Allow me to introduce the Awesome Jess.....

I am still catching up on posts that I have wanted to write since the dinner... 

here is another one. 

I am so pleased to introduce this awesome you lady, Jess, to you. 

I think you will  be just as impressed once you read what she has been up to.

.....

My name is Jess and I am 14 years old.  In Year 9 this year we are required to complete a Personal Best Project to be completed over two school terms.  The project needs to be something that requires commitment and challenges you, for example, learning a new skill or making something.  The whole thing needs to be documented to show your progress and how to reach your goal. 

When I was originally brainstorming ideas for my personal best project, one of my ideas was to make a quilt for myself.  The more I thought about it, I started to think about what my mum does.  She makes quilts and laundry bags for Aussie Hero Quilts which means they are sent to servicemen and women as a morale booster when they’re deployed. It’s a way of letting them know that people other than just their family and friends care about what they’re doing.  So I guess you could say that my mum inspired me.

So I wanted to make a quilt.  Mum tried to steer me towards making laundry bags instead.  So my goal changed to a quilt and “some” laundry bags.  Picture mum with eyebrows raised at the challenge I was taking on.  Before I started this project, the only experience I’d had sewing was in year 7 textiles class.  And I wasn’t that great at it.  So the initial challenge was learning to sew in a straight line.  It was also important to make sure that the seam I was sewing was a consistent measurement.

I started sewing the laundry bags while I was waiting for the fabric I’d chosen for the quilt to arrive in the mail.  My goal of  “some” soon turned in to 10, then my goal changed to 20.  In the end, it was as many as I could make before going to Canberra.  I got to 27.  Each laundry bag took me about 3 hours.  As I went along, my sewing speed increased from the slowest speed to “mum speed” which meant I could complete a bag in 2 hours.

The trip to Canberra came about because Aussie Hero Quilts was holding their 6th annual Aussie Hero Quilts Thank You event.  Jan-Maree thought I should come and share my project and have an opportunity to give laundry bags to servicemen and women. 

One highlight of the weekend was a visit to Royal Military College Duntroon and the opportunity to speak with Officers and give them a laundry bag.  This was followed by a tour of the College which was incredible.  I loved it and it’s made me start to think about possible careers in the Defence Force.

At the special event on Friday for the sewing volunteers, I had the opportunity to “show and tell” my work and explain about my Personal Best project.  Thank you everyone for your support of my beginner efforts.

On Saturday the “thank you” event was held at the Officers Mess at the Australian Defence Force Academy.  My quilt and a couple of laundry bags were on display as part of the decoration for the event.  It was so exciting.  I spoke with many high ranking officials. 

A lot of these people had received quilts and laundry bags previously and were there to thank all of us who make them.  They were amazed that someone my age was getting involved in this initiative.  It made me feel very important and that what I had done and what all of you do, is so valuable.

On our drive home to Melbourne, I told mum that I’d like to continue making laundry bags over the summer holidays and whenever I have time. I have seen first hand how important this work is.  I hope to see you in Canberra again next year!

......

Great story Jess and great quilts and laundry bag.   I am so proud of how well you have done and how much you have contributed!  

I hope we will see you again at the dinner next year.

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

Jan-Maree xx

HMAS Darwin past COs

On Monday HMAS Darwin sailed through the Heads and returned to Garden Island for the very last time.  Families were invited to be there to welcome her home as the Navy Band played.  The day before twelve former Commanding Officers joined her crew for the last night at sea. 

When the former Commanding Officers entered their accommodation they were greeted with some welcome gifts on their racks including a personalised commemorative laundry bag for each of them. 

I met several of the recipients in the Wardroom after HMAS Darwin had arrived and each expressed their gratitude and appreciation for their bag.  Feedback passed on indicates that they were all delighted with their bags. 

Incidentally, one of the Midshipmen who escorted me on board reiterated again just how delighted the crew were to receive their bags at the start of their last deployment in September.  

Jenny W front and back 

Su J front and back 

Gail front and back

Gail

Julie Ann

Lynn Front and Back

Robyn B front and back

Ruth S front and back

HMAS Darwin was escorted through Sydney Heads by HMAS Hobart, the newest ship in the fleet.

As she pulled alongside HMAS Darwin's indigenous dance troupe performed, accompanied by the didgeridoo played by one of the Chief Petty Officers.   What a quintessentially Aussie way to make an entrance. It was wonderful to see. 

Families were then invited to tour the ship and enjoy some morning tea. 

Over the years HMAS Darwin has steadfastly raised funds for the Sir David Martin Foundation over the years and after the morning tea, a cheque for $4000 was donated the foundation. It was accepted by Sir David's widow.  It was lovely to see his family, including his son, one of the former Commanding Officers, present for the event. 

After 33 years in service, covering more than a million nautical miles across the globe, including operations in Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands, and seven Middle East deployments, HMAS Darwin will be decommissioned on the 9th of December. 

Block of the Month Quilts 29th November

Block of the Month Quilts are put together by the Aussie Heroes Sewing Team in Coffs Harbour.  The blocks, made by volunteers using the Tutorial, are sent to us from all over Australia.  The team create an original quilt for every Recipient according to the Requests they make, incorporating the blocks.  It is a joy to make these quilts and honour the men and women who are deployed and thank them for their sacrifice and service.

If you make Blocks of the Month, you might recognise some of your blocks her.

Lynne V

Jenny D, Jennifer W and Cheryl D

Ange H, Nola B, Mary M and Sandy C

Di G, Vicki S and Mary M

Jennifer W

Judy M and Sandy C

Happy Mail 29th November

THANK YOU

for all the following Blocks of the Month that have arrived over the past week.

It's always exciting to open the packages and envelopes to 

see what our wonderful volunteers have created using the BOM tutorial.

All of these blocks will become part of a quilt for an Aussie Hero.

Watch for the BOM Quilts post on Wednesdays...well, most Wednesdays.

Enjoy...

Elain H

Diann N

Sally R

Helen O

Jenny D and Margaret J

Maitland Patchwork Quilters

Grati-Tuesday 28 November

We will start this week's batch of messages off with a special message from the recipients of a Fallen Warrior Quilt.  Jamie Clark was the only soldier who died on operations in Operation Anode in the Solomon Islands.  We recently sent a Fallen Warrior Quilt to his family and below is the lovely reply we received from Jamie's mother. 

Good Morning Jan-Maree and all the AMAZING members of this organisation.

Thank you so very much for you amazing gift of a QUILT for my beloved Jamie. It is absoluelty amazing and my husband Peter and Jamie;s brother David and Shaun were also touched by this wonderful tribute to Jamie.

Jamie was and still is a wonderful person, he reside in another world now but I am sure he is continuing his work of helping others in need. 

The loss of Jamie has hit me hard as a mother, something I can never come to terms with. For his father it is the same and for his brothers their pain is there own too. As I watch Jamie's brother grow up (1 older now 35 -1 younger  now 32) I look at them and wonder what, where and much more for Jamie.

The work you for for defence force members who have been injured, feeling lost away from home and also the fallen, is truely wonderful and heartfelt.

Thank you so very much and your contribution of the quilt will become something that will pass through generations to come of Jamie's family

Kind regards

AVRIL PETER DAVID AND SHAUN

(and I am sure JAMIE from that new world he now lives in)

.....

Hello! I received my quilt and my laundry bag very quick and I wanted to say it is awesome and I appreciate so so much what you all do to just give us an awesome morale boost over here. Keep doing an amazing job! Much appreciation!!

.....

Hi Janis,

I received my quilt not that long ago and I absolutely LOVE IT! I adore everything about the design and admire the time and effort that must have gone into making it. It's brightened up my room and keeps me warm at night. I will cherish it for years to come, I can't thank you enough.

I have so much appreciation for Aussie Hero Quilts, the kindness that comes packaged with our material masterpieces is a massive morale booster for everyone overseas and that is something absolutely priceless. I always enjoy seeing people receive packages from the organisation, especially those who might be feeling a little under the weather, the smile that spreads across their face when they see "Aussie Hero Quilts" on their Aussie Post Box is invaluable. 

I must also thank you for the box of gifts, especially my 'Little bag of happiness', blown away by such a simple yet meaningful gesture, I have decided to take that little blue bag everywhere I go. I am set to travel by myself next year to have an adventure of my very own, backpacking through Europe, UK and possibly South America. I'm very excited to take my bag of happiness to these places and I will endeavor to take an interesting photo of it in every country I visit!

Hoping yourself, and what sounds like beautiful family are keeping well, 

.....

Dear Susan W,

I sincerely apologise for not thanking you sooner; however, as I am sure you understand time can sometimes get away from you. The quilt is amazing, and paired exceedingly well with the seascape of the Red Sea and added some colour to the otherwise tan desert of the Sinai. The biscuits arrived undamaged and were shared across the office with nations from Argentina to Norway being introduced to the tradition. Unfortunately, we were unable to get to the old battle sites of the northern Sinai or El Elamein where your grandfather would have served due to the threat; however, the significance of being in the same region as the ANZACS a hundred years on was not lost on the contingent.

I found out the week before I deployed my wife was pregnant, so the welcome distraction from the heat was to talk with her whilst I was away. The advances in technology and the availability of things like skype makes overseas deployments much more palatable than when your father was serving. Three weeks after I returned home, we welcomed my first child to the world. Since then a lack of sleep is offset from watching her grow. I’m sure with your tribe of grandbabies you experience this every time you get a visit. Your quilt has taken pride of place in her room and I hope will inspire her to look to the ocean for calm.   

Again, I thank you sincerely for the gift of the quilt. Everyone who receives one is immensely grateful, including myself at the generosity of strangers.

Apologies again for the delayed thanks. 

.....

Hello Bridget,

Thank you for the letter. It is great to know the background behind Aussie Hero Quilts, as well as yourself, the person who has put a lot of time and dedication into making Quilts and Laundry Bags for me and other ADF personnel.

Both the quilt and laundry bag are amazing . You have most certainly fulfilled my request, plus more. My family are also impressed, to the point I need to keep an eye on them so they don’t go walking!

Thanks again and I hope you and your family have a fantastic Christmas and a memorable 2018.

Kind regards,

.....

Good Morning Chris,

Thank you so much for my laundry bag, it is perfect and I love the bright colours.

You have created something absolutely wonderful and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

I have been in the Navy for 14 years. I have been to Sydney, Perth and Cerberus and have been posted to HMAS Perth, HMAS Newcastle, HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Choules, HMAS Ballarat, HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Warramunga. And I have enjoyed every minute of my time in the Navy and my time as a medic.

This is my first big operational deployment and so far I am enjoying it.

Hope to hear back from you

Regards

.....

Jenny,

I got my Laundry Bag yesterday, I love it! And thank you so much for the extra goodies. The minties will be a hit when I take them to briefings etc.
The bag is a beauty... people are all asking me about the pic I took in the middle (as I am a photographer in the RAAF) it's a good keep sake as well after I get back home next year. 

You have a daughter in the Navy and a grandson currently deployed in Afghanistan so you would know a  fair bit about Defence life and what happens. I have a wife and son who just turned 8 (missed his birthday unfortunately) and that is the hardest thing
missing my little man so much. 

Christmas and New Years will be tough also without family and friends for the first time in my life but we know this when we sign up. It's days like yesterday when you get a pack to open up and helps boost morale. Thank you again Jenny, bless you and all the
other ladies who do such great work with the quilts and laundry bags. Now I don't have to use my pillow case anymore!

Take care Jenny and thanks again! ......

Hi Kaylee,

I was recently embarked in HMAS Darwin with Commander Phil Henry and was presented a fantastic handmade Laundry Bag. I was very excited to have been presented this as it was the first such item I had received and I had heard about these from many friends. It is humbling to get acknowledged for doing your job.

I wanted to pass on my thanks for your thoughtfulness and wish you all the best with your future.

I am due as the Captain of HMAS Melbourne next year and we will be pulling into Brisbane for a visit. Maybe you could pop in for a cup of tea if you’re interested and I can thank you personally?

Kind regards,

.....


Good evening Monika,
Thank you so much for the quilt.
To say the quilt you made me was absolutely brilliant would be an understatement. I was expecting a single picture of Pikachu and maybe a pokeball, which would have been great but what you have delivered is unbelievable.
The amount of work that you have put into it is amazing and the little message on the back is great. I am struggling to put into words how good it is. My son will lose his mind when I get home.
I have showed everyone I can the quilt, whether they wanted to look at it or not. 
This quilt is something that I am going to cherish long after I get home. 
The work that you do is greatly appreciated over here. Never doubt that. Having a quilt or laundry bag like this makes it easier to smile after a rubbish day at the office. I'm not just saying that it 100% the truth. 
Once again thank you so much for the quilt. Being away from my wife and kids, doing my little part in keeping Australia safe is made easier by the knowledge that people like you exist.

Have a great day.
.....

Hi Mon,

Thank you so much for the Aussie Hero Quilt that you made me.  I absolutely loved it.
I loved reading about your story and how you got into quilting.  Just by looking at my quilt, I can tell you love making them.

I was away on 2 weeks leave with my family when it arrived in the mail and only got back, so apologies for not replying sooner.

I think I have shown nearly everyone who comes into my workplace the quilt, and everyone has commented on the pink camels.  You made camels look cute!!!

I will definitely treasure the quilt you have made me and thank you for making me your first ever quilt for Aussie Hero Quilts.
......

Dear Fran T 

I know this letter has been long overdue.  Sincere apologies for the lateness of this thank you letter.  Strong emotions are not easily conveyed with words.  I am finding it difficult to put my immense gratitude for my quilt and laundry bag.  Love the colours on my quilt, so vibrant.  When I first saw my quilt and laundry bag, I couldn’t hold my tears.  They both have my identity, both display who I am.  I migrated to Australia from Turkey in 1989 and joined the Air Force in 1998 as a medic.  So far I have deployed five times.  I hope to serve for this beautiful country as long as I can.

Once again, thank you so much for the time, effort and care that you put into my quilt and laundry bag.  It really means a lot to me.

.....

G’Day Joy,

Firstly, please allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the thought and effort you have put into my new Aussie Quilt.

I have almost been broken down in tears with appreciation for your work and kind words.

I am absolutely over the moon with your work and I am so happy with it.  It really brought some of both my homes a little closer thanks to you.

Well that’s all from me, just one more line to bid you many thanks once again for making my day with your extremely fine work!

I bid you and your family well and wish you a fabulous Christmas at the end of 2017.

Best wishes and kind regards

.....

Dear Beverley,

Just a quick note to let you know that my quilt and laundry bag arrived in the mail today

  I love them both!  Love the ginger cats (I have 3 – Chester, Harry and Jack), and the medical material is cool.

Both will come in very handy as it is getting cold and my issued bag has seen better days, although I think I should hang them on the wall as a work of art.

So thank you so much for donating your time and effort.

Much appreciated and thank you to your family for their service.

Best wishes,

.....

Hi Clarissa,

Thank you very much for the quilted laundry bag I recently received.  It was a very kind gesture and one that the deployed soldiers, sailors and airmen/women appreciate and look forward to receiving.

It is incredibly humbling to know that there are a team of people like yourself that take time out of their day to create these as a way to recognise our service.

I am very pleased to hear that your son has recently returned safely home from deployment, and note that your whole family are in industries that give so much back to the community

(Doctor, exercise phys/nurse and soldier), you and your husband must be extremely proud of the young women and man you have raised.

It is great to hear that your father-in-law still marches in the ANZAC Day parade at the age of 94.  It is incredibly important that we continue to show our appreciation in that way to those men and women that gave so much in those terrible wars.

I am sure you will still be active and able at that age!  Particularly with a background in ballet and now cycling.  Remaining active is the key I am sure.

It is great to know the bag was on display in Canberra at the Aussie Hero Quilts Dinner.  A good friend of mine, Chris Macleod, had the winning bid (against the Chief of Air Force!!) for the remembrance quilt.

My sincere thanks again.  My children will love to see the laundry bag when I get home, and I will be able to tell them there are people like you that remain community focused and give their time up willingly for others.

.....

Hi Anne,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag you sent me. I received it last week but have been slightly snowed under. Love it, and love the key and my nickname vice my initials. It definitely adds colour to my brown and white room! As I am here for over 6 months I am heading on a mid deployment holiday to Europe in a few weeks and will see my daughter then, so I'll get to show her what a nice lady from Tasmania made for her Daddy.

It is hard being away from my wife and daughter, but I am lucky with technology these days. I am able to call, skype, send videos and post things for free, and with Facebook messenger I can chat to my wife whenever she needs. I thought it would be easier at this age, as my daughter would probably not miss me as much now as if she was older, but I have been amazed by how much she has changed in the short amount of time I have been away. Her talking and comprehension is crazy, so I am unfortunately missing out on a fair bit. And it seems that she misses me lots.

Thank you also for the Tim Tams. They arrived in great condition (it has started cooling down a bit now which is nice, unfortunately the minimums are still close to your maximums it seems, but there are people starting to get around in jumpers of a morning). I shared them with the crews on the last flights of a busy week, so they were very much appreciated.

Cheers, 
.....

Dear Bridget

Thanks you and Kerry for the lovely quilt and laundry bag I received in the mail. A little present from home really makes your day when you are so far from home. I can say that all the Australians here with me  cherish the quilts that you and Jan-Maree make and most display them in some form within their rooms.

I have been deployed for three months now.  I am married with two toddlers and live in the ACT. I look forward to seeing them again when I go home for my leave.

40 years of nursing is quite an achievement and I thank you for your service to the Australian community. I hope your daughter is not too board with the grind of University after exploring Europe; and your son achieves his trade. The Army can always use mechanics, or Craftsmen as we refer to them.

Again thank you to you, Kerry, Jan-Maree and the team for all the quilts you send our way. I know mine will be a kept as a memento of my trip to Iraq and my service with the Army.

All the best,
.....

Good morning Jean,

Firstly I would like to Thank you so very much for my laundry bag, I absolutely love it. It is so much more than I ever imagined. You are talented to say the least.

I appreciate the work that you and so many others do for people like me. I have only been here for a little while but I have seen first hand, the joy people have when they open up their quilts and laundry bags for the first time. Something so small is treasured so much.

So thank you for being a volunteer and donating your time to help others. Seriously amazing.
Thank you again.

Yours Sincerely,
.....

Good Afternoon Sue N,

I am the recipient of an Aussie Hero Quilt that you made. I would like to let you know that I have received the quilt and I can not thank you enough and put into words how grateful I am. The quilt and laundry bag are absolutely beautiful and I love them. I am blown away at how they turned out and how much love and attention you put into making them.

I loved reading about you and your family, thankyou for sharing that with me. 

Currently the deployment is going well and we are all settling in.

Again, I would like to pass on my sincerest gratitude to you and I hope that this email finds you well.

......

Dear Jenny,

Firstly, thank you so so so so much for my laundry bag, it is even better than I could have imagined and couldn't have come at a better time. This week has been harder than most and receiving your letter and care package has turned it right around. I play AFL with XXXXX, but unfortunately I will miss next years carnival as I will still be deployed.. I'll have to send a photo in of me with my laundry bag though :) The carnival happens every year in Melbourne around March/April and we play the RAAF and Navy (Army always wins haha) from there they select an ADF team to play against a Victorian Women's team. This year we were lucky enough to play the curtain raiser for Saints v Geelong on Etihad Stadium, it was definitely one of the highlights of my career so far.. not many can say they get paid to kick a footy around a field.

You're husband will be happy to hear that my entire family are diehard Bulldogs fans also, they weren't too happy about their season. I did manage to watch a bit of the game over here which was nice.. I did expect Storm to take it out, they had an unreal season.

I honestly cannot thank you enough for all the effort you have put into my laundry bag. What you do is amazing and really lifts our spirits.
I hope you and your family have a safe and happy Christmas and I wish you all the very best in the New Year.

Sincerely,
......

Good morning Jean,

I would like to thank you very much for the beautiful laundry bag I received recently in the mail. It will be put to good use over the coming months.

As part of HMAS Warramunga, myself and my fellow ship mates are deployed in the Middle Eastern region for nine months. Our main mission is to support international efforts to counter piracy and the illegal drug trade funding terrorism.

Thank you again for your support to Aussie Heroes. We are all very appreciative of the kindness we receive from our family, friends and everyone at home.

Yours sincerely,

.....

G'day Helen,

Thank you so much for the awesome quilt, it has been put to good use as it is now getting cool here.

When I first received the quilt I was so impressed with the design and I could only imagine the amount of work that went into making it, that I was scared I would get it dirty if I used it.

I apologise for that time it has taken me to contact you, I placed your letter away for safe keeping with some others and then could not remember where I had placed it. Finally after a proper look (instead of a blokes look) through my locker and bags, I found it.

This is my third deployment this year and by the time I get home, I will have spent a total of 160 days away from my family and friends.

As a Military family we have served the ADF proudly with a combined total of over 40 years; my wife served in the Army Reserves, our son was in the RAAF and our eldest daughter was also in the RAAF but has transferred to the Air Force Reserves to pursue a different career and she is now an adult, apprentice Hairdresser in Newcastle.
Both my step-brother and uncle are Vietnam Vets and I have several motorcycle friends and social acquaintances that are also Vietnam Vets, so thank you Garry for your Service.

My son is also a Middle East veteran and we are extremely grateful for the support that we have received from the Australian public and veteran community.

I have one more year left with the Super Hornets at Amberley then it is off to another location, somewhere in Australia.

2017 has been a busy year so I am looking forward to some holiday time with the family and getting out for a ride on my Harley.

I hope you both enjoy Christmas and have a wonderful start to the new year.
......

Hi Raeleen,

I received today in the mail my handmade quilt that you so kindly made for me as part of your voluntary work with the Aussie Hero Quilts organisation and thought I would take this opportunity to personally thank you for this wonderful gift.  The Quilt to me is just perfect .. I absolutely love it!   I cannot thank you enough for all the hard work and creative work that you have put into making this.

Part of my role here in the Middle East is to coordinate through Jan-Maree the Aussie Hero Quilt orders that are received by the serving men and women in theatre.  I mentioned to Jan-Maree in a recent email I sent to her that I am really fortunate to see a lot of the serving men and women here open their Aussie Hero Quilt and laundry bag packages when they arrive and to see the joy on their faces as they see their handmade quilts and laundry bags is just priceless!

Raeleen, thanks again for the support you provide along with all the other talented quilt and laundry bag creators.  Thank you for the continued service you provide towards our serving men and women whilst on operations .   This support is something that is spoken about regularly here in the Middle East and your kind contribution towards this is very much appreciated.

Thanks again for the wonderful quilt .. it is just superb! It will be treasured for years to come and serve as a constant reminder of my time spent here in the Middle East Region.  

Regards and best wishes,

......

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