Grati-Tuesday 11 September

G'day all,

Tonight whilst you read this I will be putting on my glad rags and heading off to The Realm to attend the Women United By Defence Dinner.  I am very much looking forward to it as there are loads of awesome people going who I have spoken to, written to, emailed, messaged or been in contact with in one way or another, but who I have never met and it is always great to meet in person. 

So, whilst I am out meeting people and being entertained and fed, you get to sit back, relax and enjoy tonight's messages.  Happy reading!

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Hi Carolann,

I received my quilt and laundry bag last week and just wanted to thank you and the lovely Chocolyn Laughalot Ladies for your beautiful work.

It has become a great addition to my bed and has definitely helped to brighten up my room! I loved reading that you were all from a small town community as I myself grew up in small town about an hour West of Brisbane, which was also a farming area.

Thank you again for all your hard work that goes into making all the quilts and laundry bags. It's very much appreciated and definitely helps to boost our morale. 

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Good Afternoon Su,

I am one of the platoon commanders, currently in Malaysia completing Rifle Company Butterworth.

First I would like to thank you for both my own laundry bag, but also, the numerous other bags that have been generously gifted by the organisation you are a part of, that have been supplied to my soldiers. Your letter is all to true, the buildings that myself and the boys are staying in are remarkably plain and the splash of colour now afforded by these bags will no doubt improve morale, or, at the very least , make the boys feel like they are somewhat closer to home. Whilst my platoon has only just commenced our training over here, I can assure you that this bag will be well used by the time we return home at the beginning of December.

Whilst I cannot attach a photo of my bag, one side is covered in a fabric with cats, whilst the other side has a large depiction of a black cat walking towards a woman.

Many Thanks,

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Dear Jenny,

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for my most beautiful Quilt, this quilt will play pride of place on my bed to remind me of the beautiful people that we have back home supporting us. (thank you for the musk sticks, the girls in the office are very happy to see some good ole fashion yummy lollies they were my favourite as a kid as well).

The colours in my Quilt are perfect and everyone that I have shown so far agree with me the intricate detailing of the Quilt is beyond words and I just love the two Elephants they are just the perfect added touch. I was so happy to receive my Quilt as you can see by the picture attached.

Thank you so much for your time and effort in making my beautiful Quilt, to me you are a hero because it if wasn't for all the ladies associated with Aussie Hero Quilts none of this would be possible and it is amazing how much joy one work of art can bring a person.

Thank you once again for all of your support and dedication and I hope that I can meet up with you all some day.

Until then take care and keep up the terrific work.

Cheers and Big Hugs

PS: I was excited about going on deployment but truth be known I was more excited knowing that I was finally entitled to receive my very own first Aussie Quilt. (thank you). 
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Greetings from Malaysia.

My company and I are currently in malaysia on RCB rotation 123. It humbles me to know that people back home are going out of their way to make these gifts for us. It may seem little on your end, but we all are very thankful. 

And dont worry about me putting it to use, im sure i will have plenty of laundry loads to put on.

Yours gratefully

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Hey Julie!

Just received your lovely laundry bag today whilst in Malaysia for some jungle training! Awesome that your helping out on this project, think everybody was stoked to get free gifts haha!

All the best in your future,

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Good Morning Robyn W

I would just like to thank yourself and Robin E for the laundry bag you have kindly  made and sent to support troops currently deployed on operations and exercises overseas.

I am currently deployed in Malaysia as part of Rifle Company Butterworth. I have also deployed to Afghanistan, Solomon Islands and various other parts of the world on humanitarian and training missions in the past.

I can assure you that any time I have been deployed any support from home by way of care packages or cards is always eagerly received by the soldiers and always boosts morale.

We received some extremely good quality laundry bags today with myself being the lucky recipient of the great bag made by yourself with the material provided by Mrs E. All the soldiers were smiling as they were given a bag. Due to the tempo many may not get the time to reply however I just wanted to take this brief moment to ensure you knew how gratefull we all are for the kindness and support given to us by great people back home in Australia like yourself.

Thank you again!

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Hi Robyn, 

I just received the laundry bag you have kindly made, I chose it because I love the design and the colours on it, thank you very much for taking the time to make it :) 
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Good Morning Ruth,

I would like to thank you for the fantastic laundry bag that you made for me. You have done a fantastic job and I really appreciate all of the time and effort you put into it. Receiving my laundry bag was the highlight of my day yesterday. Also thank you for the Tim Tams and jelly beans.

Once again thanks for all of your effort and I really appreciate it.

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Good afternoon Robyn,

I would like to thank you for the donation of your time and thoughts for the members of the ADF.

I received your laundry bag and card yesterday, and I will say that in my 19yrs of service in the Infantry, it is the kind remarks, gifts and thanks from the Australian public that makes us all proud to do the job that we do.

I wish you all the best, and once again, thank you very much.

Kind regards,

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Good Afternoon Robyn,

I recently was the very lucky recipient of one of the Aussie Hero Quilts and laundry bags which you made.

I wanted to pass on my very sincere thanks for this beautiful quilt and laundry bag. I really love the design and the quilt now takes pride of place in my lounge room, and I have no doubt I will get a lot of use from the laundry bag as well.

Thanks again for all your hard work in making my (and many others) quilt.

All the best and thanks again.

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Dear Sheena,

I would just like to say a big thank you for your first Aussie Hero Quilt and care package. It was an unexpected surprise and really put a smile on my face. I just hope that this email goes through correctly and doesn't land in your junk mail.

Once again, thank you very much for your lovely letter and care package. I wish you and your husband all the best for your retirement.

Kind regards
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Our new WPH recruit, Andy, made this LB.... 

Thank you so much to you and the ladies, so awesome!

Great job Andy.

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Dear Robyn,

I am writing to offer my sincere gratitude for the quilt and laundry bag that you so kindly provided. The rising sun is particularly impressive and I can assure you that I will cherish each of the items for a long time to come. You should be extremely proud of the support provided as I have already received a large amount of positive comments about the handiwork.

The deployment is progressing well and the soldiers are enjoying the opportunity to train the Iraqi Army and contribute to the long term security of Iraq. It has been a very hot summer with temperatures often above 45 degrees Celsius. Even though summer finished 9 days ago, temperatures are still in the 40s. We are scheduled to be home just in time for another summer. I am sure that a large portion of the Task Group will utilise Australia's beautiful beaches - something we all miss while over here.

Your support to deployed personnel, including the kind words in the letter, is greatly appreciated and I wish you all the best for the future.

Kind regards 
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Hi Kaye,

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the amazing wash bag that you made for me.  I will cherish the wash bag and quilt for the rest of my life and will pass them on to my children.  I think the selfless act of dedicating your time and hard work is amazing. Please know that your gift has had a lasting impact on me.

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