Grati-Tuesday 6 June 17

A special thank you to start the ball rolling today. It comes from the parent of one of our Fallen Warriors who received a Fallen Warrior Quilt on Friday of last week.  This was made from BOMs which were put together by Bev U and quilted by Bridget.

“Thank you so very much for the wonderful Aussie Hero Quilt we received this morning.  It is beautiful. Please pass on our thank you as well to all the volunteers who contributed to the fabric blocks for the quilt and to Bev and Bridget for the final piece of art work."

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Hi Melissa,

I got a massive surprise today when my quilt turned up, it's better then I ever imagined!

 The quilt is amazing. You are  obviously very skilled with your hands, I just can't imagine how you  find the time with 3 children running you ragged.

 I've currently been in the Air Force for the last 15 yrs. I'm a  SGT on my fifth overseas deployment, after my last 2 which were both  9 mths in Afghanistan this has been a little easier.

 I'm a father of three children 17, 10  and 8 and one of the things I miss most is their sport on the weekend,  my 10yr old daughter plays soccer and my 8 yr old son plays rugby

 league. I'm also missing the beaches of the Gold Coast where I live,  haha.

 I've included a few photos with the rug which once again is amazing  and also a few from my Afghanistan deployments to show the kids.

 I think Aussie Hero Quilts is an  amazing idea, certainly livens up our dull rooms as you can see.

 Thanks once again,

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Dear Di,

This is just a small note to say thank you for the lovely quilt that you have personally constructed whilst I was deployed on Operation Accordion.

The quilt is proudly displayed in my office at the University of Notre Dame Australia,

Sydney campus.

Many staff and students have commented on the excellent design of the quilt.

Kind regards,
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Hi Jenny,

I am writing to you to say thank you for the amazing laundry bag you made for me. Words can’t express just how grateful I am.  The laundry bag is absolutely first class. 

I have actually served on 3 ships pictured on the tea towel. 

Shortly after opening the package, I jumped on Skype and showed my family who were all just blown away. My son is 13 years old and is really into the military at present, he was very quick to point out which ships I had served on. The bag is so good I am scared to use it !!  I think I might frame it and hang it on my wall.  

There isn’t a day that goes by over here that someone doesn’t receive a quilt or laundry bag.  The emotions expressed by those receiving their quilts and laundry bags are usually identical. Everyone is just so taken back by the quality of the items.

Receiving the laundry bag couldn’t have been better timed. I had just returned to the Middle East following 10 days at home, so I wasn’t feeling too good. Receiving the laundry bag lifted my spirits.

I have served in the Navy for 30 years this August, I joined at 16. This is my first land based deployment, as I normally deploy on ships. I am married  and have 3 children, J (17), S (16) and L (13). J wants to get involved in sewing so that she can one day be part of Aussie Heroes.  We live in XXXXX NSW and have done so for many years now. 

If there is ever anything I can do in return, please yell out. Thank you so much for

the most  amazing laundry bag, I will look after it for the years to come.

Regards

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Dear Gail,

Thank you very much for the quilt you made for me. I thought the Beanie Boo theme may have been a bridge too far but apparently not. As you say the theme does remind me of home and my daughter, who is six, is also extremely impressed. We are currently on an eight and half month deployment and even with ten days at home in the middle it is still a long time away from home.

You are certainly correct about making friends in the ADF. I have served over ten years in both the army and navy and have collected an amazing number of good friends over the years. This internal support also makes it easier to deploy.

I hope you continue to craft quilts for Aussie Hero Quilts as they are very well received onboard.

Kind regards, 
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Dear Jan-Maree,

Thank you so much for my quilt, I absolutely love it! The colours and patchwork are perfect, it really does fit the bill of brightening up my room. My room mate was very jealous. What you and your organisation do is extremely thoughtful and I know first hand that so many people here really appreciate your work. It really warms my heart to think so many people were involved to make my quilt, makes it that little bit more special. Please see below a photo of myself when I first received the quilt.

It was really interesting to hear your story and how Aussie Hero Quilts was founded, thank you for sharing that. A little bit about me. I am a 22 year old, ‘Qwee’. I joined the Australian Regular Army when I turned 18. I am the first from my family to ever join the military. So I was entering a completely unknown world. I joined straight from school within a ‘gap year’ program. My intent was to commence university once my ROSO was complete however I was really enjoying my experience, my first year absolutely flew and I did not feel like I was ready to give it up yet. So here I am 4 years later still enjoying my experience. I did however transfer to the Reserves just over a year ago now and was lucky enough to receive this deployment as a Reservist.

Kindest Regards and Many Thanks,

NOTE... a Qwee is a quartermaster and ROSO is Return of Service Obligation.

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Dear Ruth,

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to write and say thank you for the effort that you went to designing and making the laundry bag. It was a great pick me up, after what was a hard day here.

Your gesture of kindness and the time you must have committed to making that laundry bag reminded me of why we are here and that our efforts are appreciated by those at home.

Thank you again for your efforts and generosity.

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Good morning Frank and Ruth,

I'm writing to thank you for the wonderful laundry bag you have made.  When I was packing my gear up ready to go to the Middle East, the last thing on my mind was to bring a laundry  bag. When i arrived and saw the distance between my tent and the laundry, i was wondering how i would get all my dirty clothes there without dropping them in the sand, mud and dirt. That is when the padre gave me your laundry bag which definitely brightened my day. This service that both yourself and others provide helps alleviate a stress and problem  

in a environment that is full of problems already, for this i thank you so much. I do hope you continue to make these laundry bags so that others on deployment may benefit as well.

  

Kind regards,

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Dear Kaye,

I am writing to say thank you for sending me a beautiful personalised laundry bag, postcard and carefully packaged personnel items. I was honestly taken aback by the delivery and attention to detail of the laundry bag that has had a lot of love put into it. It will come in very useful during my deployment now and future trips away.

I asked for an ocean/sunset theme as here in Afghanistan we are so far from either and back home I am also a fair drive from the coast coming from Canberra. It sounds like you come from a beautiful coastal area in Portland. I have not been there but will someday.

I thank you for you contribution and support to the ADF service personnel and will take good care of this as a token of the public’s thanks for my service.

Thank you

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Dear Sandy C 

I am most delighted to inform you that the absolutely beautiful Quit you made for me has arrived and I must say everyone is in awe of it design, colour and embroidery.  I wish to thank all those who helped with this Quilt with special mention to yourself, Di G and Kerri for the masterful work that went into the design and manufacture. I also note you mention the BOM Project and I would like to thank them for the Blocks within the design.

My Big Boss has seen it and like myself he is totally wrapped by its presence and stature amongst other Quilts however I would not like to put any of them down as they are all fantastic pieces of design and creation. 

My long history is like a lost memory sometimes with too many to remember after 40 years in Defence so please don't  worry about anything missing as nobody will ever know and I certainly will not be complaining.  

I hope very much that one day my wife can visit your team of ladies and one bloke and thank you personally as I truly believe you are making a difference to the way we exist in a sometimes rough and exhausting environment.

Jan-Maree.  I would also like to thank you for the organisation you created in this process and would commend you for this arrangement.

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Hey Melissa,

I've received my Quilt it's actually better than what I thought. Love the detail.  I grew up on a farm and was always out fixing motorbikes and tractors ect with dad and I also love aircraft. So I when I chose to join the RAAF I wanted to put the two together and now I'm a Aircraft Technician and my role here in the Middle East is to keep the C-130J in the air. It's quite a challenge because they break quite a bit but we manage to turn it around and send it off on its next mission, transporting people and cargo.

A big thank you for your work I love it and is definitely one of those things I'll keep forever. All the work Aussie Hero Quilts do definitely makes a huge difference over here and adds that little something to our deployment.

Oh and the quilt is very clean, the lint rolling worked a treat.

Kind regards 

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Dear Maryse,

I am writing to say thank you for sending me a beautiful personalised laundry bag, letter and the fantastic patchwork quilt.  I was honestly taken aback by the delivery and attention to detail of the quilt that has had a lot of love put into it.  It will come in very useful during my deployment now and future trips away.  I can’t wait to show my young boys.

I asked for an ocean/sunset theme as here in Afghanistan we are so far from either and back home  I am also a fair drive from the coast coming from Canberra.  The detailed artwork is just great,  I love the theme, and this will always be treasured.  It sound like you come from a beautiful area near the coast in Salisbury.  I have not been there but my someday.

I am based in Canberra.  I have been in the Army for 17+ years and am following the 43 years service of my father and both grandfathers service.

This is my third major overseas deployment of six months plus.  I really enjoy the job here and in Australia, and feel a lot of pride serving the nation with my band of brothers and sisters.

I thank you for your contribution and support to the ADF service personnel, and will take good care of the quilt and laundry bag as a token of the public’s thanks for my service.  I also want to thank you for being part of Aussie Hero Quilters.

You have the ability to make a difference to this world.

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Hi Melina,

Thank you very much for the lovely gift of the laundry bag and other treats.

I am very humbled by your generosity in both time and value, it means a lot to soldiers of the ADF while away to receive such gifts.

This is my sixth but hardest deployment overseas (hardest as I now have two young children) in my 23 years of service.

Thank you once again, sorry this has taken so long to get to you.

Kind regards,

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Hi Julie-Ann,

Thank you very much for the Laundry bag, Mugrugs and lollies!

I received your package about 2-3 weeks ago but I've been flat out with work and away from internet reception. I would've written a Thank You letter but I figured that an email will get to you quicker and is guaranteed to actually reach you! I'm currently serving onboard HMAS Arunta.

This is my second operational deployment and I just turned 29 so I've been in the service for 10 and a half years now. The laundry bag is amazing, such great quality work and I started using it straight away so it's getting a good workout! 

My ANZAC Day and Easter were great thanks, I happened to be in the UAE at the time when the Prime Minister visited to give a speech so that was something different. I hope you had a nice ANZAC Day and Easter as well. I hear its absolutely freezing back home too so I hope that the temperature over in SA isn't too bad, I'm looking forward to getting home in July but definitely not looking forward to the weather! I'll be based in Perth when I return though so hopefully it won't be too bad.

Anyway, thank you very much once again for the Laundry bag and other gifts, it it very much appreciated!

Best Regards,

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Dear Georgina,

Well today in ANZAC Day and being here is a very special experience.

I received your beautiful quilt in the post and I cannot tell you how happy I felt to receive such a wonderful present.   The quilt is beautiful and the colours are my favourite (as you know).  It actually reminds me of sunshine in a clear blue sky.

The work that all of the Aussie Hero Quilters put into their projects is so appreciated over here.  I have never heard anything other than praise and gratitude for all your hard work.

I hope you and your family are well, and that the Canberra winter is not too brutal.

I have a holiday next week to go home for 2 weeks to see my hubby and 5 kids.

I cannot wait, and the days are dragging.

Then it’s back here for the final leg of my deployment.

Georgina, thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

I will treasure the quilt forever.

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Hi Joan,

firstly I apologise for how long it has taken for me to get back to you with a heartfelt thank you for the wonderful laundry bag that you made for me. It is wonderful and such a lovely thought and effort from you and all of the great people at Aussie Heroes Quilts. It will be a fantastic momento of my time on deployment and a constant reminder that we could not do our jobs with out the amazing support we receive from our families and committed people such as yourself.

Again thank you and God Bless.

Yours Sincerely

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Hi Cathie,

I have just received the quilt that you made for me and can I just say thank you so much. It blew me away just how great and detailed it is. You have definitely made my day today. It makes it all worth while knowing that we have so much support from back home, and the vegemite means I get to re-aquaint with Australia.

Thank you

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Hello Anna!

The quilt arrived today… I was absolutely speechless.  It is the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen!  It is so detailed, so perfect I can’t comprehend how happy I am right now!  I actually had tears in my eyes when I read the explanation of the Galifreyan lettering… that is just so incredible and thoughtful! You are so talented.  I know you wrote that you thought there were errors but I don’t believe you haha I think it’s fantastic.  It was good timing too, this morning had been really stressful so to come home on my lunch break to this amazing piece of work just changed my day completely.  If you ever wonder if these quilts make a difference, they absolutely do.  To know that there’s people thinking about you so far from home is really comforting, and it helps keep me motivated to keep on doing my job the best I can!

And not only the quilt, but your letter was so lovely!

I’m so glad a fellow Whovian was the one to make my quilt, it honestly makes it so much more special because you know how much the TARDIS is a symbol of hope!   I’ve loved Dr Who since I was younger and my parents showed me re-runs of the old series. 

I’ve always wanted to do humanitarian work (that’s the main reason I joined), so when this deployment opportunity came up I jumped at the chance! Working with the UN is certainly a lot different to working back home… lots of cultural differences to work through and a slower pace of life.  But… I’m loving it!  I feel like this is where I’m meant to be in my career, and it’s so rewarding to be helping in a mission like this where the mandate is to protect civilians.  South Sudan is a very broken country but I think us being here is still doing some good!

Honestly, today has just been incredible.  This is just the best thing I could ever hope to receive, it’s so heartfelt and personal.  If I’m having a down day I can look at the quilt or read the letter and it will cheer me right up!

Ok that’s enough from me for now, I should probably get back to work!  But thank you thank you thank you so much, I’m so overwhelmed by how amazing this quilt is!

Hope all is well back at home for you and your family J

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Hello Kaye,

                I wanted to write to you to personally thank you for the lovely laundry bag that you made and sent to me. I very much appreciated your postcard and lovely gifts, it was very thoughtful of you. I absolutely love the laundry bag, its perfect and exactly what I was thinking, fantastic job. It is something that I will treasure and keep as a memento and a keepsake. It has certainly brightened up my cabin and made it feel much more homely and certainly there is no mistaking my laundry now, before I just had a plain bag with no name or anything on it.

It is gestures like these from the public, from generous and thoughtful people like yourself, that bring comfort to us who are deployed away from family for long periods of time. It is often difficult to overcome the feeling of isolation and loneliness being so far from family. Receiving a package from home be it from family or just someone who has taken the time certainly helps and brightens our day. Thank you.

It may surprise you to know that the laundry bags and quilts from the lovely Aussie Hero quilters generate a lot of discussion, banter and excitement. We often talk about it at work and there is a lot of excitement when someone receives their quilt and bag and shows it off. Its great to see peoples ideas come to life as we often talk about what each other requested. One of guys admitted that he thought he made the job too difficult but he was over the moon when he received it, nailed it he said, spot on. So please keep up the fantastic work, it makes a huge difference. 

Thank you again for the laundry bag, I love it.  I hope this letter finds you and your family well. Take care.

Kind Regards

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Thank you very much Debbie for making my beautiful quilt and laundry bag. I'm sorry I haven't got back to you due to our mailing system.  I look forward to sending you a letter once I get home. Thank you once again for your commitment to making service members life and morale better whilst on operations. It's people like yourself and your friends that make our job worth while.

All the best.
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Su,

Wow, wow and wow, what a fantastic job you did on the quilt, i am completely and utterly gob smacked at the detail and extremely high quality of the quilt. You can be very proud of the product you have produced as i am, the colouring of the wings and lettering is irrelevant and looks great.

This is an extraordinary gift that i will cherish forever, I will credit you for now starting a family tradition of handing the quilt down through further generations. This gift surpasses any expectations i had, what a wonderfully talented lady you are. 

I loved the photo of Dante, he reminds me of the dog from the Dulux paint commercials. My wife and i recently bought pets, two cats and a rabbit, for our kids in preparation for my deployment. We have a daughter 9 and a son 6. My daughter named her rabbit Angel and my son called his cat Casper, my wife named her cat Jasmin. The quilt will not become a new cat or rabbit blanket. 

I have an older brother that lives in Adelaide; i am from XXX so we spent many family holidays in Adelaide and i have had a 5 year posting at RAAF Edinburgh so familiar with the area.  

Again thank you for such a wonderful gift.

Cheers,

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Again we have received some lovely messages from HMAS Choules who received laundry bags for their part in assisting the victims of Cyclone Debbie. The first one is from the Captain.

Hello Jan-Maree

Recently my ship HMAS Choules deployed at short notice to provide assistance following TC Debbie hitting the QLD coast. During this deployment I received a laundry bag from the Aussie Hero Quilts. For that I thank you and your team. Your efforts and generosity is very appreciated.

Please pass this message on. Your team should feel very proud of themselves for this effort. Thank you again.

Kind Regards

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Thank you and the Darwin Patchwork and Quilters for the laundry bag I received recently. The pattern is fantastic and it adds a great deal of colour and style to the cabin I share with my fellow sailors.

I wish you and all the quilters the best.

Kind regards,

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Good Afternoon Jan-Maree,

The other week i was fortunate enough to receive a wonderful Laundry bag for my participation in OP QLD Assist. I am currently on board HMAS Choules and from myself and the rest of the crew, can you please pass on our sincerest thank you to yourself and the team you have working with you. The gratitude you have shown to myself and the others on board has been so meaningful and we all really appreciate it. 

Once again, thank you for the time and effort everyone puts into the laundry bags and quilts. They are cherished items on board and everyone is proud to have one. It is a great service you provide, and such a wonderful gift. 

Keep up the good work and have a wonderful day. 

Kind Regards,

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I received one of the laundry bags that were sent to HMAS Choules recently. Unfortunately the bag I got did not come with a note on who made it but I would like to extend my thanks in general. It is much appreciated and I have been following your organisation for over a decade now, and a number of deployments, and have seen first hand what it means to the crew.

Many thanks.

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I would like to pass on my thanks for the laundry bag that I received recently. The wonderful bag was made by Dorothy who has a son that was in the Air Force. 

The bag is light blue with white linen on one side that has stencils of Aussie themes and old favourites such as: lucky country, vegemite, beer (of course), waltzing matilda and pies. The bag is superbly made and I appreciate the effort and time that Dorothy would have spent in creating it.

Thank you Jan-Maree for the Aussie Hero Quilts organisation and the generosity of yourself, Dorothy and all your members; it is very much appreciated.

Kind regards    

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 Hi Jan-Maree,

On behalf of my department I would like to say thankyou to you and all the fantastic people who made the effort to show their support in us in conducting our duties.

We don't normally see the operation as anything else than our normal duty and we certainly get a lot of satisfaction in being able to support our fellow Aussies especially in their time of need its what the ADF spirit is all about.

The provision of the laundry bags is a fantastic gesture of support and all the bags were so creative in design and gratefully accepted.

Anyway thanks again for the very kind gesture. 

Regards

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I just wanted to express my thanks for the wonderful laundry bag that your organisation so generously created for our work during the recent cyclone relief efforts.

My chosen laundry bag is absolutely gorgeous - covered in Cocker Spaniels just like the one I had growing up.

Thank you for the wonderful work of your organisation and for making us feel like we do something to help our fellow Australians.

Kind regards,

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I am a Leading Seaman on board HMAS Choules, I recently received this amazingly beautiful laundry bag that was made by Kim M and I would like to say thank you to her and yourself for all that you have done.  I can't express how much it means to me, to receive a gift that was handmade, it hangs in my cabin and adds a touch of brightness to it.  So thank you to the both of you and the rest of your team,  I think that what you do is amazing and I hope that when I leave the military life, I can work on my quilting skills (it took me 4 years to finish my sons Christmas Quilt haha) and Make Quilts and Laundry Bags for your Organisation.

Thank you so much.

Kind Regards,

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Hi Jan-Maree,

I just want to send my personal thanks for the handmade laundry bag that I receieved as a thank you for assistance to OP QLD Assist 17. I really appreciate the time taken to make such a wonderful gift. I actually have been using mine everyday. It has colourful fishes all over it, I love it!

What you guys are doing over there is such a good thing. It's the little morale boosters that keep our heads up at sea. So thank you.

Much love,

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I am a communications sailor onboard HMAS Choules and i was lucky enough to recieve the most amazing laundry bag made by Shirley (aqua with black and gold flowers). 

I just wanted to say a big thank you to Shirley and to you and your team! We all appreciate the laundry bag and everything you do at Aussie Hero Quilts. 

It was so hard choosing a laundry bag as they were all so stunning and so well made. It was definately the highlight of my week. 

Thank you again for your hard work and amazing laundry bags and quilts! I hope you and your team have an amazing day!

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Good morning Jan,

        I recently received a laundry bag from Aussie hero quilts for our efforts with QLD assist 17, I would like to thank you and all your helpers. Could you please pass on to all your helpers a big thankyou and please keep up the great work it is very much appreciated.

Cheers

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Hi Jan-Maree,

a quick note to thank you for my Laundry Bag (which I now proudly have in my cabin).

I also wish to offer a heartfelt thanks on behalf of my entire crew to your entire team.

It means so much to us to be recognised for our service and commitment to the people of Australia.

Thank you for supporting all of us in the ADF and the wonderful gift you and your team provide.

Kind regards and best wishes,

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

Jan-Maree xx