10 January 2023

Grati-Tuesday 10th January 2023

 

Happy Tuesday Friends!


Hope you are having an awesome week so far!

I finally got my sewing room up and running so I can't wait to get back into doing some AHQ quilts.  I promised my daughter I wouldn't look at the Request list until I did. As of yesterday I finished my room. So request list here I come. Well after I have finished this blog that is! Now the rest of the house looks like a bomb hit it but my sewing is more important surely!

We have an awesome amount of thank you's this week so grab a nice cool beverage, sit back, relax and savour these beautiful messages from all over the globe! 
...

Good Morning Su J,

 

Your quilt is amazing. Thank you so much for the time and effort you have put into this. 

 

It arrived on Wednesday while I was home by myself, so I unwrapped it. When my wife came home she saw your quilt on the bed and shouted “What’s this? It’s beautiful, where did you get it?”. She was a little jealous as she is trying to get back into craft work and has done quilting in the past, though not to the same quality as you.

 

You gave me a chuckle with the term whirlybird, not heard that one in a while. But both it and my Eclectus are amazing pieces of work. I would have been stoked with a silhouette but seeing the effort you have put into this and the quality that they are makes me so much more appreciative. This quilt will travel with me on all future deployments. I put it on the bed at home, but naturally it only covers my side, and something about it “clashes with the décor” meant I had to remove it.

 

Just before I deployed my wife and I discussed getting a puppy for my kids aged 9 & 7, after asking her if she was sure she could handle two kids and a new puppy while I was away, we compromised and we got a new puppy and kitten. Both are spoiled and about a year and a half old now, but naturally from my quilt you will know Athena my Eclectus parrot is mine, and she also controls the house. Both the dog and cat are scared of her. I’ve had Athena for almost 4 years now, only about 36 more to go if she lives a full life. She can be opinionated at times and is very demanding of attention, but she is a social bird and dislikes being left alone.

 

Have a happy Christmas and New Year to all of you and yours. Thank you so much once again.

 

Regards


...

Hi Pennie T,

 

I recently received the quilt that you made me – it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It arrived at a time when I needed it most – mid-deployment starts to get a little slow.

 

Yellow is my favourite colour for the exact reason that you have described. It always makes me happy/vibrant, and that’s exactly the effect your quilt had on me.

 

I hear Canberra Zoo is amazing. My parents also recently visited the venue and stayed overnight in the giraffe treehouse, which allows you to overlook the enclosure.

 

I wanted to respond to your lovely letter and show my immense gratitude for the time and effort you spent making the quilt. My Oma used to make quilts, so I know how much work goes into them. The level of detail and care you put into personalising my quilt is extremely special – thank you.

  

Regards,

 

...

Dear Beverley C

Thank you so much for the quilt, its is absolutely beautiful. It now has pride of place on my rack (bed) on the ship.

I really want to thank you again for the quilt as it is more beautiful than I could have imagined.  The love you put into it and your letter helped me know I made the right choice in joining the Defence Force and the support we get from the Australian people really helps while we are away from friends and family.

...

Lynn F,

 

I’m happy to advise you that I received my Aussie Hero quilt yesterday.

 

I would like to thank you for your time and effort in producing this magnificent quilt, you used all the facets I asked for within the quilt and it couldn’t of come out any better. I noticed that you mentioned that not everyone writes back to you thanking you or any of the fantastic ladies (or gentlemen if appropriate) for the tireless work you put into these quilts and bags, but I know for a fact that whoever does receive one that they are extremely appreciative and happy with the end product. 

 

A little history about myself; I enlisted in Mar 2000 as a Plumber within the RAAF and am currently what they call a Works Supervisor (Project Manager equivalent), I have had many postings (some good, some bad J), Townsville, Sydney x2, Brisbane x 2, Adelaide, Woomera and quite a number of deployments across the globe. I have a beautiful family consisting of my wife and three children who unfortunately get moved around far too often being a defence family, we’re currently in Brisbane where we’re looking at settling in to in the future.

 

Once again I would like to thank yourself, Arthur and Philomena for the quilt it certainly is appreciated and thank you for your continued support to the members of the Australian Defence Force regardless where they are in the world. I also graciously accept your token hug and return it in spades J.

 

Keep sewing and doing what you love, as we love that you sew and support us.

 

Kind Regards,

...

Ruth S,

 I’m happy to advise you that I received my Aussie Hero Laundry bag today.

 

I would like to thank you for your time and effort in producing this magnificent laundry bag, you used all the facets I asked for within the bag and it couldn’t of come out any better. I’m not sure if everyone writes back to you thanking you or any of the fantastic ladies (or gentlemen if appropriate) for the tireless work you put into these quilts and bags, I know for a fact that whoever does receive one that they are extremely appreciative and happy with the end product.

 

I personally grew up in SA (Salisbury area) and have family all over the state even in O’Sullivan Beach, I do travel home to visit family approx. yearly but it does get difficult with the current tempo within the defence.

 

Once again thank you for the laundry bag it certainly is appreciated and thank you for your continued support to the members of the Australian Defence Force regardless where they are in the world.

 

Kind Regards,

...

G’day Ruth S,

 

I am just writing to thank you so much for the Laundry Bag you made for me. It is such a great initiative you are a part of and the quilts and laundry bags you make truly bring joy to all the deployed members who receive them.

 

You absolutely nailed the design – it looks great and I can’t wait to use it.

 

I hope you had a very merry Christmas, and wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

...

Hi Ruth S,

I cannot thank you enough, it is everything I had hoped for. It is perfect!!! Thank you again so much!


I hope you had a beautiful festive season with your family! Wishing you all the best for this new year!!


Thank you again! 


...

Good Evening Heather B, 

 

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that I have received my beautiful quilt that you made for myself and my new best mate.

 

What a wonderful story you have about your Uncle Charles and daughter’s appreciation for service men and woman, you and your husband definitely sound like the active type with your swimming and attending sailing events.

 

Both myself, my wife and our newest bundle of joy cannot thank you and your husband enough for the time and effort that you have put in to making this quilt. It is absolutely gorgeous and we will be using it for many of years to come.

 

We have attached some pictures of not only our little boy enjoying his new quilt for some tummy/back time but also myself holding it up.

 

We are all speechless with the end result of the quilt. You have definitely put massive smiles on all of our faces.

 

Thank you so much and I wish you and your family all the best for 2023

 

Kind Regards,


...

Dear Penny T,

 

Thank you very much for your package and letter. The quilt is fantastic! It is exactly what I envisaged. I will treasure it for a long time to come. As luck would have it, the quilt arrived here on Christmas Eve. I've only been in the middle east for a few weeks so it ended up being the only present I received. Also thank you very much for the biscuits. I love short bread so I have been having one each day with an afternoon coffee. I ate the gingerbread on Christmas morning whilst I was calling my partner and family back in Australia. 


You are too kind with your words. I am just an ordinary Australian. There are others who are doing it much tougher than I. Your family has a distinguished history of service. 

My job here in Bahrain is to help co-ordinate multi-national naval forces to counter piracy & drug smuggling. I am pleased to say we are achieving results. Pirate activity has significantly reduced since 2019, thanks largely to the Combined Maritime Forces. Drugs are still flowing through the area but I like to think that the tonnes of drugs we destroy is helping to limit the damage they do to people, as well as hit the hip pocket of the bad guys who profit off other people's misery. Despite the good work we do it can get lonely over here and I miss my partner. Your blanket has gone a long way to making me feel better about being away from home.


Wishing you and your family a safe and happy 2023.

 

Warmest regards,

...

Good Evening Sue B,

 

I’m just writing to let you know I’ve received the Quilt and Laundry bag you made for me,  they’re amazing thank you very much.  Growing up my family had both dogs and cat. But I’m a cat person.  I am still deployed here and for Christmas we had a seafood platter and plenty of roasts and trimmings for Christmas lunch and dinner.. For boxing day we had a sports day with the coalition forces, competing against the British and American forces, that was a lot of fun, our team came 3rd overall.  I’m still here till April. 

 

Thank you again for the quilt and laundry bag.

 

Kind regards,

...

Hi Pennie T,

 

I just wanted to personally thank you for the thoughtful and beautiful quilt and laundry bag you made. I love the colours and the C130s (good choice of aircraft!) and have enjoyed explaining what the images mean to my older twins. The quilt and laundry bag are so well made and I feel humbled that you did these for me.

 

I was pleased to learn that you’re a nurse and that we have that ‘healthy’ connection, though I suspect our paths haven’t crossed as I did most of my training at the RAH then in Sydney. I am a permanent Air Force member and recently completed my GP training so until now have spent most of my time split between RAAF health centres and civilian GP clinics. Pre-kids and during early married life I spent quite a bit of time away from home on courses, deployments or evacuations. I haven’t had to deploy or go on any extended trips away since my children were born but I’m sure we’ll have to cross that bridge in the not-so-distant future.

 

I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday period and all the best for the new year.

 

Kind regards,


...
Good morning Ellen N,

I would like to say thank you for the gift, as you may know moving around a lot means having to pack light sometimes.
This bag will be put into good use as I go around Australia for work.

Thanks a lot,

...

Another grateful recipient. Vietnam Veteran quilt presented by W who is also one of our recipients!
Made by Lynn F, embroidered by Arthur, Quilted by Philomena
...

Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.  

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!
🌟 🌟 🌟

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