Tuesday's post is always one of my favourites for the week. I spent 12 hours yesterday organising one special project (can't tell you everything) on top of the normal request list emails, and it is messages like these that make it easy to do it!
Happy reading everyone!
.....
Jan-Maree,
I am an Army member serving as crew on HMAS Choules for the
last three years.
I would like to say a big thank your organisation for your kind gesture in
making a Hero Quilt washing bag for us whilst we were on Cyclone Debbie duties.
I know how much effort you and your ladies put into these
quilts and bags in support for all members of the ADF who are deployed.
When I received the washing bag I was over the moon, that
someone cares and supports us in our field of employment.
I have previously received a Hero quilt and washing bag when
I was deployed in the Middle East in 2013 and I still use them today.
The new washing bag I have just received is now being used
as my last washing bag was starting to wear out.
Thank you,
.....
Hi Jan-Maree! I have to say I'm absolutely thrilled with my
laundry bag. I absolutely love it and will be writing a letter to Anne thanking
her. It's dead set perfect! The goodies in the box were an extra delighted
surprise! Thank you so very much.
.....
Hello Sue
I am currently serving in Afghanistan. I received your Hero Quilt you lovingly made
for me a few month's ago and I'm afraid I've been a bit lax in showing my
gratitude towards the effort and care you put in. I absolutely love it and
while I was on leave I took it home to Australia to show my mother, who knows
of Hero Quilts and is a quilter herself in her spare time, and she thought
it was marvelous and insisted I get in touch with you as soon as I could. Once again I would like to thank you
for the quilt and I've attached a photo so you can see it.
Take care
.....
I wanted to thank
you for the laundry bag I received from you.
We collected them
about a month ago. It certainly was a
lovely gesture and the whole ship's crew appreciated them.
From the looks of
the ship's laundry mine is not the only
one that has not been put to good use!
Regards,
.....
Hey Jess,
Firstly thank you to yourself and the class of 3/4B for the
amazing quilt. I am nearing the end of my deployment now and just received your
care package and quilt. I also read through all the letters and cards that the
class sent me. The coloured in pictures are now stuck up on the inside of my
locker.
I am a Electronics Technician on board and I have also been
part of the emergency response team called 'Standing sea fire and emergency
party'. My primary role as an ET means I look after all the missiles
on the ship and our defence systems. My job as part of the SSFEP is BA-H which is Breathing
apparatus hose. This involves being apart of a party of two people who are the
initial fire fighters to any sort of fire that may occur on the ship.
We do a lot of training while at sea to make sure that our
skills are good enough so that we are ready to respond to anything that may
happen.
We have spent 219 days away from home and not long to go. We
have been to a lot of middle eastern countries including, India, Oman, Dubai,
Abu Dhabi, Tanzania and the Seychelles.
.....
Hi Joy
I loved the quilt you made it was a lot better then expected - you have done an
amazing job gotta say 100 time better then what I could have done haha
I am a infantry private from the great 7RAR based in
Adelaide I have been in the army for about two and a half years now and still
enjoying my jobs I have had two deployments to kabual Afghanistan as ROCL relief ( I replace the boys who go on leave ) I was here last year from August
to November and this year I got here in march and I am set to go home in
under two weeks
It is such a nice thing you do making all the quilts you make it shows to me
that their are people back home who actually care about our well being beside
family and who take the time to make something from the heart
I wish you and your family the best of luck in your life and hope you are doing
well i just want to say thank you for the lovely quilt
.....
Hi Ruth,
Thank you so much for the care
package with the laundry bag.
I didn't realise before deploying
how many people send care packages full of goodies.
It's nice to see that our deployed
soldiers, airmen and sailors are still thought of and supported by our nation.
Thank you and keep up the good work.
.....
Dearest Sue,
I'd like to begin by sending my heartfelt thanks for making
me the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen. In your design you captured the
simple things that fill my soul - tea cups, tea pots and a well stocked
bookshelf!
I received the quilt one month to the day I left
Australia, that being 11 May. Forgive me for my delayed response. I haven't had
a day off since arriving in theatre so was struggling to find you a suitable
thank you gift, but managed to find this humble camel which I hope will always
remind you of how thankful we are to those back home, that care so much to give
their valuable time to those so far from home.
Our accommodation over here is quite spartan, but I'm
grateful we have air conditioning to be able to sleep. We're managing 50
Degrees daily and dehydration is a big risk. So your quilt has made my spartan
accommodation feel like home. I simply adore hand made Items, More so since the
passing of my dear mother in 2011, so your gift to me became a family heirloom
with my daughter attempting to claim it for her bed when I return. I however
think it will take pride of place on the back of our lounge as evenings in
Canberra are quite cool even in autumn and spring.
Anyway dear Sue I am writing this whilst having lunch
so I must return to work. Please know that thank you is not enough for the most
beautiful quilt you made me, but heartfelt thanks is all I can give.
I wish you and your family all the very best and know
that we are very grateful to you for your kindness
With fond regards
.....
Dear Karen,
I wanted to drop you a line and thank-you for
the brilliant laundry bag that you were kind enough to make for me, which I have just received. My colleagues were also thankful for the tim-tams and lollies as well!
This is my second six month deployment to the
Middle East, and I've also previously served with the United Nations for twelve months in East Timor. It was
not until arriving on my current deployment that I had become aware of the
Aussie Quilts project, and as soon as I had seen some
of the many terrific quilts and laundry bags that many of our people had
taken advantage of that I decided that I would
like to get one as well. Thank-you very much for the kind gesture and for
taking the time to do this. It is very
much appreciated.
We are currently "enjoying" 50 degree
days each and every day here and the thought of swapping for the cooler delights of Canberra where I am currently
based back in Australia seems very appealing. Fortunately I have a two week break coming up and the end of this
month, where I will be joining my partner for a couple of weeks holiday, which I'm very much looking forward
to.
My laundry
bag is going to be a very nice reminder of my final
deployment
.....
Good afternoon Janeene,
Yesterday I received my
parcel from yourself. Thank you so much for
the quilt, laundry bag, Tim Tams and of course Tommy Hawkins poster. I cant thank you enough
for the effort and time you put into making these for us.
To see that it was made
from someone in Geelong, makes it that little bit more special. I grew up in Meredith
and went to school in Geelong, so that place and of course GFC are very special
to me.
The Quilt and Laundry
bag are fantastic, so well made. It must take you a long time to do them and I
cant thank you enough for making them. It was so good to read
the Advertiser and the Tommy Hawkins poster hangs proudly in my room.
Once again Thank you it
is a fantastic thing you do for the Serving members and we all greatly
appreciate the time, passion and energy you put into making them.
Go Cats!
.....
Hi Jean
I received the Laundry bag you made on Tuesday afternoon and
I must say it is very impressive and a most wonderful effort that you have put
in for me. I am particularly impressed with the scroll work and my initials. I
cannot thank you enough for the work that you have put in and cannot adequately
express my thanks for your efforts. Rest assured that the bag will get good use
for the remainder of my tour here in the Middle East. At this stage, my return
to Australia is a little over two months from now and I find
it amazing that the time has gone so quickly. We have had some exceptionally
hot days here over the last month or so with last Saturday afternoon being 48.9
degrees in the shade. It was a real effort to walk even the 300 metres to the
bed sheet exchange building. Thankfully most areas have very good air
conditioning and staying inside most of the time is the thing to do.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again for the Laundry
Bag. Thanks for your work and the work you do for all the Servicemen and women
who are deployed.
.....
Dear
Joan and Robin,
Thank
you both for the laundry bag. The bright colours certainly brighten up my life
here.
I
have been overwhelmed by the support the Australian Defence Force members
receive from proud Australians like yourselves.
We
are working on getting a group photo for you and will hopefully have it for you
in the near future.
Thank
you once again.
Respectfully.
.....
Hey Ruth,
I received in the mail the laundry bag that you made for me.
Thank you so much for taking the time and making it for me, I really appreciate
the effort you put in and it definitely brightened up my day and week!
I hope the Power do well this season but more importantly hope the Crows take
home the premiership.
Many thanks
.....
I wanted to write to you so say a HUGE thank you for the
quilt you made for me!! I absolutely love it, it's perfect and it's made me so
happy and really brightened up my room! Plus thank you for the matching laundry
bag - I love it! The design is awesome and the teepee with my initials really
made me laugh, that was very clever! 😃 😃
I just got back from R&R leave and I when I came back I
heard there were 2 parcels waiting for me and it was a lovely surprise, plus
all the additional Aussie goodies you put in there for me, was so lovely of
you! Thank you!! Plus my fiancé was very impressed when I showed him through
Skype!
I have been away for just over 5 months now and a few weeks to go before I head back to a very cold Canberra winter. It's very warm over
here, about mid to high 30's so I will definitely notice the cold!
Anyway I wanted to touch base with you to thank you.
Thank you so much again, I'm so grateful!
All the best,
.....
Good Afternoon
Jan-Maree
Just wanted to say I received my quilt and
laundry bag yesterday, and they are simply amazing.
I received mine from Di from Tasmania, and she
did a simply incredible job. I can't thank her enough, both bring such a smile
to my face every time I see them. Such incredible colours, and more then I
could have ever imagined when I requested a quilt.
Thankyou for everything you, and your quilters
do!!!! It is the most incredible thing, and I am sure that I am not the only
one that knows that having something beautiful to come back to at the end of
every day, makes each day just the little bit better.
Thankyou again.
.....
Hey Rhoda,
I received in the mail the laundry bag and quilt that you
made for me. I really appreciate the time and effort you spent in making them,
they are better than I could of ever imagined. Receiving them has definitely
brightened up my day and week and I hope you and your husband are doing very
well. Hopefully the Crows continue their good season and win the premiership!
Many Thanks
.....
Dear Denise,
I would like to thank you very much for the beautiful quilt, laundry bag and
pencil case.
I'm a medic/nurse with the ADF and this quilt meant the world to me, when it
arrived I had been going through a terrible time and it truly brightened up my
month.
The kindness of strangers like yourself inspired me to do something similar and
I started to make dreamcatchers whilst hospitalised. It is now my goal to raise
money for veterans charities with the sale of my dream catchers, I have only
just started the Facebook page but it will be called mending dreams.
Regards
.....
G'Day Sue,
Just a quick email to thank you for the awesome
quilt and laundry bag you have made and sent over. During the
difficult times of being away from family and friends in a desolate corner of
the world it is gestures like these that lift our spirits and keep us focused
on the job at hand. I have a wife of 21 years and an 11 year old son at home and
at different times it can be difficult for all three of us to keep upbeat, but
it is encouraging that we all, as a family, have great support back home and
that people understand that what we are doing is helping in the security of
Australia, not just the local region here.
Once again, thank you very much for the gift, it
is greatly appreciated and will always be in our family as a gesture of the
kindness of people in Australia.
Kind Regards,
.....
Dear Kate,
Thank you so very much for the love and
care you have put into the colourful laundry bag.
I had a great time opening the package
and seeing it all for the first time, the tasty treats were a great addition
and they have been put to good use.
The colours on the bag are very
eye-catching and psychedelic. It now hangs in pride of place on my locker
and has been used countless times.
It gives me great pleasure to write to
you and say thank you so very much.
Needless to say, it gives me great
excitement to receive goodies and kind words from home and always manages to
put a smile on my face.
Being away from home for months on end
does take its toll, but the packages you and those like you make and send helps
to alleviate some of that home sickness.
It was so amazing to receive something
so personal just for me, and for that I thank you for all of your hard work and
artistic flair that went into making this special gift.
Thank you and God bless.
.....
Hi Di
First of all, oh my goodness, my quilt and laundry bag and incredible, I
actually can't wipe the smile off my face. Both are absolutely perfect and are
just so so me!!!
Thankyou so much for all the thought, time and effort you put into my quilt and
laundry bag. It is such a beautiful thing you do for us, and I know anyone that
has received one of your quilts would say the same!!!
I can't even imagine how cold it is in Tasmania currently. I currently have
overnight lows of 33 and highs of about 49, so a tad warmer I'm guessing.
Good luck with your travels to Cairns and the east coast of Australia, will be
so lovely!! Oh how exciting being grandparents, I have a niece who is 3 and
nephew who is 2 and they bring so much joy to a family.
Thank you again, words can not describe my thanks and joy for my quilt
and laundry bag.
Stay warm!!!
.....
To whom this
concerns,
I am currently serving on HMAS Arunta in the Middle East Region.
This email is to convey my appreciation to the
many parties that have contributed to the creation of a masterpiece that is now
my quilt and laundry bag that I received from your organisation. I was very
moved to receive the package containing the goodies and also to receive and
read the beautiful letter enclosed.
First, a little bit about me.
Throughout my childhood, I have grown up, part
of a family of quilters and have seen the amount of effort and work that goes
into these finished products. My Grandmother, Mother and Sister all quilt,
applique and do stitchwork and as a teen there were many times I was dragged
along to another craft show or quilters fair to see the works. I also remember
walking into my Grandmothers sewing room (packed to the ceiling full of odd
fabrics and projects) and wondering why anyone would have one room dedicated to
this artwork. To say I wasn't interested would of been a lie, I even had the
chance to learn a little bit myself but found that Cross stitch was more to my
liking. I could never seem to work out the sewing machine properly and
stitching straight was my greatest challenge. My mum still quilts to this day
and every time I go home she has another bit of stitching that she is working
on to finish. Unfortunately due to work and change of taste, I have moved away
from stitchwork but still have many of my finished pieces stashed away for safe
keeping.
I have currently been serving in the Royal
Australian Navy as a Marine Technician for just under 13 years. I have
served in several ships over the years including HMAS Perth, HMAS Warramunga
and HMAS Toowoomba. I have been on HMAS Arunta now for four years since her
upgrade. I am married with no kids and my wife is very supportive of my career.
She was a Assistant in Nursing when I met her in 2011 and now is studying to be
a registered Nurse. We have been married for 3 years.
Finally, I would like to again send my regards
for your efforts with the Hero quilts that have been sent during this
deployment. To see the many laundry bags getting around the ship is really
exciting. It can also be used as a small game trying to guess who has chosen
all the different designs. I think my bag is one of the most recognizable due
to everyone knowing I support Hawthorn. Even though we are so far from home,
you can never get away from the Football and supporter passion that will always
be present.
Kind regards
.....
Till next time..... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree xx
beautiful words.
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