Aussie Flags needed....

Hey all,

I am just going to put this out there and if you can help us that would be terrific.  One of the most commonly requested features on our quilts and bags is the good old Aussie flag.  An Aussie flag when you a long way from home is a beautiful sight and I really don't want to leave them off our quilts when that is what someone has asked for.

Below are examples of the sorts of flags we can include on our quilts and bags and I have just about run out of both of the all over fabrics and am about to use my our last Aussie flag panel tonight.   

You can buy flag panels that are around pillow case size at Spotlight.  You can also buy the great all over flag fabric below on the left from Spotlight.  The other flag fabric, by Nutex, is usually available at Patchwork stores.  I am hoping it is still available. 

If you are able to help us out and send some of the fabrics, or maybe contribute a Spotlight card, or put a little money into the bank account to enable us to buy some that would be much appreciated. 

Our postal address is PO Box 248, Cherrybrook NSW 2126

My email address is friendsofAHQ@gmail.com

If you need more info please EMAIL me.   

Any assistance gratefully received.  

Till next time... thank you for reading this post.  Keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xx

Weekly Dispatches... absent photos

Hey all,

Over the last few weeks I have noticed a few comments from volunteers who are concerned that the photos of their quilt or laundry bag has not made it into the blog for a particular week. If a few of you are wondering where your photos are then it stands to reason that there are probably others wondering too.  

There are a number of reasons why this might happen.

Firstly, I do not publish the Friday night Weekly Dispatches myself any more thankfully. I have two wonderful volunteers who help me out with that. I have to send them all the photos to use and hopefully, I don't have any technical problems. Usually all goes smoothly but occasionally I will forget to send a few photos and they get accidentally missed. Not intentional but human error.  I have also had a couple of awful days where emails have refused to send and I don't know until it is too late. 

Also, sometimes I send the photos early on Thursday as that is the only time I have to send them so any photos received after that won't be included til the following week. 

If the quilt or bag is distinctive, and if I think there is a good chance that the recipient or his loved ones will spot it on the blog, I will also hold it over for a week, or three, until I am fairly confident that the items have been received OR until I feel that the recipient is less likely to assume it is theirs.  I would hate the surprise to be spoilt by them seeing the item on the blog in advance of the parcel arriving. 

I have a system in place to attempt to ensure that no photos get left off indefinitely, instead of for a week or two, but occasionally the system falls down. 

Finally sometimes it is just human error.    When I receive  an email with photos of a quilt or bag that has been sent off there are several things I need to do. 

1. I need to mark the item as sent. 

2. I need to email the recipient to let them know their item is on its way

3. I need to save the photo to the AHQ USB of large resolution photos

4. I need to shrink the photo down and save it to the file of photos that will be used for the blog each week. 

5. I need to reply to the volunteer to let them know I got their email etc. Lots of people will be able to tell you that this step is often omitted unintentionally. 

At any point in this process the door bell can ring (it does often as I have things being picked up and dropped off here all the time).  The phone rings often too.  Don't even get me started if it is a sewing day here when the email comes in.   I can be interrupted unavoidably and repeatedly and it can be so easy to miss a step. 

So, please, if you don't see your photo published on the blog the week you expect to, just email me and check with me. Whatever the reason, it is an easy fix and I am always happy to have people check on this or that if they see an error or omission. I will be more than happy to rectify the problem once I am aware of it. 

Whatever you do, please don't take the omissions personally. I don't leave photos of either quilts or bags off deliberately and am always happy to have the error of my ways gently pointed out so that I can fix them.  I am really proud of the awesome work you are all doing and want to show every single one of them off to the readers of this blog and Facebook page.

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

Jan-Maree xx

Weekly Dispatches 28 June

These are the lovely Quilts and Laundry Bags that have
been dispatched this week by contributors all over Australia.

Hopefully, they will put a smile on the face of Recipients as they open their
packages and read the notes thanking them for their Service and their sacrifice.

We often read of the excitement of mates surrounding them as they are opened, and
the atmosphere it creates in the places where they are serving.

I count it a privilege to be a part of Aussie Hero Quilts as we have such a
positive impact on the lives of our Defence Force Personnel.

This year so far we have sent off 661 quilts

and that has brought our total since we started to 

more than 10,796 quilts.

We have also sent off 1,149 laundry bags,

bringing our total since we started

to over 21,297 laundry bags

Anne D

Ashleigh

Bev C

BOMs 

Coffs Harbour Sewing Team

BOMs

Coffs Harbour Sewing Team

BOMs

Jennifer

Cathie J

Cathie J

Deb K

Helen and Pat

Janis K

Janis K 

Joy H

Judy D and Bridget

Kerry McL

Kristie H

Lesley B

Back

Lesley B

Front

Lesley B

Back

Liz N

Liz N

Marilyn S

Pennie

Pennie

Pennie

Pennie

Raeleen

Robyn H

Robyn H

Ruth
Front

Ruth
Back

Ruth

Ruth

Su J

Swanky

Swanky

Thank you to all the Contributors of this great bunch of
Quilts and Laundry Bags.

Until next time,

Sandy

BLOCK OF THE MONTH QUILTS 26 June

BLOCK OF THE MONTH QUILTS

The following quilts have all been made using Blocks of the Month by the

Coffs Harbour Sewing Team.

If you are a member of the Bomb Squad...those who contribute these blocks, I

hope you can find some of your blocks here.

THANK YOU 

to every wonderful contributor.

If you would like to make some of the current Blocks of the Month called Square Echoes, 

please go HERE 

for all that you'll need to know about getting starting and becoming a member of the Bomb Squad.

Enjoy these quilts that have already been received by our Aussie Heroes.

Did you spot your blocks?

Until next time,

Sandy

Happy Mail 26th June

Blocks of the Month

Thank you to the following Contributors for the blocks they
have sent in the past week.  

SQUARE ECHOES
If you would like to make some Square Echoes blocks, it's not too late.  Please go 
HERE
for the tutorial.

Do you have Blocks of the Month that you made in previous months but
didn't get in the mail?  No problem...please still send them
and they too will be included in quilts for our Aussie Heroes.

Bobbie S

Jan A


Kath M #1


Kath M #2


Kath M #3


Anne H


Joan H


Until next time,

Sandy