My goodness, some of our 15th Anniversary Laundry Bags are becoming very well travelled. As Cath said, some of them might need a passport.
Here is the run down on where they all are this week.
More than one bag is currently in Canberra, including one that has just arrived at Parliament House. Another is on its way home from England whilst a second is heading off to the Shitbox Rally with a recipient of ours who will be driving Courage the gutsy little Tankette from Mildura to Townsville. What is the bet that that particular laundry bag picks up a little red dust along the way.
A couple of bags are off with the Army and another is heading to Canberra to visit the latest Chaplaincy Course. One has run off to sea and is currently being escorted around the ships alongside at Garden Island, also knows as Fleet Base East.
Finally, one of the bags is seeing the sights in Washington before heading back home.
Like I said, well travelled. If only these bags could talk!
Here are the stories I have published this week, concentrating on you guys, our volunteers.
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“I joined AHQ 10 years ago this year.
There is a team of us, family,
friends and my sister Julie who help me out.
My sister is the fabric collector and liner maker and I make the bags. I have had the pleasure to have made just
over 2,000 laundry bags over the 10 years. This amount includes making 45 LBs
for the Vietnam vets ( 85 Transport reunion Darwin.) plus 45 for the Black
Hawke netball team. I love it when JM rings and asks me to help her out, it
gives me a great feeling knowing how such a small thing as a laundry bag can
brighten someone’s day.
On behalf of my sister and myself
we love what we are doing and hope to continue on up until the 20th
anniversary.”
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Joan and Alan's little blurb is typically short and sweet and very humble so I have to add to it. Both in their 80’s (I am sure they won't mind me telling you) and just about to celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary they are very committed to helping us. In the mornings they head out to their embroidery studio to get started on the requests we send them. These are their very humble words which in no way indicate their importance in our organisation.
“We are Joan and Alan Bird affectionately known as “The
Birdies “. We have been machine embroidering Crests and Text for AHQ over the
past 4 years.
Alan served in the RAN for 21 years.
We became involved with AHQ to give back to and acknowledge
serving, ex-serving and departed personnel and remind them that they are not
forgotten.”
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Lots of you will know Inge, but many may not have met Irene. Make sure you say hello at this year's weekend as they will both be back to join in the fun!
Following on with the theme of volunteers, allow me to introduce
Inge. What I would do without our embroiderers I really don’t know so Inge is another
of our unsung heroes. The numbers of embroideries she has completed for us
speaks for itself. It is extra lovely that this has now become something that
Inge can do with her friend, Irene. Wait til I share the auction prizes these
ladies are creating for this year’s dinner but that is a story for another day.
“My name is Inge and I’ve been a volunteer for Aussie Hero
Quilts since late 2015. After a six months road trip I wanted to put my sewing
skills to a charity organisation and after searching I stumbled across AHQ.
That was perfect for me as my husband had served in the RAAF for 21 years. As a
military wife I understood what Defence life was like. Two out of our four
children served as well, one in the Army and one in the RAAF. My husband’s
father served in WW2 and his grandfather served in both WW1 and WW2. My husband
is a recipient of a AHQ quilt, which proudly hangs in our home.
I made some quilts and laundry bags and not long after I purchased
a new embroidery machine and became one of AHQ main embroiderers. As demands
increased for embroideries on the quilts and laundry bags I purchased a second
machine and I did an average of 600 to 800 embroideries a year. There are more
embroiderers on board now, so the workload is shared between us.
Irene has just joined AHQ last year, she is my friend of 10 years.
After her husband passed away, she became more involved in helping me with
embroidering and learning to sew. Once she felt confident enough, she came
onboard. Sewing laundry bags and making various quilt blocks.
We both attended the annual Volunteer Weekend last year
(2025) together and we are both excited and proud to attend this year’s
Volunteer Weekend to celebrate 15 years of AHQ. So exciting to meet the
recipients and also fellow volunteers.”
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Continuing on by honouring some of our fabulous volunteers… meet Rachel. As you will read, Rachel likes to sew laundry bags that can be pieced like mini quilts and there are no better examples than the fifteen 15th Anniversary Laundry Bags Rachel so kindly created for us to promote and celebrate this milestone. Perhaps it is rather fitting that the bags were made
by one of our longest serving (and some might say, longest suffering) volunteers.
“My name is Rachel and I have been a volunteer at Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags for close on 12 years now could even be longer.
I first heard about AHQ from a cousin when attending a family function when I enquired how her quilting was going and she informed me that she sewed for AHQs. She no longer sews for AHQ but I do.
When I arrived home from the function I googled AHQ, made a phone call and then met with the founder of AHQs, Jan Maree, at a craft store at Penrith where she used to conduct once a month get together on a Saturday to sew. That craft shop ceased trading and then Covid hit and we now gather once a month at the home of Jan Maree and David. This home has risen like the phoenix
after the fire that destroyed the previous home in 2016.
And did I sew! My introduction was laundry bags and not like the LB we sew today but Tea towel laundry bags put together in a kit by the WPH ladies or Garage Girls as they are so fondly referred to and I am of the honest belief that these kits are why I don’t like making LBs and much prefer a quilt.
Once I had proven myself, I was then promoted to making quilt tops in the company of other sewers. So much more satisfying than LBs.
I do sew LBs but I now choose ones that I can produce a mini quilt on that LB
Over the years AHQs has grown and evolved to what it is today. Volunteers have come and gone, the ups and the downs, and through it all Jan Maree is always there to crack the whip to get things done for all the ADF personal
Why do I do this? No real underlying reason. I originally thought I would be able to clear my material stash, but this was not the case, in fact quite the opposite. My stash has increased as, like any sewer will know, one never has the correct colour or pattern be it material or thread, and there will always be left overs.
It’s a chance to catch up with the other ladies that sew for AHQ and, at the end of the day, make a gift for a person that I don’t know, knowing that the gift is appreciated and has brightened someone’s day.”
That is it for this post! Standby for the next one.
Til next time... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree xx
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