regards

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Hi Ruth,

I have just received the laundry bag that you made for me.  The deployment is going well for us and we are proud of our achievements however the time away from home is difficult. Your package arrived on a day that I needed cheering up and I didn’t open it until I knocked off work so that I had something to look forward to.  It was nice to know that we are being thought of. The laundry bag is excellent and the timtams were a lovely thought. You brightened my day and I would like to thank you personally and on behalf of those who don’t write. Thank yo

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Hello Ruth,

                        I’m currently serving in the Middle East.  Being away from family is hard, especially in such a foreign country. I have a partner and a 3 year old son back home who I miss very much.  I just want to write you a quick note to say thank you for the effort you go to to make and send over the laundry bags. It makes a big difference to get a little slice of home, even when it is just doing the washing!

            So thanks again, Ruth – your laundry bags are much appreciated.

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Dear Beryl,

I write in regards to the simply amazing Quilt and Laundry bag duo that you sent me. i apologize for the lateness of this email, but i assure you i write this at the earliest convenience. Before I go on, i feel as though i should perhaps give you an insight into myself. 

First of all, I am a 21 Year old Brisbane boy, who never took too well to school. After I realized that my passion did not lie in conventional academics I completed my year 12 studies and immediately enlisted in the Australian Defense Force in March 2014. By September 2014 i was a fully qualified rifleman and joined the ranks of the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. After a few years and a lot of training we finally made it to Afghanistan, where i am currently serving my first tour (and loving every minute).

Over here we tend to miss a lot of things about home – Families, Partners, Pets etc- But things such as my new quilt and laundry bag make a world of difference and help an immeasurable amount with the home sickness that tends to set into platoons during long overseas operational deployments such as this one.

I am very grateful and humbled that you would take the time to create something as fantastic as this for me.

Love From Afghanistan

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Dear Maree,

Can I just say Thank you so much for the quilt. I am absolutely over the moon to receive it. I appreciate how much time and effort you put into making not only mine, but every one you have made and will make. I’m happy to say that it has travelled with me and has provided more comfort than you may realise.

It is wonderful to hear that you initiated the Nepean Wives of Vietnam in 1999 and touched by the support of the group and what each and everyone of you would provide each other. Support is the biggest thing one can offer sometimes, and all it takes is starting the conversation.

Thank you for telling me a little bit about yourself and your family. It personalized the quilt for me. You have had a long line of service men and women in your family, yourself included. Between you and your husband, it sounds like you have continued to give your time and lives over to the Defence Force and the men and women coming through. Before I joined the RAAF, I volunteered at the Queensland Air Museum (QAM) every weekend and was privileged to be able to work with many ex-serving members, all who had incredible strength and fascinating stories.

Thank you for taking the time to write to me. I know that you will continue to make the member’s coming over on rotation as happy as you made me.

Yours kindly
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Dear Sandy,

I just wanted to send you a personal thank you for the beautiful quilt you sent me. The more I look at it the more memories it brings back and the more detail I see that you have put into it. The quilt brightens the whole room and acts as a focal point away from the fairly utilitarian remainder of the room.

The BOM that you used representing the propellers give the quilt a dynamic feel without being over bearing and the much more subtle feathers surrounding the scripture remind me of flying through light cloud. The pattern is delicate and intricate showing your obvious love and dedication to this work. 

Thank you for everything you have done, it has lifted my spirits considerably and will hold a special place for many years to come.

May God bless you and your fellow quilters as you bring joy to those who receive your precious gifts.

Yours

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Dear Alison McL

I refer to your letter and package we received on the 07 June 2017 in which you most kindly wrote to us and sent us your beautiful laundry bags. I can say that your package made its way to Plant troop, 17 Construction Squadron, 6 Engineer Support Regiment.  I can only speak on behalf of my troop, but we were delighted with the Laundry bags we received. They most definitely increased morale amongst the troop and all its members. Our Troop deployed on Cyclone Debbie relief earlier this year with our Regiment and we were excited to go and help other Australians in their time of need. Laundry Bags are an essential item while away with work, as communal laundries are an easy place for your uniform to be mixed up with others or lost, so having a terrific laundry bag that stands out will help greatly with this problem.

I think you have found a great retirement project in working and helping Aussie Hero Quilts for the last year and the standard of the laundry bags shows that. We appreciate an ex serving member like yourself taking the time and effort to help and support us in our modern day role within the military.

Keep up the fantastic work and know that your efforts are truly appreciated, especially from Plant Troop, 17 Construction Squadron. I have attached a photo of some of the boys with their new laundry bags.

 Yours sincerely

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Dear Rosalin,

I am writing to let you know that I am the proud (and very elated) recipient of your absolutely wonderful laundry bag. I must be honest, I chased after the Padre right after he stopped by the office to get it.

Thank you very much for all the time and effort that you put in to make our time here just that extra special. I did not know that we can get something like this whilst on deployment and from myself and on behalf of the other Defence personnel currently away from home that we appreciate all the support and everything that you have done for us very much.

This is my very first deployment, so I am definitely very nervous about what to expect, so your laundry bag really made my day today. I grew up in Sydney  and I come from a family of 4 girls. I joined the RAAF about 4 months after I finished High School in 2013. My decision to enlist took my family by surprise.

My family came from Indonesia and I guess over there, being a part of the Defence Force would not have even been considered.

And I am also glad to read that you love making quilts (I am rather hopeless with needle work, it used to take me an entire night at Recruits just to sew one name tag on and it never goes on straight). It is great knowing that you enjoy making the quilts as much as we love receiving them.

I cannot describe how appreciative I am for all your contribution. Thank you very much again for the awesome laundry bag and also for all the support you give for us here, it means a lot.

One very happy airwoman,

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G'day my auntie sent me a package of a quilt and laundry bag that you made, bloody awesome stuff look great got a lot of use out of the laundry bag already, I'm an infantry soldier from the 5th battalion Royal Australian Regiment my job over here is a force protection member to protect other Aussie and kiwi trainers who are training Iraqi soldier to fight against Isis, appreciate it a lot for what you done look great all the boys loved the look of it.

Sorry for the delay in sending a message been flat out over here with work but thank you appreciate it a lot.

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Hi Anne,

Sincere apologies for not responding earlier.

I would just like to say many, many thanks for the laundry bag that you made and which is now being used on a daily basis.

Although it is our duty to respond in times of crisis to support our fellow Aussies, we are now safe in the knowledge that our assistance is received by a grateful population. It’s not so much for me as I have been doing this for quite a while now, however, in my department I have some very young first time members who were so chuffed with your response.

Once again apologies for the late reply and many thanks for the LB.

Regards

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Clarissa,

I would like to take the time to thank you  for your time and generosity in making and sending the beautiful Rabbitohs Laundry Bag to HMAS Arunta whilst we are deployed in the Middle East Region of Operations.

I can see that a lot of effort was made and it is truly beautiful and will be a treasured keep sake for years to come, and has come in very handy when doing laundry on board as it can build up quite quickly.
Thank you so much for your time and generosity and once again I humbly thank you.
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Good morning Kaye and Friends of AHQ,
Firstly, A big THANK YOU!!!
My laundry bag and quilt by Kaye are both amazing! I can not thank you enough Kaye ☺
Friends of AHQ - you guys are amazing! Everyone here in country gets extremely excited when they see a package turn up for them and it says AUSSIE HERO QUILTS!, their faces beaming after a long shift (and im sure mine did too)...
It brightens our rooms, but most importantly we know its from home... and I think that is what makes it just that much special to us when we receive these quilts and laundry bags...
It shows the Aussie spirit our country is known for - the kindness of strangers
But strangers no more!! 

Dont ever stop what you are all doing - every single one of us appreciates it! ☺☺

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By Kaye G

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Hi Bev,

I am e-mailing you to thank you for the amazing quilt you made.

I love both sides and think you have done an excellent job.

Thank you also for the goodies in the package you sent.

Thanks again,
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Just letting you know I have received my quilt and washing bag and absolutely love it!! I will be writing a letter to Anne D who made it. 🙂

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Dear Lynn,

I was fortunate enough to receive my quilt & laundry bag in the post yesterday. I would like to say thankyou very much for your efforts!! You have chosen the perfect materials for me - I love them (smiley face). I will get around to taking a picture for you - so you can see how your handywork looks in my little room. It really brightens it up.

Thanks again,

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Jan-Maree,

Don't think I showed you these - was at the frantic end of my deployment year.  These photos were taken 4 Dec 14 at the new Headquarters of CJTF-3 (Combined Joint Task Force - 3) when I was Deputy Commanding General (DCG) - Operations of Regional Command - East & US Forces - Afghanistan (interesting) serving with 3d Infantry Division (3ID) US Army.  Complex but this was the last of my three positions whilst in Afghanistan & about a month to the day from when I returned home - not that I knew that at the time.  We'd just moved in from across the road where we'd been in an old Russian Hangar which had served as the Headquarters at Bagram since 2002 consequently you see me in quite a modern office (compared to my last).  The old hangar was a lot better than it sounds.  When first occupied in 2002 it still had old Russian aircraft in it.

The note on the quilt says "made by Deni especially for" me.  With lots of details about the design, four relations of Deni's who had served in WW1 & WW2 etc.  The quilt was finished she says on 11 Nov 2014, Remembrance Day.  Quite fitting.  Despite my appalling tardiness, I was & am extremely appreciative of this - I was serving with the US & was essentially a lone Aussie surrounded by a multitude of wonderful Yanks (& a smattering of Canadians, Czechs, Poles, Jordanians, Georgians, Afghans, Romanians, Brits etc).  Thus any connection with home, such as this, was most poignant - so many thanks to Deni for her wonderful work.

Happy for you to forward to Deni with my thanks

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Julie Ann was able to present a quilt to one of her recipients recently. He and his family were delighted with it.  

For a quilt made by Jan O

Hello Jan-Maree

I received my gorgeous quilt last week, and I couldn't be happier!
The design was just as colourful and bright as requested, and it was so lovely knowing someone out there was willing to make me such a lovely gift in their own time.
It 's quite heart-warming and really means a lot.

Thank you for your kindness, it has really brought morale up.
Attached is a photo. I'm currently also writing a letter back to the maker.

Thank you a million,

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Dear Mary,

Today I received the quilt you made for me.  I was so surprised to be handed the parcel.

When I opened the box and saw the quilt and other gifts it brought a huge smile to my face.

I have been a soldier for 18 years. This is my fifth deployment and third to Afghanistan.

I am married and have two sons.

It is my pleasure and duty to serve the best country in the world. I have always wanted to be a soldier and wouldn't do anything else.

I happily serve Australia so others don't have to.

Your gift means so much to me especially with the Australian flag, boxing kangaroo and rising sun badge. I will cherish the quilt forever. It will take pride of place in my man room when I get home. Whilst I am still here it will remind me of why we live in the best country in the world.

Yours sincerely,

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Dear Jan-Maree and piecemakers,

I am a UK Artillery officer and am currently deployed with Capt XXXXX in Iraq. When his laundry bag arrived he was the envy of the office and I cheekily asked him whether I could get one too.  I honestly was expecting to be told to "dream on"!
He has been away on R&R for a few weeks and he returned yesterday. There was a huge pile of parcels waiting for him when he returned!
It was very exciting to see him open them and I was honestly so thrilled to receive my laundry bag with my initials on it! It is such a awesome gift and it's amazing how much more enjoyable it makes the chore of doing laundry! !t will accompany me on all future army trips, exercises and operations!

I really enjoyed reading your letter. It is such an inspiring story and 7200 quilts and 14000 laundry bags is an awesome achievement.

I feel very privileged that you have made an exception for non Australian personnel and to have received one of your laundry bags. I feel even more privileged to serve alongside the Australian officers and soldiers out here.  All of the Australians I have met are exceptionally professional and competent (as I'm sure you are well aware) and you should be rightly proud. They are all held in the highest regard by the entire coalition and XXXX especially has become a good friend over the past 4 months.

I took the attached  photo of us with our laundry bags yesterday. 
Thank you again,

All the best,

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Good Afternoon Kaye,

I'm writing in thanks as I received your amazing laundry bag today. Its Fantastic! Thank you.
I wanted to thank you, and do apologise its via email. Along with the gifts, it definitely made my day.
Day to day in this heat is draining and I have the utmost respect for those who endure it day in day out.
 Perhaps its a touch of culture or perhaps it makes me appreciate what we have in Australia. As you say, sunny beaches and bushland. I won't be taking it for granted that's for sure.

Aside from that, work is work. Despite being so far away, I am grateful my daughter is still young enough to hopefully not be too concerned. From this trip we will have a great foundation to build our first family home. I was a landscaper before I joined the Army, my creativity isn't being challenged over here. Soon I'll be able to let loose on my own garden in my own home.

Thank you so much, its wonderful people like yourself that gives me a sense of purpose being here. 

Regards,
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Hi Dianne,

I recently received the quilt that you made for me.
Thank you very much for your efforts in making the quilt and for your support in general.
Its great to have so much support from back home.
I really like the quilt, in particular the poppies. I recently spent a bit of time on the Western Front in France, the poppy obviously being a symbol  of the ANZACs great sacrifice.

Please thank everyone on the team for their work.

Thanks again, .....

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