A trip to Canberra and more

Greetings all. 

I thought it was time I caught you up with a little of what I have been doing lately.  On Friday the 18th of April I headed down to Canberra.   If you have been around Aussie Heroes for a few years you would probably know that I used to go to Canberra fairly regularly, but COVID and Multiple Myeloma (MM) changed all that and I know I am not the only one who has had their lifestyle curtailed in the last two years. 

This was 12 months since my last trip, almost to the day.   I used the time to catch up with some friends but also managed to squeeze in some Aussie Hero business as well. On the Saturday afternoon my husband and I headed out to catch up with Chaplain Mark and his wife Lisa.  Mark was the first chaplain I really worked with for Aussie Heroes.  He ended his career in full time service in January after reaching the position of Principal Air Chaplain, Director General Chaplaincy - Air Force.  He will be sorely missed but he has transferred to the Reserves so we might see him around a bit for a while, though he did tell me that he is quite enjoying his retirement so far. 

It has been two years since I have seen Mark so we were well overdue for a catch up so he was not all that surprised, I guess, when I called him to see if he had any spare time on the Saturday. He did not know the sole purpose of my visit was to present him with his quilt.  We sat at the table and chatted about his retirement and caught up on our lives and Aussie Heroes in general. We discussed the fact that Aussie Heroes has created over 14000 quilts lately and I put the bag I had brought up on the table and said, "It is about to be fourteen thousand and one!"  Mark just laughed as he thought that I was about to bring out a quilt for him to present to someone on our behalf.  When I told him it was for him his face just lit up and then he could not wait to unfold it and have a good look at what was on it. It is wonderful for me when we can make a quilt for someone I know really well as it is so much easier to personalise it. This one was made by Lynn F and quilted by Philomena, with embroideries by Arthur, and they did a beautiful job. 

I have seen so many people receive their quilts.  Mark has presented quilts on our behalf and has seen plenty of them presented.  Even so, I still don't think there are many who have been more excited than Mark was to receive his. 

For lots of the things I did whilst I was in Canberra this time I did not take photos but it was a very special time. On the Sunday I met the family of one of our recipients.  Unfortunately she has received a quilt from us to give her comfort during her fight with the dreaded disease called Motor Neurone Disease. Sadly she passed away in recent months and the family asked to meet me to say thank you. Such a beautiful family. She must have been so proud of them. Those of you who come to our Thank You Weekend will have the opportunity to hear her husband talk about what that quilt meant to hear and her family. 

On the Monday morning Clarissa joined me as we went to the Chief of Air Force's home to attend a special morning tea. The RAAF Air and Space Power Conference was on and that meant that Chiefs of Air Force from all over the world had come to Australia.  As often happens with these sorts of conferences many of the wives and partners come along and a Partners' Program is arranged.  For this partners' program Aussie Heroes was asked along to speak to the wives and partners to explain all about Aussie Heroes, what we do and how we do it. It was such a privilege to be invited to speak to the visitors and to show them some of our quilts and laundry bags. I took a selection along with me. 

We set up a table display in the garden and some stand alone quilts on frames inside the house. 

This very special ANZAC Themed quilt was made by Lynn Field, and it was won by Mrs Lou Hupfeld, the wife of our current Chief of Air Force, in an auction at one of our annual dinners. It hangs in the entry of their home, proudly on display for all to see. 

On the Monday night I met for dinner with the team that are putting in all the hard work to organise our 10th Anniversary Thank You Weekend.  So much work is going into the weekend and there are so many great things planned. I hope you have all bought your tickets and booked your hotels.  And don't you worry if you don't know anyone. That won't last long. The whole weekend is structured so that by the time you get to the dinner on the Saturday night you will no longer feel alone as you will be sure to have made some new friends. 

On the Tuesday I was supposed visit one group of people who need to remain nameless for now so as not to spoil any surprises.  COVID interfered with those plans but that gave me the chance to reach out to another friend of mine and I spent a few hours on Tuesday catching up with him. His name is Michael and he is ex-Army, a recipient of ours and also an amazing artist. He paints, sketches, sculpts and is also a talented photographer. Michael has an exhibition coming up and I am excited to say that the exhibition will be launched by none other than the Governor General at Government House.  I am so excited to see him get such wonderful recognition.  I am extra excited because in a couple of weeks I will be heading back to Canberra to attend the exhibition launch myself. How special. I am also really excited to share with you that Michael will be one of our guest speakers on the Friday Night at our Quilters Gathering.  I know in the past we have had professional quilters come along to speak but I think you will find Michael's story fascinating and inspiring. 

I have another trip to Canberra coming up on the 9th of April. This time I will be doing some more catch ups to do with the Thank You Weekend. I will also hopefully be presenting some quilts as well as doing some other Aussie Heroes business and of course, I will be attending the launch of Michael's exhibition at Government House. 

Now I thought I would show you our latest acquisition. After nearly 11 years of having to beg, borrow and scrounge quilt frames to display our quilts on at exhibitions and dinners, we finally have 12 of our own!   These ones were made by the Hills Mens Shed and they have done a fabulous job. You will see them in action at our dinner in October. They are easy to transport and easy to assemble and are just right for our quilts.

Before I sign off for the night I wanted to share one more thing with you. I have had two phone calls in the last two days from recipients. The first was from a Vietnam Veteran and today's was from the recipient of a Fallen Warrior Quilt.  They are not the first calls I have received and I am sure they will not be the last.  I genuinely wish I could share these phone calls with you like I am able to with a letter but it is not possible to remember everything that is said and pass it on and often these calls are emotional but rest assured that the sentiments expressed were heartfelt and the recipients were deeply grateful. 

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

Jan-Maree xx

Grati -Tuesday 29th March 2022

 

 Happy Tuesday Friends!

Hope you are having a great week so far! Grab a cuppa and a snack - sit back, relax and enjoy the gratitude letters below. 

....

Hi Wendy.V,

 

I received the laundry bag on the day we pulled back into Sydney after completing Operation Tonga Assist 22, some 51 days straight at sea!

 

The laundry bag you produced is absolutely incredible, and I was blown away with detail and your creativity – it bought a huge smile, and I couldn’t help myself, but I had to show everybody that lives around me your fantastic creation. I can’t articulate just how happy I am with it, and it is something that I will cherish for as long as it survives!

 

I also really appreciate your story, and it just adds to the sentimental value of the laundry bag. I love the fact that it is unique and made by a ‘real’ person.  You have freely given up your time to create something so beautiful – words just can’t express how truly grateful I am.

 

So, a little about me. I joined the Navy some 35 years ago from Adelaide and obtained a radio fitter mechanic trade. I was posted to my first ship as an 18-year-old and have now spend the vast majority of my adult time in the service of Australia. 8 sea postings now have me sitting on onboard HMAS Adelaide, which also happens to be my last ship, managing a Team that has the responsibility of maintaining all the weapons, communications, and combat systems onboard.  I see this job as the most rewarding, yet challenging job I have ever undertaken – and I love it all!  I have seen a significant shift during my time in the Navy, which has resulted in an increase of the time away from home and our loved ones. For me personally, I left my family in Perth to ensure that I provided them a semblance of stability. Unfortunately, COVID has heavily impacted my ability to re-connect, and the WA hard border policy only made it worse. Relaxation is making it easier, but it is still a challenge.

 

Once again, I absolute love the laundry bag, the effort and detail is remarkable and I can’t thank you enough.

 

Thank you.

....

Hello Robyn.H,

Oh my goodness, I am so excited to receive your parcels last week and your kind words. Would you believe I returned home and my daughter has contracted COVID and we are now isolating at home. I survived 2 months at sea to catch this when I returned. Luckily we all have only mild symptoms.

To say I love my quilt and laundry bag is an understatement. They are so beautiful and my colleagues all oohed and aaahed when I opened the parcel. I know this will become a family heirloom.

I am the Human Resources Officer on Adelaide so are responsible for managing a team of 15 staff who look after 420 ships company and then additionally Army who can come onboard. We had 360 army join us in Brisbane to sail to Tonga. Having 700 people to look after is certainly a busy job and I am responsible for managing the movements of all people, public affairs, managing a large travel and training budget and all the other things that HR do such as inducting new staff, promotions, terminations and all sorts of admin. I have a wonderful team that help me to do this.

I have been in the Navy for 12 years and your quilt was the first opportunity I have had to receive such an item. It was so exciting to have this opportunity as you ladies are quite the legend for people who have deployed. Everyone covets one of these amazing pieces of art.

Tonga as you may have seen on the news was a challenging deployment but also very rewarding. I was able to go ashore and be a part of some of the cleanup activities on an island just outside of the main city. It was truly devastated. I can’t even imagine being in the situation the Tongan people are in. Even in this difficult time I still had a warm bed and a hot meal each day. Something a lot of people in Tonga no longer have. I am externally grateful for the blessed life I have.

Thank you. 

....

Dear Pennie.T,

I would like to personally thank you for the laundry bag you made. I am currently deployed in Malaysia. 

I have served with the British Army and now currently serving with the Australian Defence Force (Army). I am currently posted in QLD but been deployed with a unit from the NT. We have another two and half months left of this rotation/deployment before returning home.

I am a very keen cyclist and the bag is very fitting for my personal hobbies and current job I am filling here in Malaysia.

Thank you once again for the support you provide to the troops on deployments, as the bags serve a very good purpose and as you mentioned adds a little colour.

Kindest of regards

 ....

Morning Gayle.W,

 

I am sending this email to say thank you very much for the Orca Quilt. The patterning, colours and overall design really provides a sense of being immersed in an ocean. I hope to use it the next time I am deployed overseas. Speaking of which, the ship was able to witness the utter devastation of the tsunami in Tonga. From firsthand experience, witnessing the extent of damage in the outlying islands, the buildings were completely wiped from their foundations leaving the slabs were the houses, stores and churches used to be. It was quite confronting to see but also frames the perspective of the importance of the Australian Navy in the Asia Pacific Region.

 

I have been meaning to send you an email last week when the ship first received care packages. However I have been inundated with work once the ship berthed alongside in Sydney. As one of the HMAS Adelaide’s Marine Engineers on board, my role entails the management of maintenance, operations and defect reporting of all the propulsion systems and hotel services onboard. Examples of hotel services include: Power, fresh water and sewage systems. As Adelaide is quite a big ship that is designed to carry up to an additional 700 personnel, my job is quite busy when at sea and also very busy when the ship is berthed for maintenance.

 

Once again thank you for the quilt and it has been a pleasure reading your letter.

 

Regards.

....

Good Morning Pennie.T,

 

I conducted some research before writing to you, and came across other ADF members that have had the opportunity to receive gifts from yourself.

 

So on behalf of past, present (myself), and future ADF members that will receive a gift from you, I say thank you.

 

Thank you for your tireless effort of thinking of us (ADF members), thank you for your time, thank you for your ongoing support for providing such gifts, and thank you for your service as a front line worker for the past two plus years during the pandemic.

 

I must admit I spent quite a while in the Chaplin’s office searching for the right bag to select, and I can honestly say that your gift is something I was requiring due to constant wet weather and regular duties, and who doesn’t love Marvel movies.

 

Once again, thank you for your continuous support of all ADF members and your service to our great country, Australia.

Regards.

....

The following Gratitude email didn't specify which Jenny made this laundry bag. 

Dear Jenny,

Thank you for the amazing laundry bag that you have gifted me.

A bit about me. So I am currently living in the NT as a part of work and am originally from a small mining town.

I’ve only ever been in the army as a job, as I enlisted shortly after school at 18 years of age, come April it will be my 6^th year in the Army.

 

Currently I am in Malaysia which is where I got this bag from.

 

I am living with my partner who is also a serving member but looking at leaving, as am I and not too sure what I’ll get into after I leave, however the laundry bag will be staying with me.

 

I am not sure if you are a Star Wars fan, but I am a huge Star Wars fan so I knew that this bag was perfect for me!

 

I hope you have a wonderful future and once again, thank you for that bag.

Kind Regards.

....

Hi Susan.J,

 

I hope you and your husband are all doing well.

 

Thank you so much for Django’s Hero Quilt, he absolutely adores it as you can see in the picture attached below.

 

A little background on Django, he was originally trained by a couple of RAAF Handlers that run their own dog training business outside of their RAAF duties. I was involved in the testing and then purchase of Django and then I was his handler for the first 12 months of his time at the regiment. 

Django was then placed on course with a new handler and upon completion of that course he remained with that handler until the end of his career.

 

Luckily being Django’s original handler, I was given priority when it came time to retire him. He has always had a soft demeanour for a working dog so the adjustment into retired life was very easy for him. Django now spends his days chewing on one of his multiple toys, chasing the cat around the house and sleeping at my fiancé’s feet while she works from home. He loves trips to the beach for swims and play time with all the other dogs. 

 

Thank you again for taking the time to make such a beautiful memento of Django’s service.

....

Good Evening Heather.B,

I am a British Air Force lateral recruit to the Aussie Air Force. I moved over in 2011 after 17yrs service. And seeing lots all over the world good and bad.

I was aware of the Aussie Quilts and Bags and the amazing work you and all the teams around the states do for us.

And for this I thank you very much also.

I was and have been placed on the covid assist taskforce up to December.  Looking after the hotels and returning Aussies and other passengers. Which seemed straight forward but wow was taxing and testing.

But the nature of my job and the current weather, it has been non stop, not being able to catch a breathe, Floods and Tonga standby and deployments around other states.

I hope you and your family are safe, and looking after each other and the extended family you have, (sounds full on, and a lot of military connections) while we have all been navigating through these uncharted and troubled times and floods and fires and covid.

We will get through somehow.

My laundry bag with Dr Who on, well it is very cool and very British, so it made me smile and think of home.

The pic attached is my bag, which I will use and cherish whenever I head away.

We both have a love for swimming I am visually impaired so do a-lot of adaptive sports, not a distance swimmer but still enjoy the odd race and laps.

Thanks again so so much

....

Hi Diana.A,

I hope this email finds you well! Thank you so much for the incredible quilt you made! It is absolutely gorgeous and it's the first one I've ever received. I will cherish it forever. 

I received the quilt on Monday after spending time with my family getting back from Tonga. It was wonderful to see them. 

I used to work as a nurse before I joined the army so I understand what those night shifts are like. I also have an older brother who works at a hospital in Sydney in the pathology lab.  

All the best Diana, take care and thank you again for the blanket, I've showed it off to many people already bragging about your skills. 

....

Thats it for another week. Hope you have a wonderful evening and we will have a whole lot more for you next week..

28 March 2022 Request List

 

 Good Morning all 

 Aussie Hero Quilts 10^th Anniversary Dinner Update….

 Have you bought your tickets yet? Have you booked your accommodation yet?  Hopefully this week we should be able to announce the final details for the Friday afternoon activity and the Bus Tour for the Saturday.  I have just come back from a visit to Canberra and I had to opportunity to meet up with two of our speakers for the Friday night and plans are coming together nicely. I promise you it is going to be a great weekend.

On to our requests.  

Once you’ve made your selection of what you’d like to try, do please EMAIL friendsofAHQ@gmail.com and Catherine or I will be pleased to assist you with your selection. Hope to hear from you soon. 

Thank you!  

 When selecting a request, remember, you do not have to include everything they have asked for. Footy quilts do not need to have the logo or even the team’s name. Using the team colours is all that is required. Simple is perfectly acceptable.  A number of these requests have given you favourite colours as well as footy teams or other hobbies and interests. It is fine to make a quilt using their favourite colours and include only one of their interests.  It is fine to keep it simple. 

If there is more than one request on this list that you would be happy to do I suggest that you send me a list of requests and tell me how many you want to be allocated….i.e. one of the following please….  There are always a few requests that everyone wants to do (and I can never pick them) so if the first one you ask for is taken then I can allocate another from your list if I have a list. 

Any queries you might have, please don’t hesitate to contact via the AHQ email as per usual with any queries and we will assist you from there.  We may not know the answer, but it will be our pleasure to research and get back to you.   

A reminder, when you are ready to post the quilt or laundry bag you’ve created, please use the PMKEYS number given you in any correspondence with the admin team.  This helps the volunteer admin team keep a track of what’s been sent etc.  The PMKEYS number is included in the address details we supply for your recipient e.g.  the 7-digit number in bold below. 

 CPL Wanda Quilt 8765432 

 TG 3456 

 AFPO XX 

 ADF 

Sydney NSW 2890

POSTING

If you are posting your parcel overseas to an AFPO address then please use the Aussie Heroes PO Box address on your parcel in the event the parcel is Returned to Sender -  the PO Box is a safe place in the event of  any mishaps with postage. 

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) 

PO Box 248, Cherrybrook, NSW 2126 

If you are posting to any other address (other than an AFPO address) please feel free to use your own address for the return address.  

Don’t forget to take a photo of your completed quilt or laundry bag to email to AHQ with the name and PMKEYS of the recipient and we can include in the Weekly Dispatches blog and add to the tally of quilts and laundry bags sent off to the troops.  I personally love viewing the photos of those projects dispatched – so inspiring. 

If you are using a AHQ supplied prepaid satchel please kindly use the AHQ address for the return address– also for your own packaging – if a parcel is Returned to Sender it is likely we can expedite its journey to the recipient from Sydney.

Please also please hold on to the Tracking number (the pink sticker that you should remove before posting – we’ve experienced mail delays lately (haven’t we all?) and having the Tracking number is very reassuring to keep an eye on the parcel’s progress in arriving at its destination. 

Don’t forget, if you look at today’s Request List and need help choosing, please feel free to get in touch to discuss, we will be ready to reply and offer guidance by email. Our goal is to help you find a request that you will be comfortable with doing. If you need a crest etc we may be able to post embroideries / printed fabric images or email some of these to you. 

Helpful info may be gleaned here  http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com/2019/07/information-post-for-those-that-sew-for.html    I look forward to seeing the photos of completed quilts and LBs when they are ready to post off. 

POST BY DATE 

The post by date for all Requests on this list is 2 May 2022  please, or earlier if you can manage this.  If you cannot make that date, please let me know. Do reach out if you have any timing issues and we’ll resolve one way or the other. In fact, if you are going to be late posting it please let me know BEFORE you post it.  Also, if this time frame is too tight for you, there are options, just email me to discuss, thank you.     

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE copy the ENTIRE line if you wish to nominate for a quilt or laundry bag.  

For example…. 

Marvel Theme. Ironman     M       LB      1 

This is really important to make sure that neither you nor I copy the wrong number which could lead to me giving you the wrong details for specific request.  If you find it hard to copy and paste, please copy the line out as above.  

Decoding The Columns 

The first column is the theme or preferences requested. 

The second column indicates the gender of the recipient. 

The third column is as follows. 

B=both quilt and laundry bag (feel  free to nominate to JUST do the laundry bag if you wish) 

Q= just a quilt 

LB = just a laundry bag 

F= female 

M= male 

Please let the Admin crew know if you have any other questions....Just email friendsofahq@gmail.com  

Looking forward to seeing what you want to make this week. Happy stitching! 

Cheers, 

Jan-Maree  

 

P.P.S.  Don't forget to check out AHQ on the Blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter 

 

Rising Sun with personal details below, AALC, RACMP, Australian flag, Text "East Timor 2002 Election Observer", (badges and text can be to you. The East Timor flag is easy to applique)	M	Q	1
Rising Sun, MFO Badge. I would be most grateful for a military design (army)	F	Q	2
RAINF, RACT, Rising Sun Text "Op Anode Solomon Islands 2010 and Op Astute Timor Leste 2012" (Badges and text can be sent to you)	M	Q	3
Army/military theme please. Rising Sun (we can send you the Rising Sun)	M	Q	4
Australian Ensign, Navy Blue/Red/White/Black theme (similar to the RAAF 100 years logo/merch). I also have a black greyhound!	F	B	5
Rising Sun, Regt badge, Signals Badge Likes American themed things like truckers caps etc Into gaming – plays Dota Also enjoys 3D printing.	M	B	6
Rising Sun, Intelligence Corp Badge, Regt Badge, also spent time in 5 RAR Is also into video gaming, Age of Empires Likes Australian icons: vegemite, bushels tea etc Has owned a Ford Skyliner Car Likes to workout at the gym Loves coffee	M	B	7
Wine, travelling, sports and music. Colours: Blue, but all colours are nice too.	F	Q	8
The Mandalorian (starwars), Colours in grey, green silver, for both quilt and laundry bag	M	Q	9
RAN crest, Marine Technician,  propeller (easy to applique, can send picture to use)  HMAS Arunta crest   favourite colour is Blue (Can send RAN crest and Arunta crest to include)	F	LB	10
Blue, water-polo and golf, rugby union and cricket, Sailing, fishing, diving	M	Q	11
Blue, Surfing, Rugby and Travel	M	Q	12
Anime (Japanese cartoon) or Dragon Ball Z	M	Q	13
Blue, PC gaming, DIY Projects, Netflix & Movies	M	Q	14
Dark Red, travelling and running.	M	Q	15
Blue, sports and outdoors.	M	Q	16
Blue, Rugby, Boating, Politics	M	Q	17
Patterns in colours of black and shades of blue.	F	LB	18
4Wdrive/camping/outback themed	M	Q	19
Patterned in shades of green.	F	Q	20
Blue/green. Diving, Weight lifting and 4WDing. RAN crest with Name rank and service number please. (We can provide the crest with personal details)	M	B	21
One piece(the anime), acoustic guitar, blue and purple	M	B	22
Black, Red, Orange, Green etc  Rugby, Waterpolo, Rugby League, AFL.  Basically anything to do with sport and colourful.	M	Q	23
Jeep and Camping/Mountains type theme	M	Q	24
Soccer/Cricket/Golf Liverpool FC. Embroidered panel with nickname and the following: Royal Australian Navy, Ex Royal Navy, HMAS, Anzac, HMAS Adelaide, HMS Westminster, HMS Brocklesby. (Name and ship details can be embroidered)	M	Q	25
red, white and blue.  rugby union	M	Q	26
ACDC themed, Black with a red ACDC logo if possible please	M	Q	27
WW2, Older Navy	M	B	28
Gears of War (XBOX Game) Quilt.	M	Q	29
Light blue. A theme of motorbikes, snowboarding, camping and/or fishing would be tops. I also follow Red Bull racing	M	Q	30
Roosters NRL, Red, blue, white, green, brown and yellow. Can I please have, HMAS Adelaide crest and the RACT Army badge with name and PMKeys  "OP Tonga Assist 2022" (Crest, badge and text can be embroidered)	M	B	31
Brisbane Lions AFL, Parramatta Eels (NRL), AMPOL Red Bull Racing Team (V8s), Tenpin Bowling.	M	Q	32
Rugby League Sydney Roosters (red, white, blue)  or Liverpool FC, with the nickname (we can have the nickname embroidered for you)	M	Q	33
BMW superbikes or any sports bikes	M	Q	34
RAN crest, Navy Ships - would love the crests of the following HMAS Tobruk HMAS Arunta (FFH Class) HMAS Maryborough (Armidale Class Patrol Boat) HMAS Canberra (Canberra Class) (We can provide the RAN Crest and the ships' crests)	M	Q	35
Ships crests: HMAS Brisbane, Success, Stuart, Tobruk, Adelaide (LHD) and Canberra (LHD). Navy themed. (We can provide crests)	M	B	36
Sailing	M	Q	37
Marvel	M	Q	38
Star Wars	M	Q	39
How to train your Dragon	M	B	40
NBA - Anything to do with Michael Jordan, Air Jordan, Kobe Bryant, the Lakers or the NBA logo if possible. But I will be happy with what whatever they come up with NBA themed!	M	B	41
Winnie the Pooh	F	Q	42
Cronulla Sharks	M	B	43
Anything Air Force or general Aviation (we can provide a RAAF Crest. Also RAAF Roundel, silhouettes of aircraft can be provided for applique guidance)	M	Q	44
Crocodiles / animals	F	Q	45
Indian Motorcylce	M	Q	46
The Simpsons	M	Q	47
Ninja/Samurai Theme	M	B	48
Surfing	M	Q	49
Transformers or Star Wars	M	Q	50
Dallas Cowboys colours and star (NFL Team), HMAS Adelaide ship's crest with "OP Tonga Assist 2022 CPONPC and name" please. (We can supply the crest and embroidery)	M	B	51
dance theme (ballet/calisthenics) with the ocean incorporated, pink/purple if possible. HMAS Adelaide crest with OP Tonga Assist 2022 AB (Full Name) and PMKeys" embroidered on it. (We can supply crest and embroidery)	F	Q	52
Blue or green- Plants/ animals/ weather HMAS ADELAIDE crest and name on it (We can supply embroidery)	F	Q	53
green/ blue, Tennis /Ragdoll Cat HMAS Adelaide ship's crest and "OP Tonga Assist 2022 and initials" embroidered on it. (We can supply the crest and embroidery)	M	LB	54
blue and bright colours/patterns with a nautical theme.	M	Q	55
Motor bikes, magpies white and black colours, embroidered with nickname. (We can supply embroidery)	M	Q	56
Dark green, rust orange and black, with stars and other celestial bodies with name embroidered on it.  (We can supply embroidery)	F	Q	57
A 'stormy' theme, or a celestial/starry theme with name embroidered. (We can supply embroidery)	M	Q	58
Dogs (preferably whippets but a mix of dogs is fine)	M	Q	59
Blue/Yellow (Parramatta Eels colours)	M	Q	60
Canterbury Bulldogs (NRL), a pic of a CH-47 F and  MRH-90 helicopter HMAS Adelaide ship's crest, Rising Sun with "OP Tonga Assist 2022 and name" Thank you (We can supply the crests, the picture of helicopters and embroidery)	M	Q	61
Rising Sun with RAN Crest with the HMAS Adelaide ship and flag of Tonga. Also "OP Tonga Assist 2022" embroidered on it.  (We can supply embroidery of crests and text.  Flag of Tonga easy to applique)	M	Q	62
Pokemon design (preference of Dragonite but any pokemon design is fine). HMAS Adelaide ship's crest and "OP Tonga Assist 2022" please.  Thank you!  (We can supply the crest and embroidery)	M	Q	63
helicopter / aviation theme, name and the HMAS Adelaide ship's crest. (We can supply the crest and embroidery)	M	Q	64
Served in RAN & RAAF. Half Navy with an Anchor, Half RAAF with an Eagle. AFL-Port Power, (Black, teal white and silver)Soccer-Glasgow Rangers (Royal Blue, white and red). I also love camping. (can also provide RAAF and RAN crest)	M	B	65
Starwars Rugby League - ST George Dragons AFL - Sydney Swans	M	B	66
Loves Cars, in particular Holdens. Works with Helicopters. He is a talented sketch artist and often sends his mother pictures of drawings he has done of the aircraft he has worked with.	M	B	67
Golf theme.	M	Q	68
Game characters (Spyro, Crash bandicoot)	M	Q	69
RAAF Crest, Please include my surname. My favourite aircraft are C17 Globemaster, the C27 Spartan and F35 if any of them are possible, blue coloured design. Thank you! (we can send you the RAAF crest and silhouettes of the aircraft if you wish to applique)	M	B	70
Formula 1 Mercedes Team themed.	M	Q	71
Jungle themed quilt with wild animals on it such as sloths, lemurs, baboons and sugar gliders.	M	Q	72
can I please request a quilt with an IBIS on it covering most of the space with nickname under it, black and white theme preferred.	M	Q	73
Melbourne storm themed (White, Navy, Purple and Gold) with name embroidered on the bottom. (We can supply the embroidery)	F	Q	74
Las Vegas Raiders NFL (Black and Silver)		Q	75
Plants or Music (Punk/Heavy Metal)	M	B	76
Heavy Metal	M	B	77
Geography/kangaroos	M	B	78
Kath and Kim design (if possible)	F	Q	79
Purple Orange and black patterns with nickname  on it, a big number 3 underneath the name with a Parramatta eels logo next to the number. A Toyota Land cruiser 4X4 on a rock as well if possible	M	Q	80
Silhouette of HMAS Adelaide/Canberra on other side the rising sun. (we can provide the Rising Sun and a ship's silhouette for you to work from)	M	LB	81
Dark navy blue in colour, incorporate the ships crest and navy theme. Embroidered with names	M	Q	82
Cartoon Potato	F	LB	83
NRL South Sydney   Rabbitohs (Colours- Black, white, cardinal and myrtle)	M	B	84
AFL/ Richmond Tigers (Black and yellow)	M	Q	85
Spiderman	M	LB	86
Health, Nursing and or COVID related	M	B	87
Amphibious and Diving	M	Q	88
Navy PTI Logo with pineapples surrounding it (we can provide the picture for the logo to use as template for applique)	M	B	89
Aviation / Helicopters	M	Q	90
The Mandalorian (TV Series)	M	B	91
Poppies, Australian Military, RAN Crest- Name and PMKEYS on the quilt somewhere Navy"	F	Q	92
Pink Gingham	F	Q	93
Star Wars (Yoda!)	M	B	94
Star Wars ( the earlier movies)	M	B	95
Army / Amphibians	M	B	96
Australian Cricket legends (Shane Warne, David Boon, Glenn McGrath, etc.), or if that’s not possible just cricket themed in general.	M	Q	97
Harry Potter	F	Q	98
Harley-Davidson Motorcycles	M	Q	99
Marvel Super Heroes Captain America/Thor	M	B	100
Travel around the world/ international landmarks / out of Africa jungle theme	M	Q	101
Lion King	F	LB	102
Disney Cars	F	Q	103
Star Wars or Minions	M	B	104
Minions	M	Q	105
Animals (elephant) or anything nature based	F	LB	106
Flowers, bright, rainbow	F	B	107
Brisbane Bronco Theme	M	LB	108
Various shades of green squares (Greenie)	M	LB	109
Donkey Kong or King Kong (gorilla in general)	M	B	110
Under the sea / cartoon sea creatures	F	B	111
Puppy Dogs	M	Q	112
Star Wars	M	LB	113
Star Wars / Lord of the Rings / Harry Potter / Penguins	M	B	114
Country	F	B	115
Aussies Beers (VB, Carlton Dry, XXX Gold, Great Northern etc)	M	B	116
Nightmare before Christmas	M	B	117
Coastal / Beach	F	Q	118
Reef/ Ocean/Surf	M	B	119
Animals like horses dogs cats	F	LB	120

Whilst in Canberra I had the opportunity to present this quilt to the wonderful Chaplain Mark, one of the first chaplains Aussie Heroes ever dealt with and always a staunch supporter of all we do. Mark has been our MC at a couple of our dinners and it was so lovely to surprise him with a personalised quilt to mark the end of his time in fulltime service. Well done to Lynn for the quilt top and Philomena for the quilting!

Cheers, Jan-Maree xx