Grati-Tuesday 21 Nov 19

G'day all, 

Christmas is coming fast, where did this year go.  Lots of quilts and laundry bags on the list that need to go in the mail by Christmas Day... if you need some motivation read on.
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Hi Caroline L,

Just a quick email to let you know that I received the quilt that you made for me - and I absolutely freakin' love it!!!

I honestly can not thankyou enough for the smile this put on my face when I opened that box. Not only have you done an incredible job with your workmanship, but I can see that so much thought and love went into the design of it too. 

Caroline - not only was your quilt perfect, but your card and kind words meant a lot too. And the tim tams were just a bonus :P

Once again, thankyou for the amazing work that you do. It is definitely greatly appreciated, and something that all Military members that are deployed look forward to. 

Have a great day,

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Dear Lynn and Arthur,

I trust you are well.  This morning I opened a package that contained the quilt you have made for me.  I was so touched, moved and overcome with joy that my children were asking my wife ‘why is Dad crying?!’

The quilt is beautiful and so lovingly made.  It is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined and it encapsulated things that are so dear to me – Jesus, the Bible and music.

When I am not doing ministry, I play the double bass to relax – which was on the quilt, along with the Biblical motifs.  When I lived in Sydney I frequented or drove through Engadine hundreds of times – it is a beautiful part of the country.  The world is such a small place at times.

Please thank Jan-Maree, Philomena and Bridget for me.  I am so grateful and thankful for the love with which you have made this wonderful present for me.

Gods blessings and Regards,

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Hi Susan Pr,

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into making me a laundry bag.  It is perfect!   A laundry bag back home might not seem like much, but over here it makes life so much easier.   No matter how big or small something may seem, anything that helps is much appreciated.

It is great to see that there is so much military history and involvement in your family, I wish I had that.   Unfortunately I am the first of many generations to be in the military.

Maybe I will be the start of the family history, one can only hope!!

My partner is in the Navy, so she will appreciate what your Dad did for the Warramunga when I tell her.

I apologise for the reply being so short, I have been trying to set aside some time in order to reply but the workload hasn’t been very helpful lately in giving us free time.

I want to thank you again for your generosity and kind words, it was exciting to get mail from home.

Please take care, and God Bless

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Good Evening Beverly, 

Hope this email finds you and your family well. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I received you beautiful work last week, I absolutely love it. 

  

Thank you to your father and your brother's for servicing as well, while we may serve for different country we all serve for the same reason, protect the country we love. 

Once again Thank you. 

Hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas as well.

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Hi Ruth,

Thanks very much for the laundry bag I love it! Everyone here really appreciates the work that you ladies do.

Thanks again

Kind regards,

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Good Afternoon Ruth!

I had a beautiful delivery this morning containing your laundry bag and tim tams!   This is my second deployment to the Middle East, and fortunate enough to finally receive an Aussie Hero bag!  I have been in the Royal Australian Navy for eight years, and due to post to HMAS Cairns when I return home.  

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for all the time and effort making my laundry bag. 

Originally from Cronulla, I am over the moon the bag has a sharks jersey on it (I even forgot I had asked for a beach!). 

Hope this email finds you well, and the grand kids are keeping you on your toes.

Thank you again,

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Hi Pennie,

Your parcel is the first to reach me overseas.

I was very excited when I received an email saying ‘you have mail’.

Let’s just say I had a big smile on my face as I got my parcel, and loved the laundry bag from the moment I saw it.

The story behind it just makes it more special.

Thank you very much for your time and effort.

I do love travelling and am jealous of your upcoming trip to France, Norway and Denmark.

I hope you get to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and maybe even the Arc De Triomphe.

I hope you have a great time, you are going to some exciting and very beautiful places.

I have been to France, but it was many years ago.

Thank you,

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Dear Clarissa,

I just wanted to thank you so much for my amazing laundry bag!  And it’s signed by the Wallabies?!!  I couldn’t believe it!

I think I have showed everyone the bag and they are all so jealous and think it’s awesome!

What you’re doing with Aussie Hero Quilts is so great, I love to hear all about it. 

You all put so much time and thought into the laundry bags and quilts and they are beautiful – especially mine!

Your letter was lovely to read about you and your family.  You sound like you have such a wonderful family, I love to hear that your father-in-law is still marching, now that’s pride!

I hope that your son is keeping safe and that he had a nice birthday.

I also had my birthday in August (12) and it was so hard to be away from family, so when I received my package from you it was like a birthday gift.

We are back in December and I would be happy to show you the Ship if you ever would like a tour.

I just wanted to say thank you for my laundry bag and thank you for your support!

I will treasure my laundry bag forever.

I wish all the best for you and your family.

Take care,

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Good day Beth,

I have received the quilt you have personally made.

It is absolutely stunning!  The overall design was simply outstanding,

I completely adore it!  The colours, the design, the work involved truly is wonderful.

Keep doing the great work!

You brought a smile to my face when I unraveled it from its box.

Please enjoy the illustration that I have made.

It’s not much compared to your lovely quilt, and I cannot thank you enough for your time and patience.

Staying safe,

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Good Day Sandy,

I have happily received the quilt in today’s mail after a delay of three weeks due to no convoy being able to come through to Qargha from Kabul.

It was such a beautiful quilt, and I absolutely adored it.  The colours were so bright and vibrant, and I loved the additional touch of the dyed fabric,

Soldier at Rest, and the ‘Lest We Forget’.  It reminded me of why I am here and why I do this job.

The overall design was simply outstanding, it all flowed well together.

I adored the poppies in the centre and the way they thinned out towards the top into smaller buds.

The small personalised tag in the corner was such a lovely touch.

Please pass on my thanks to all of your team involved, and to Di G for the loving touches.

Keep doing the lovely work, you truly make a difference and bring a smile to all our faces while we are away from home.

Please enjoy the illustration that I have included, it’s a personal hobby of mine and helps pass the quiet times when I’m missing home.

Staying safe,

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Hello Robyn Wh,

Just sending a personal thank you for my Star Wars themed laundry bag. What a tremendous job you have done.

Also thank you for your letter, I have been to the Dandy ranges many times to feed the birds with my grandparents and know how special the place is.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for your contribution to making my time here special.

Kindest regards

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Gday Robyn

Thank you so much for your laundry bag! It is more than I ever hoped for, I absolutely loved the designs on each side, you have done a really fantastic job 😊

Work here is going well, I am an engineer, and am leading a group of technicians who maintain the aircraft. I am actually in my last month here, and your bag and snickers were a really nice pick me up after a few long months (the snickers were gone in 24hrs haha)!

Anyway hope all is well, thanks again for the bag, and feel free to keep in touch 😊

Regards

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Dear Lesley,

I recently received the wonderful laundry bag you made for me.

It’s great to be deployed knowing that people at home are thinking of us.

I’m sure this bag will see a lot of use in all my future exercises and deployments.

My partner, who is an avid seamstress herself, also loved the bag when I showed it to her upon returning home.

Keep up the great work – it is appreciated!

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Dear Sue,

I would like to send a warm and heartfelt thank you for my beautiful quilt. It's simply perfect and it has transformed my room so much more homely.

All my friends and colleagues who I have shown it to have commented that you have got my style spot on and marveled at your sewing work. Thank you also for your thoughtful gifts and card (the air freshener gave me a good chuckle).

I work in the headquarters over here. So it's a lot of report writing, but I hope my reports help to keep everyone well informed and safe.

Thank you again for what you do it really makes such a difference to us.

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To Jenny L, 

thankyou very much for the awesome laundry bag. Made my day last night when I found a parcel at my door with a really nice bag and some snacks. Instantly brightened my dull room up (and will continue to do so). For someone to go to that much time and effort to make a gift for someone they dont know means alot, thankyou very much. 

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G’Day Clarissa,

Got your quilt last week and I bloody love it!

Been away for a bit but now back at camp.  My son is going to be wrapped with that.

At the moment it hangs at the end of my bed…….

People are jealous here that they never wrote a little note on their quilts.

This will be so good as keepsake for my little man.

Loved reading your letter, it’s just fantastic what you do for us guys over here.

It gives you a massive boost of morale and a nice touch from home when you receive the

quilt in the mail.  Everyone gathers around a person who receives their quilt and wants them

to show the team…everyone wowed at mine and thought it was so special.

Thank you so much again Clarissa, bless you and the other ladies for doing such great work.

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Dear Cathie,

Thank you so much for my beautiful quilt – it is absolutely gorgeous (I love the colours).

It certainly has breathed some life into my little room.

Competing with your labs sounds like great fun!

I am such a dog lover.  Going to all the dog shows can be such a good way to spend the weekend.  I have a bull terrier at home (Lulu), I can’t wait to give her a big hug!

Yourself and Aussie Hero Quilts are absolutely amazing, your bring so much happiness J

Thank you so much

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Hello Anne,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag. Very happy with the design. 

The weather here is far from hot. It has just started to snow in the mountains around us and we are receiving a fair bit of rain. Definitely not the desert environment where I am located.

I have been here for about three months and and will be heading back home for two weeks but at this stage I will be still here Christmas Day.

I will be celebrating Christmas with my wife and two children (4 and 6) a few days later.

I am glad to hear that you enjoy sewing the laundry bags because we enjoy receiving them. 

Hopefully you can see the photos that I have attached.

Thanks again

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Hello Jan-Maree,

Thank you, and your team at Aussie Hero Quilts, so much for the gift. Everyone over here is stoked every time a package arrives from you guys. It means a lot to us all that there is so much support from the people back home. Each quilt and bag that we have seen look amazing and we can tell that each are made with heaps of love and skill. Each are a wonderful gift and it's lets us leave this place with a great memento.

On behalf of the guys and girls currently deployed, thank you all for your hard work and thoughts. 


Regards
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Hello Ruth,

Today I received a beautiful laundry bag in the mail. I wanted to take this time to thank you for making the laundry bag and I also appreciate the attention given to the design as well. There's nothing else that brings a bigger smile to a Defence Member than receiving a parcel especially when so much time and effort has been put into the gift. It is such a nice gesture. 

As a Defence Member we tend to move around a lot which requires us to be flexible and also we have to be prepared. One of the things I always keep with me is my laundry bag, it enables me to move to and from with ease and given it has my name write down the middle it makes it easier to identify. I picked to have the design because of my Fijian Background. What might be confusing is that my name - that is because I'm half Irish as well. I will be sure to use my bag not only here overseas but everywhere I go.

Thank you once again Ruth, thank you for deciding to make these laundry bags for deployed members and bringing warmth to my heart.

Your Friend, 

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Dear Donna,

Thank you beyond words. I am completely blown away with the quilt and all the hours of effort, love and attention that must have gone into making such a wonderfully special creation. I was quite seriously speechless when receiving your package.
It takes a very special person to sit down and put such effort into something for someone they have never met. It’s something I will cherish forever and be sure to pass on in my family. Thank you more than I can say, you lightened up not only my day but also my trip and everyone couldn’t agree more what a beautiful quilt you have created. You could seriously open a business if you ever get sick of the back breaking hours of nursing!
I can’t believe you find the time in between that lucky family and a full time nursing job. I would love to take this opportunity to also say a huge thank you for the work you do not only as a quilter but as a nurse. I’m one of the very few reservists deployed here in Iraq, in my full time civilian job I’m a Paramedic in Melbourne so see first hand the great job nurses do day in and day out. Being a nurse isn’t an easy role and it can often seem like a thankless task- so thank you for your service to your community.

Again thank you and Chris so much, I love the quilt and still can’t quite believe how lucky I am to be on the receiving end.

Keep bringing smiles to our deployed forces,

Many thanks,
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Dear Judy and all the team,

I would like to thank you all for your time and effort that you put in to produce me a wonderful quilt.  The quilt arrived in early October.  I am amazed at the detail that you put into it and your creativeness.  With all the detail and deployments on it, I feel that I have something special to pass on, so a very heart felt thank you is in order.

I have almost completed my tour and look forward to having a nice Christmas in December at home with my wife.   We live in XXXX, so will be nice to miss the cold Iraqi winter for a nice humid Aussie Summer.  The temperature has dropped considerably.  Summer here was averaging 50 degree days, now we are getting about 25 degrees.

Nice if coming out of an Aussie winter, but chilly from the Iraqi summer.

We had our first lot of rain yesterday, was real short and sharp, only lasted a few minutes but was very heavy.  It turned the dry rocky dusty ground to claggy clay mud which stuck to boots and car tyres.

Also odd was the dust, dust as thick as fog settled overnight and remained in the morning.

This has been around for a few days now and is messing with throats and sinuses.  

Please pass on to the team how happy and thrilled I am with the quilt you all made for me.

Yours sincerely,

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Dear Clarissa,

I would like to send a warm and heartfelt thank you for my laundry bag.

It is simply beautiful and makes an otherwise dull chore bright!

Thank you also for the chocolate.  I shared with my work mates who are now big fans of yours!

I enjoyed reading about you and your beautiful family, I wish you all the best and I hope you have a great Christmas together!

I’ll be spending Christmas with my Defence family over here.  I work in the headquarters so it’s a lot of report writing, but I hope my reports keep everyone well informed and safe.

Thank you again for giving me something gorgeous to balance out my Army world over here.

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Hi Lynne,

I would like to thank you very much for the beautiful laundry bag that you have made.  It is very much appreciated. I am currently posted to HMAS Darwin for her final trip as a Maritime Warfare Officer.  I appreciate all the hard work and effort that had gone into making the laundry bag.  When I am at home I very much enjoy sewing and hope that upon my return to Australia I will have the time to sew some laundry bags for other ADF personnel on deployment and pass on the favour. 

Kind Regards,

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Hi Ally,

I’ve been meaning to thank you for your amazing Aussie hero quilt you made me, but I thought it would be better to wait until I made it home safely.  I really appreciate all you have done and truly wish you and your family the very best for the future.

Kindest Regards
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Dear Robyn,

Thank you for making a laundry bag for me.  I have been in the Army for long enough now that my issued bag needs a change, and your creation is a most worthy replacement.

My deployment involved three months of pre-deployment training, and I spent approximately eight months deployed.

Overall it was a very rewarding experience, with many positive days and some not so positive days.

My role overseas was to coordinate day to day tasks of personnel who managed our computer networks and communication links.

Please know that your efforts and thoughts of support are greatly appreciated and noticed, both by deployed and non-deployed personnel.

Sincerely,

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

Jan-Maree xx