Grati-Tuesday 14th January 2025

 

Happy Tuesday Friends!

I hope you are having a great week. One luckly recipient finally got their quilt after many months of being 'lost'. 

A great bunch of messages and photos from near and far,  so grab a cuppa or very cool beverage, sit back and relax while you soak up some well-deserved gratitude.

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The quilt for this recipient was posted on 14 April 2023 and was finally received recently in Sydney, having been around the world, twiddling its thumbs around in Israel and Lebanon, before wandering back to Australia - 21 Months for delivery!  Weirdly, the laundry bag was posted a week before and made it not a problem!

Good morning Anne Hnr,

I hope this email finds you well and in good health.

I just wanted to let you know - it's exactly 1 year since I departed Lebanon....and I have finally received the quilt you made for me back in 2023.  It has been on quite the journey - to Israel and then Lebanon, before coming back to Australia....going from Canberra and then to Sydney, where I am currently living.

Thank you so very much. It's beautiful. 

And whilst I am no longer deployed, I am humbled to receive such a personalised handmade gift. 

Coincidentally, I have just come up to Sydney for one night for a work activity with fellow colleagues whom I deployed to the Middle East with...and I am using the quilt in my hotel room. (picture below)

I will be heading back to Hobart later today, to resume my leave with family for a little bit less than two weeks, before I return to Sydney.

Should you feel up to it - I would love to meet you whilst I am in Hobart.  The least I can do is to take you for coffee and cake....or some other cafe treat that takes your fancy, as a small token of my appreciation.

I am sorry it took so long to reach me...to be honest, I didn't think it would leave the Middle East, especially with everything going on in that part of the world.

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Hello Shirley D,

I just wanted to write this email to let you know I have received my laundry bag and I am amazed! This is one of the coolest gifts I have received and I am in awe of the work you and others put in for Aussie Hero Quilts. I joined the Navy as an engineer just last year and have experienced all kinds of things since. 

I am headed to ADFA this year to study engineering which I am keen to do. It was lovely to read about you and your families history and I wish you luck in your future endeavours. 

With Heartfelt Gratitude,

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Dear Philomena H,

 

Many thanks for the incredible quilt which clearly displayed your expert craftmanship!

 

It was lovely reading about your wonderful experiences and rich history of your sewing journey.

I am pleased to know you and your family are loving your time in Australia and thank you for your service as well!

 

Myself and my wife will maintain the quilt with great care and I hope you create many more tremendous quilts in the future.

 

Kind regards

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Good morning Lynne M,

 

I just wanted to convey my thanks to you and the ladies of Sew Crazy Quilters Club for the kind gift of laundry bags provided to the crew of Cape Solander on Christmas Day. It was a lovely surprise for the team at Christmas which is always a difficult time to be deployed away from family. I’m sure the time and effort that goes into the laundry bags is not small and the fact that you are willing to give up your free time is very much appreciated!

 

My team should be providing some photos of the crew with the laundry bags which I hope can be disseminated amongst the ladies. If you haven’t received any then please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.

 

If you are ever in Darwin then please get in touch and we would love to host you for a visit to the boat.

 

Kind regards

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Hi Lesley B,

I've been meaning to send you a big thank you for the Aussie Hero Quilt and Laundry Bag you created for me and my family. I also wanted to let you know both items made it safely to me late October, however your card and letter was lost for some time before someone handed it to me late November. Thank you so much for the letter.  It is really nice to be able to put a name to who created this wonderful quilt and laundry bag.

My partner and I love the design and will pass it down to our future kids one day. The photo we took for you was a memorable day.  I receivede my promotion to Sergeant and it was also my last day of work for 2024 - hence the big smile.  I also had an ankle reconstruction the very next day so I've been off work haha

You mentioned you moved to Maroochy River, which is not far from where my partner and I will be getting married in May.  We both love the Sunshine Coast and can see why people retire there. 

Some of my mates that work at 33 SQN know your son and were deployed in the Middle East with him.

Thanks again for your kind words and the wonderful quilt and bag 

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 

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

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!

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