Grati-Tuesday 26 June 18

Running late with the post but I think you will agree it is worth waiting for.....

Enjoy!!

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Good Morning Sandy,

This email is to thank you and all your ladies who assisted in making the quilt for me.

I received it in the mail yesterday and was very impressed in the pattern and incorporating the labradors and also the way it was made.

I realised it took a lot of time and effort which I greatly appreciate and will keep it in my family always as a reminder of the effort you ladies put into every quilt you make.

Anyway thank you very much

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Dear Lyn K

I am the recipient of the beautiful laundry bag you expertly made.  This is my third deployment and the first time I have been the recipient of one of these bags.

The climate where you live sounds slightly cooler than where I am at moment.  Over the last month we have been averaging temperatures in the mid to high 40’s.  We have been told that around June we can expect temperatures in the mid 50’s.  Night time does not give as much relief with temperatures averaging around the high 20’s to low 30’s on a cool night.  The funny thing is that after being here for a while you tend to adjust, we now look forward to those days when the temperature will only max out at 38 degrees.  I think the major factor I miss around here is grass.  It is funny how the simple things we take for granted in Australia are sorely missed in an environment such as the one we are stationed at where soft green grass is non-existent, instead we have sand and gravel…..and lots of it.

Anyway, once again, I thank you for the wonderful laundry bag.  You can be assured it will be put to good use both here and back at home when I return after my deployment.  

Wishing you and your family a wonderful life.

Yours truly

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Hello Pennie and Anna,

What a lovely surprise to receive my beautiful laundry bag so quickly!! It is absolutely gorgeous and I truly appreciate the effort that you went to! Especially considering how busy you are, working as an ED nurse, looking after two little ones when your daughter is away AND quilting for deployed forces! You are the reason that I do the job I do! The amazing Australian spirit is alive and well!!!

A little about me, I am in the Australian Army, and have served for 17 years. My husband is a serving member as well, and has been looking after our children whilst working full time. We have four children, two boys, XXXX would have been 8 years old, XXXX is 7 years, and two girls, XXX 4 and XXXX 2 and a 1/2. I miss them so very much and look forward to going home soon on leave to see them. Then back here for a few more weeks and then home!

I work in a small team and am very blessed to have such a wonderful team. We all get on fabulously which makes the trip go a lot quicker.

I hope my quilt request wasn't too difficult, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out; I'm sure it will be very lovely!!!
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Hello Suzanne,

Sorry it has taken me so long to send you an email it has been a busy time over here.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your days and making my quilt and laundry bag I love it and you have done such an amazing job with it.
I felt very spoilt when I opened both boxes and had treats in there as well.
I have had a like for vikings for a long time so I am very happy with how the quilt turned out and how awesome the laundry bag is.

Thank you again very much for making it you have done an amazing job.

Kind Regards,
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Dear Georgina,

WOW – thank you so much for the Richmond quilt, it is so amazing!  I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into making it J

Small world…..I am from Canberra, and lived there my whole life prior to joining the Army in 2014 and moving up to Townsville.  My whole family still live there and I love coming back every Christmas to visit.

I am 27 now and have been a Richmond fan since I can remember.  My Dad is a Carlton supporter so you can imagine his disappointment when is first daughter decided to support Richmond.  That’s awesome you went to the Prelim game!  When I lived in Canberra, my Dad and I used to always go to games, but I have never been to a Prelim or GF.  It is on the bucket list though.  Living in Townsville it is a bit more difficult to make games, as I only get down to Canberra once a year.

You are correct – Richmond is Richmond, and the honeymoon phase will probably end.  I have been trying to keep up with this footy season while overseas, but we are 6 hours behind so the games are usually played during work hours.  I have decorated my desk in Richmond merchandise, wear my Richmond socks on game days and have coloured everything in yellow and black – now my bedding and laundry have a touch of Richmond with my laundry bag and quilt!  I love the addition of the cap patches J

Thank you so much for making and sending this quilt (and minties – I have a massive sweet tooth) and thank you for your kind words.  It’s such an amazing thing you do making quilts for deployed Australian soldiers, and it puts a smile on so many soldiers’ faces when they receive them.

Here’s hoping Richmond can win two consecutive premierships!

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Dear Clarissa,

Thank you for your packages and good will.  They have brought a smile to my face, especially the magpie on the quilt as my youngest son counts them on a daily basis!

The laundry bag and now quilt are much appreciated, especially knowing the effort that goes into them.  It certainly is incredibly well received to know that people such as yourself and the Aussie Hero Quilts are thinking of us and helping us directly.  I also appreciated your letter and description of your family.  

We commemorated ANZAC Day in Kabul at HKIA where I am based, and then at Qargha with numerous coalition colleagues.  A very special day for the Contingent to remember those before us, especially when we are on operations.  One of the Corporals had some patches made up to mark the day, and I thought you might like this as a small token of my thanks for your support.

Yours sincerely,

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Dear Clarissa,

Thank you so much for the laundry bag you made and sent – I absolutely love it!

The Tim Tams and lemon scotch finger biscuits went down a treat.  Those lemon scotch finger biscuits are my favourite biscuits ever!  I used to go through at least a packet a week when I was home

Aussie Hero Quilts and all the volunteer sewers do such an amazing job, and I wish you could see the excitement on our faces when we receive the quilts and laundry bags.  It really makes the experience and makes being away from home that little bit easier.

Thanks again,

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Dear Clarissa,

Thank you very much for my laundry bag which I received yesterday, it has arrived towards the end of my deployment, just as I am organising and preparing for the next rotation to take over.

I very much appreciate the effort that you have gone to to include the Collingwood colours and the Regimental logo.  It is wonderful.

This has been my first deployment, and the first deployment as air defence for my unit, 16^th Land Regiment for a number of years.  I am the only officer and in charge of a small team of Australians.  For the duration of our deployment we have been isolated from almost all other ADF presence.  Our saving grace has been intermittent post from family, friends and the wider community, which has always been greeted with much anticipation and enthusiasm.

Being the only regular Australians on base has been a unique, challenging and wonderful experience.  Myself and the boys have made some great friendships working in a truly coalition environment alongside American, British and Danish counterparts.  It has also been pleasing to see how competent and professional my soldiers have been, and how they have developed both as individuals and as professionals.  Indeed, I believe I too have learnt and experienced so much, which will hopefully hold me in good stead for the rest of my Army career.

Our unit is an Air Defence Artillery unit based at Woodside Barracks in the Adelaide Hills.  We are surrounded by rolling hills, sheep, cows, horses and vineyards.  In fact, some of our neighbours are some of South Australia’s best wine producers.  Needless to say, my wife and I enjoy a nice red or white of an evening now!

Again, thank you so much to you and all the people at Aussie Hero Quilts!  It is truly wonderful to receive such a special gift which marks a special time in my life both personally and professionally.

It is rewarding and comforting to receive such great support from the wider community, who we are proud to represent

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Dear Cath,

Thank you sooo much for the laundry bag. I had been having quite a taxing time at work for a few weeks, away from my regular office on a few different tasks and to get back 'home' to my office and have this lovely package waiting for me was extremely heart warming. The laundry bag is beautiful thank you so much, and the care package was very much appreciated (the biscuits didn't last long at all, thank you from my team), and thank you for the car, it is really nice to have some 'trinkets' or tokens to have in my workspace to look at when I'm daydreaming, so thanks again. White is my car color of choice too.

I've been writing this email in between work interruptions so I hope it is coherent. Once again thank you to you and all the other Aussie Hero Quilters. They really are appreciated.

Warmest regards,
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Thank you for the laundry bag.  It is exactly the design I envisaged.  Even now, as we go into spring there is still the occasional snowfall on the mountains.  Surprisingly, in Afghanistan there are rose gardens in flower everywhere.

Your work in making my laundry bag is appreciated.  Particularly given you’re very busy and, I imagine, stressful job in the Emergency Department.  My wife is a great fan of the British A&E reality TV series, and your world looks a lot more stressful than mine is most of the time.

The more difficult part of the deployment is the time away from family and friends.  On average, most members spend between six to nine months away from home.  As you can imagine, it is the dedication of families at home that are the true heroes in our hearts.  All members greatly appreciate the time and effort spent producing the quilts and laundry bags sent to us overseas.

 It is a privilege to be among a select few Australians that have had the honour to wear this patch, so I hope you like and cherish it as a keep sake of your generous contribution.  Stay safe and thank you for your caring thoughts for deployed members at this time.

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Hi Su,

Thank you so much for the time and effort toward my quilt. Very much appreciated.

May I suggest you change your team preference in AFL to Port Power for 3 reason; they are South Australian, have a very cool uniform and are your traditional blue collar die hard club. Girl thing, but have good legs too.
Chelsea Football Club is the sporting team closest to my heart. I was born in England and played for them to the age of 16. My father decided to immigrate at that point. Although I was quite disappointed in immigrating to Australia at the time, on hind sight my father made a great decision. I still follow them very closely and I will cherish and proudly display my quilt to anyone that ventures into my home.

Once again, thank you for investing your time toward something for myself. Most appreciated.
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Hello,

I am a Lieutenant Engineering Officer currently posted to HMAS Rankin. I was lucky enough to receive a quilt and laundry bag from your amazing organisation. On behalf of the whole crew of HMAS Rankin I would like to sincerely thank you and your group of volunteers for taking the time to make us these wonderful products.

On a more personal note, I would like to thank Blackhead Beach Quilts for making my quilt. It did get quite some use while at sea as it was too hot for a doona, I found the quilt was exactly what I needed.

Keep up the good work, I can assure you that those that received your gift are humbled by the generosity and are extremely grateful.
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Hi Melissa,

            Thank you very much for my quilt and linen bag, to say I was blown away when I opened the box would be an understatement. I can’t even begin to imagine where you found the big bunnies and the fabric with the bunnies on it, absolutely brilliant. I put it straight on my bed when I got back to my tent and sent pictures to my mum and my wife, both of whom were extremely impressed.

So a little about myself, I am in the RAAF currently serving a 6-7 month deployment in the Middle East Region. I am an Aircraft Structural Technician by mustering but have spent most of my time here in Operations, which takes care of the day to day running of a very active Airbase. It gets busy at times and the days can be long. I am married with 2 kids (7 and nearly 4). I currently live in Adelaide but have enjoyed postings all over Australia in my 17 year career.

When I’m back in Oz I like to cook barbeques, I have 2 webers, a charcoal rotisserie and a 7 burner gas barbeque. I also like to ride BMX with the kids, I have my own bike, (because I’m a big boy now) and I enjoy fixing up bikes for the kids in my spare time. I have a Staffordshire terrier called Dolly and 3 snakes called Bellatrix, Malfoy and Salazaar.

Over here we are getting warmer, we have had one day in the 50 degree range and we had a run of 11 days above 43. Most of my time is spent working or sleeping, but in my down time I hit the gym and watch movies and if time permits we go off base and explore the country. I have deployed with a good bunch of people, some of whom I have known for years, but some have become friends during the deployment.

I would like to thank you again for the time and effort you put into my quilt and linen bag, it really does mean a lot to get a bit of Australia while over here, we are immersed in military here, we eat, sleep and live it every day and everyone we socialize with is military too. Being over here really makes you appreciate what we have in Australia and how important family is. 

Thanks again, and best wishes to you and your family.
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Hi Kristie,

Firstly let me say thank you for the laundry bag you so thoughtfully made. It arrived here probably about one month ago so I apologise for the time to reply.  It is wonderful and I know that once my deployment ends and I go home, one of my children will love to have it in their room.

Thank you for providing a little bit of background of you as well. I can’t imagine that you have time to sew and write though looking after a couple of boys.

I actually asked my wife what theme I should ask for as I am not very imaginative and she suggested something to do with elephants or monkeys as that seems to be what a lot of the kid’s toys/animals are and they seem to like them! I also thought my kids were more likely to use it after this deployment so I wanted something that they would like to have in their room.

This deployment has been quite comfortable as the conditions are fine. I have deployed over here a couple of times now and it keeps getting better each time so that is nice. My tour ends soon and I am looking forward to spending some quality time with the family.

I decided to email this to you as I thought it would take forever to reach you if I posted it.  Whilst impersonal you can’t beat the convenience of it!

Once again thank you very much for taking the time to make this as it is lovely to know that there are people in the community who support what we do.

Thank you
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Dear Bridget,

I have recently completed three months service in the Middle East.  I am a Navy Reservist who was posted to the Australian Headquarters at Camp Baird.  I am now back working in my civilian practice.

Thank you for your lovely quilt, which I have been using on our bed at home in the cold Melbourne winter.  I particularly appreciate the motifs of anchors, red crosses, and native Australian animals.  Thank you for your great efforts in supporting Australian Service Men and Women overseas with these beautiful quilts. 

With kind regards.

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Dear Lyn,

I am currently posted in Townsville Lavarack Barracks, and my family currently reside in Brisbane.  I have been in the Australian Regular Army for about 9 ½ years, and I do enjoy what I do in Defence and general in Military life.  I have done two deployments including this one.

During my time in the Army since I joined, I have made lots of friends.  The bond and mateship that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I am currently the postal manager here in the Middle East, postal is always a high morale booster for everyone here and I do always feel good when I give people’s mail/parcel, especially from family back home.

Well summer here has just started and the temperature during the day is ranging from low 25 degrees Celsius to high 50 degrees Celsius in the middle of the day, and to tell the truth, makes no difference anyway because it is still hot! LOL!

I have your laundry bag that you have made and I wanted to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.  Your supports for the Defence Force is an overwhelming feeling and thought.

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Dear Jenny,

Thank you very much for the lovely laundry bag.  It certainly has a Tassie flavour, just what I was hoping for.  Both myself and my wife are from Tassie, but are living in Brisbane at the moment.  We get back when we can as our families are down there.

I know everyone really appreciates the work you all do for us and the bags and quilts really brighten our days (and our rooms).

I have been in the Air Force for 31 years now, and this is my third deployment to the Middle East.  This has been my first opportunity to ask for a bag or quilt, so I am glad I timed it so you made the bag.

Both my Dad and Grandad were in the Defence Forces, so I’m sure they are both looking down on the wonderful work you do to look after us all.

Thanks again for your kind words and the amazing work you do.  It really is appreciated.

All the best,

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Dear Anne,

I have received my quilt and laundry bag today; I’m really enjoying it and pleased of how it looks, especially when it’s all blue, this is certainly brightening my day for sure.

I want to thank you for taking the time and supporting us here in the Middle East, the little things and big things go further than many people think.  It’s not as close to be at home, but with your support, certainly makes things easier for us here in the Middle East.

Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel.  I keep myself busy to pass the time and always think about my family at home.  I do make sure that I contact them every now and again to make sure that everything is going well at home.  I always say to myself that I work a lot better and more efficiently knowing that my family is coping well while I am away for a long time.

Once again, thank you for your support.

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Dear Jan-Maree,

I received an amazing surprise in the mail just a couple of days before ANZAC Day here; a quilt belonging to your fine organisation.  I cannot express sufficiently in this letter how grateful I am for the time, effort, care and expense that went into its production, and just as much to your charity and initiative to create such a system.  I am the commander of a small bunch of soldiers deployed for 6-7 months here, and a few of us have now received quilts.  Even though this is my sixth deployment, I had never heard of Aussie Hero Quilts at the time the paperwork came to us asking if anyone wanted one, and even then I never expected to be lucky enough to be a recipient.  All of the quilts I’ve seen the blokes get have been amazing, unique and expertly made.

I was doubly happy to see you and your husband served in the RAAF, I am also a member of the RAAF, have not service transferred – I probably never will.  I used to fly C-130Js at RAAF Richmond for seven or so years before I started doing this a number of years ago.  I consider myself very fortunate to have worked with such fine people in both organisations, and long may that continue!

I have also written to Lynn, the lady who made it, to say that this combination of my career, family history and charitable construction of the quilt by her will ensure it remains cherished by me and my family for decades to come.  I have kept all of the items of clothing etc that my grandmother knitted and sewed for me, and they continue to be a great tangible link to her long after she has passed.  I look forward to the chance for my children to use, enjoy and ask questions about the origin of the quilt I received.  I think it demonstrates a much broader idea of the strength of Australia’s community and respect for anyone and everyone who serves it.

So thank you once again to you and all of the people who support the organisation of your creation.  I know it has made, and will continue to make the members of all of our services very happy for a long time to come yet.  I couldn’t be more appreciative, and wish you and your family as many happy returns as your charity gives to others.

Kind regards,

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Good afternoon Caroline,

Just wanting say a huge thank you for the amazing Panthers Quilt you have made for me!

I am a huge Panthers fan and I was super amazed at how incredible the quilt is! You definitely went over and above and I’m so grateful!

Hopefully the weather down in Melbourne isn’t too cold for you this winter!

Thank you once again!
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Till next time... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xxx