Grati-Tuesday 3 January 2018

G'day all,

Sure hope your New Year got off to a great start.  My husband and I have had a very productive, though not exactly relaxing, break over the Christmas and New Year period. We sorted through salvaged items from our old house, and then headed out to look at replacement furniture, carpet, curtains... and so on.  Happily we have made most the decisions we have to make and now know where we are going to get whatever it is we need to get.   That is a bonus considering my husband lives and works in Canberra now and I am in Sydney.  That does not leave much time to get around the shops and check things out. I have just returned from Canberra where we sorted through the rest of the boxes... not exactly fun but feels good to have done it.  Now my husband is off to go gliding in Cootamundra and I am back in Sydney planning on another couple of quieter than normal weeks before getting back into it fully. 

For now though, we have some lovely messages for you all to enjoy so here you go.... 
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This is a quilt was made for me while on Deployment 2013/14 and now its on another Deployment with me in Sinai Eqypt 2017/18. I have taken this quilt on a number of deployments and show it off with pride. Thank You so much for your support and awesome efforts producing Quilts and Laundry bags for deployed Australian Defence Members...
😁😁😁

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Good evening Sandy,

I would like to thank you so much for the quilt yourself, Nola, Jenny, Mary and Vicki made for me, I absolutely love it!

I'd like to tell you a little about myself and why I requested what I did for my quilt.

I turned 33 here a few weeks ago, I am married and have two daughters - nine years old and just 10 months old. 

I plan to give this quilt to my youngest daughter when I return home, in the hope each time either myself or her mum goes away she can find comfort. I chose the Australian flag to represent the land we protect and to serve as a reminder of our heritage, I chose the RAAF ensign as it is the service I serve for, I chose the Naval ensign as my wife serves in the Navy, the poppies are the symbol of remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime.

We both love four wheel driving, camping, fishing - generally anything outdoors. We both recently qualified for long service leave and we are planning on heading up north for a month when I return home. I get to go home in early Feb for my daughter's first birthday I can't wait!

Again, I can't say thanks enough for my wonderful quilt and the yummy tim tams, Aussie Hero Quilts do amazing work and we all appreciate what you do for us. To know people are thinking about us whilst we are away from our families and friends provides us with great comfort.

Thank you again and all the best.

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Dear Sue,

Currently serving with the Royal Australian Navy in the Middle East. At the time I wrote this letter I received the amazing quilt, postcards and snacks you sent to me. I wish to extend my gratitude to you for the package, in particular the wonderful kookaburra and eucalyptus quilt you made. It is a beautiful reminder of home.

After reading your card, it was a humbling reminder of why I enlisted and continue to serve....to protect the freedoms of wonderful people like yourself.

I hope this finds you close to Christmas time and that you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I wish you and your family the most enjoyable season. 

Thank you Ma'am for supporting your Defense Force

Kind regards 

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Greetings Jan-Maree,

 

Thank you for the quilt! (Made by Elaine H and quilted by Alison) It arrived JUST in time for Christmas day and was such a lovely gift to receive. It is absolutely beautiful and definitely brightens up my room - which is such a nice contrast to the dirt and all the brown outside.

 

I really appreciate what you and your team represent do. It certainly boosts morale when one receives such a nice gift from a stranger. I think it is a beautiful reminder that there are so many amazing and generous people, like yourself and your team, in the world. It truly does make a difference - so thank you.

 

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and I wish every happiness for the new year.

Kindest regards, 

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Dear Melissa,

Very recently I received a very welcome surprise in the mail - and I understand I have you to thank for that!  The quilt and laundry bag are absolutely wonderful.  The quilt is especially beautiful and exactly what I asked for.  I can't wait to wrap my little boy up in it once I return home, he was born during my deployment.  I am very grateful for the generosity and time you have put into creating this work of art.

I wish you and your family all the best in all of your endeavours, regardless of what the future has in store for you all.

I will certainly send you a photo of my son wrapped up in the quilt as soon as I'm home.

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018.  Once again - thank you!

Sincerely,

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Hi Luisa and Denise,

Thank you very much for my laundry bag, I absolutely love it, you have no idea how much it means to receive such a well made item, especially with the broncos label on it, I absolutely love it and can’t wait to start using it. It arrived just in time to open on Christmas Day, it’s always nice to have something to open on Christmas so it could not have been timed any more perfectly.

Thank you for the card and the insight into a bit about your life, I’ll tell you a little about me, this is my second deployment in the last 24 months, I spent 7 months over Christmas in 2015 - April 2016 and now I am back again, I recently got married just before I deployed again back in October so I have spent more time away as a married man then I have with my wife and daughter. I am looking forward to getting home that’s for sure to spend time with my family. I’m looking forward to Skyping my wife and family today, we are going to open presents over Skype so it can feel as close as it can to being at home with them.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and it brings joy to you and your family, again thank you so very much for my laundry bag I love it you did a fantastic job and I can’t thank you enough.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Years.

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Hi Cathie,

I am an Australian soldier serving in the Middle East.  Thank you very much for your letter, the spectacular laundry bag and the quilt you made for me. My new laundry bag has been put to work straight away and my quilt is sitting happily on my bed! 

I am looking forward to coming home to Australia and to my family.  

I have enjoyed my deployment over here and have learned a lot about my job, the Middle East, language barriers and the different cultures. It has been a worthwhile experience and a satisfying task to help others in need of support.

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas Day with family and friends. We certainly had a good day, with lots of Christmas decorations, greetings and great food. 

Best wishes to your whole family for the year ahead.

Thank you for your ongoing support

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Hello Cathie,

I am in the ADF. I was lucky enough to receive the beautiful quilt you had made for me. I honestly appreciate the time and effort you went into making this piece of art and valuable item that I will take with me everywhere. I definitely love it, you hit the nail on the head with the specific patterns you have incorporated. It such a beautiful gesture that you make these for deployed personal in your own personal time. There's nothing more warming to the heart than receiving a parcel from back home that has your name on it and furthermore was specifically made for you. I enjoyed reading a little about your story as well. 

I will always do what I do for people like you.

Enjoy your Christmas and Have a Happy New Year.

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Hi Jean,

I’m writing a quick note of thanks for the beautiful laundry bag that you made featuring the flying and scuba diving.  

I’m working out of a dusty part of the Middle East so keeping my uniform clean is a constant struggle. So washing, and your laundry bag, feature prominently in my weekly schedule. Your laundry bag certainly adds a splash of colour to the beige environment that we live in! 

I hope you’re enjoying your Christmas and New Year period. We live down near XXXX and love that part of the world. I should be home for the last part of summer which I’m really looking forward to. As you say, our weather and beaches are world class. 

Thank you again for the laundry bag but more importantly, thank you for the thought behind it. The fact that we have people at home who are thinking of us and are willing to go out of their way to support us means a lot to us and is always hugely appreciated. 

Best wishes for a prosperous 2018. 

Kind regards, 

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Good morning Cath and family,

I’m an Air Force Nursing Officer (Registered Nurse) currently deployed to XXXX. I am working in a coalition headquarters organising Aeromedical Evacuations (fixed wing aircraft) for casualties requiring medical treatment in this area of operations. For the last few weeks I have been in XXXX assisting in organising Medical Evacuations (rotary wing aircraft) as new staff have rotated through the cell.

An Australian must’ve travelled here to XXXX and kindly brought my parcel from you, so it was a great surprise to receive this tonight! I love the bright Australiana themed laundry bag and I really appreciate the time and effort you’ve dedicated to this and similarly for other deployed members. My best friend is also located here and we realised you made her laundry bag too! It’s such an honour to receive a personalised gift from someone back home and I can’t thank you enough.

Thank you also for the letter, it’s wonderful to hear about you and your family. 

I hope you and the family had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all best wishes for 2018. Thank you for recognising the work Defence members do and inspiring the next generation to do the same.

Kind regards,

Pam

P.S. – the Tim Tams were a hit, all the coalition members and I loved them!

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Hi Kaye,

Thank you very much for the care package. It was a very nice unexpected surprise. I happened to walk into our recreation room on Christmas Eve and there in front of me was a parcel addressed to myself. Thanks for all the goodies and supplies. The laundry bag seems way to nice to put dirty laundry in and the little stockings will feature at Christmas for years to come.  I hope you had a lovely Christmas with family and friends.

Thanks again. You're to kind!

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Dear Kaye,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag!  I really needed it as I was using a $2 bag I purchased from the on base convenience store, which started to grow holes.

A little about me.  I am currently over in the Middle Ease supporting Operations Okra and Accordion.  I work in the Royal Australian Air Force mainly with computers and information technology supporting a lot of other units here to help with the day to day workloads.  I have been here for just over 3 months at the time of writing this, and have another 3 months to go.  

Anyway, I’m not sure if this letter will get to you before Christmas, but I sincerely hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year!  You’ve made mine that little bit more special being away from home.

Cheers!

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Dearest Kaye,

I wanted to write and thank you for the washing bag you sent me while I was in Iraq.  It was an amazing gift that I used every day.  It has come home with me and will be returning to XXX with me where I now live.

Thank you once again for the work you do to bring a little home to those deployed, it is very appreciated.

I hope you have an amazing Christmas filled with love and cheer.

Sincerely

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Anna,

Thank you for your recent parcel containing the laundry bag made by yourself and the Tim Tams, they are like currency over here.

I firstly need to apologise for the tardy timeliness of my response; however, as you could imagine, it's been quite hectic of late.

I was very impressed with the quality of the work; however, more so, the willingness of people such as yourself to take the time to conduct this wonderful work on behalf of our Service men and women. You would be amazed at the sense of pride they are filled with every time a new quilt or laundry bag arrives, you really make their day.

Whilst it can be difficult for members to be away from home for extended periods, it's great to know that we have the support of the Australian public, namely people such as yourself.

Finally, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas on behalf of the entire Air Task Group 630 airmen and women, and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Love your work - you're truly making a difference. 

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Dear Jean,

Just received my laundry bag just before Christmas. It made for a lovely Christmas present. Thank you very much for the time and effort you have put into not only making my bag but any other bag or quilt you may have done for other serving members. Everyone really appreciates receiving these items.

Makes you feel a little special.

Hope you had a great new year.

Kind regards,
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Lots of lovely messages..... 

Now back to work for me. After being on the road today I have some emails to catch up on!

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

Jan-Maree xxx