QOTW 29 March

If you are fortunate enough to be with your nearest and dearest this Easter Holiday then may your weekend be safe and happy and full of joy.  Please spare a thought for our wonderful Heroes and their families that cannot be together, and that includes not just those serving overseas, but the many around Australia who are posted away from their families as well.

To those of you in Afghanistan, Dubai, South Sudan, Egypt and anywhere else that our quilts and laundry bags find you serving Australia, thank you for doing what you do so well so that we may celebrate Easter, or not celebrate it, as our own individual preference dictates.  
You make us proud!

The tally so far-

 17 quilts this week and 49 laundry bags.

297 quilts and 671 laundry bags for 2013

1314 quilts and 2036 laundry bags in total.

The first picture isn't of a Quilt of the Week yet.  Earlier this week I received an email from Miah who is a ten year old student from South Australia.  Miah wrote to me to tell me that after reading the article in the Australian Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, she decided that she wants to make a quilt for Aussie Heroes as a community service project  for school.  As soon as she got the quilt specifics from me Miah sat down and drew up her design.  It is going to be one lucky recipient who receives her original Ayre Rock design and I reckon we have some serious competition ladies with young designers like Miah coming up with such creative designs!  Stay tuned!  I have asked Miah and her mother to keep me posted and to take plenty of photos so that I can feature her in an upcoming post.

Happy stitching Miah!

And now on with Quilts of the Week.

Caroline

This was a joint effort.  Pauline made all these blocks and sent them in.  They were put together at a sewing day and Caroline then quilted and completed the quilt.  The end result is an AWESOME quilt heading off to an Essendon fan.  Hope he likes it.

Bev and Jeff

Carole S (VIC)

Cath

Deb B

Outback Debra

and the back - and yes, this is going to a Navy fellow.

Dorothy sent in these blocks and they were sent on to Jeann who created this gorgeous quilt

Another joint effort.   The blocks were made by Kylie, they were then handed to Gail who pieced the top and then the quilt was sent to Angela who quilted and bound it and sent if off.  We really do make a good team ladies!

Judith M

This quilt top came from Nancy, it was quilted by Stephanie and Southern Cross added by me.

Joan

Judith R

Margaret

Julie Ann

Liz

Louise (front)

(And back, or the other way round - can't decide!)

The next two are BOM quilts.  That is Block of the Month quilts for the uninitiated.  The blocks were put together by Louise, then the tops were passed on to Stephanie who quilted and bound them.

Stephanie wasn't content to quilt, she also made this entire awesome quilt.

If you are on the roads this weekend, please stay safe!

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

Grati-Tuesday

Tonight it is not only the gorgeous Heroes who are sharing their gratitude but also me.  

Firstly, thanks for spreading the word everyone.  

We now have 1000 followers on facebook!!!

Talk about spreading the word.  

We also have more requests coming in.  I did say that more would come and that sometimes it takes a while for the word to spread and for people to get back to me.  Not only do we have more requests for those yet to deploy but also a few more for those already over there, some with not very long to go but because we have Quilts in Waiting I have not had to say no to anyone!  Requests have been coming in steadily since yesterday and also, and most gratifyingly I am hearing from new quilters daily as well. 
Happy Dance!!!

In the next few days (that basically means when I have time) I am going to email my volunteer list with the latest developments that I won't go into on the blog.  By that I mean who is going where and when.  I try to be deliberately vague about that as I am not party to the briefings that go on abut such things (obviously) but I know from experience that some details are not shared outside family and friends as a general rule so I try to err on the side of caution where possible.

If you want to be on the Volunteer Email List please let me know.  I have a new policy though - you need to have actually made something for us, or be in the process of making something for us to be added to the list.  Also if I haven't heard from you for several months you may find yourself removed from the list just to control the spread of information.

And my last thank you of the day goes to these wonderful people and their colleagues who for one reason or another could not be there.  This group are all from one particular camp, and I don't mention places on the blog, but a lot of you who have sent quilts and/or laundry bags to this location will have already received a thank you card, especially printed with this wonderful photo on it.   This gorgeous group, lead by one special ringleader, who shall remain nameless for the usual reasons, banded together to raise funds to keep Aussie Heroes going.  I don't like to mention the amount donated as I am not sure that is appropriate however let's just say they have made a very generous contribution to the funds that I will use to buy the batting needed to keep the volunteer quilters busy with all the quilt tops that I receive!  

Thank you so much guys!  You are the best!

You also might like to know that this photo is my screen saver and makes me smile every time I look at it!
Thank you!

Now it is time for some thank you messages from others.

First up for Caroline from HMAS Toowoomba.

Dear Caroline

I send this email thanking you for your kind gesture in creating quilts for sailors and soldiers currently on their tour of duty. 

Trust me when I say your quilt is being well used. It is the little things you forget that make a big difference. The Bright colours of the blanket really do brighten my day.  I thank you again for your kind words, I can ensure you we are all remaining safe whilst hoping to do Australia proud.

Receiving parcels like yours can really change the spirit of the crew and is much appreciated

Thank you again.

Hi Rita (M)!

I recently received the amazing quilt, laundry bag and pillow case you made for me and was blown away by the quality of them and the thought and time that went into making them!

It has been bitterly cold here and your quilt definitely made a difference in keeping me warm and comfy in the little down time I get!

I can't believe you actually saw my Xmas message (One of the messages home from the troops), amazing coincidence! I will be home in a few months and can't wait to see my dog and be able to enjoy some sunshine!

Well, thank you so much again for your efforts! I, along with every soldier, sailor and airman who receive quilts from you lovely people are forever thankful and brim with pride to know that folks back home are thinking of us and appreciate our efforts!

Caz and I collaborated on this quilt - I am afraid I did the easy part, the applique, and Caroline did all the rest!  The word we had passed back is that he loves his quilt and will be passing it on to his son when he comes home.

Good evening Jill (S),

I would like to say a massive thank you for the package you sent. I

received it in the mail yesterday and can say it was a fantastic surprise

to receive it. Very much appreciate all the work put into this. It looks

amazing and brings that feeling of home here whilst in being in the middle

of the desert, so again a big thank you.

I haven't heard of Aussie Hero Quilts until now and sounds like a great

organization. I've heard a few people receive packages over here and it's a

great feeling knowing work we do over here is appreciated in some way.

You certainly do a lot for the community by the sounds of it with all your

hard work. I thank you for that, it's people like you that make our jobs

that bit easier.

I am curious how Aussie hero quilts work. Do they have lists of personnel

over here?

Oh this gift brought plenty of cheer and fun that is assured. Thanks.

Well, that's all folks.

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

Quilts of the Week 11 Jan 13

33 quilts and 90 laundry bags for 2013 and 
979 quilts and 1469 laundry bags overall!

Well it looks like we have hit the ground running this week - holidays are just about over and lots of Aussie Hero Friends are back on deck, and just as well as I have a healthy supply of requests for us all to sew for!

Funny note - today is the anniversary of the first time that Caroline, A.K.A. Deputy Nut, left a comment on the blog!  How far we have come.  Actually at the end of this month we will be starting a new regular post - "This Time Last Year" - looking back at what we were doing a year ago.  So, that is bound to bring back some memories, for all of us, as I won't be writing it.  Janine has "volunteered"  to do it!  Thanks Janine!

Friday's are usually a busy day for me so just as an explanation I am not going to write something about every quilt and laundry bag I show you unless there is something special to tell you about it.  Also, to be guarentee being included in the Quilts of the Week post please get your photos in by Thursday night, or as early in the week as you can manage as it is too hard for me to try and add in loads of photos on Friday during the day.  And I will try and remember to remind you a couple of days before as well.

Now on with the show!

Gail

Me!

You can't see it in this photo but the fabrics in this are a mix of Aussie wildflower prints and American prints - thanks to Terry and Lisa for the American prints.  Note I used stars and stripes for the letters in America

and I had hoped the picture would turn out better but written on the Aussie letters are all sorts of Aussie words and place names.

A 7RAR pig in case you are wondering

I can send you this template if anyone wants it - you can use any pig but this is one that was sent to me.

Can you tell I have been enjoying sewing during the quieter period over the Christmas break.

You can probably also tell that I had a hand in this one as well but whilst I did the applique and handed over some leftover blocks Caroline did everything else with this quilt which needed to be created in a hurry for someone special - story to come once it has been received.

More of Caroline's work 

Dasha

Gidget is an AHQ Newbie - welcome to the club Gidget!

Jacqui

Evelyn W is also a Newbie and she completed a partially finished quilt top that was donated to a group called Stitching Hearts and then the quilt was delivered to me to send it off.  

Rita M 

Julie Ann
(name on the other side)

Karen B

Kaye

This is one of the quilts made as a result of Kylie's Mystery Quilt run over the Christmas break.  you will be seeing more of these

Sue Niven

Beth

Judy D

Kylie

Janine

These letters and Roos were done with fabric paint pens!

Liz

Liz and Roberta

Melissa

Nancy

Stephanie

Marie

And to finish off some thank you messages - 

Dear Pauline
I would just like to say thank you so much for the quilt, laundry bag and the goodies. It is so nice for someone like your self to go out of their way to make gifts for us it really puts a smile on our dials to know that there are people at home thinking of us during our deployment.   I would like to say to your son Nicholas that I hope the surgery went well and that the recovery be quick and as free of problems as possible.  i hope this letter finds you all safe and well.
Cheers    

Dear Pauline and all the other wonderful ladies part of Aussie Hero Quilts,

Sorry for the late email to let you know I have received my quilt and laundry bag.

I would like to thank you all so much for all your generosity it is really appreciated and a great morale boost for myself and all the other guys and girls that received them! 

I received a card from one of you girls but am unsure of who it was from as it wasn't signed with a name at the bottom so I am unsure who to thank.

Pauline thankyou for your letter and I hope your son is on his way to full recovery after his operation let him know I wish him all the best.

 Thank you to hellokitty for the wonderful quilt and I think the laundry bag! They are amazing I cannot thank you enough. 

 If you could reply to me and let me know who made what I would be grateful and able to thank   you personally.

 Thanks again so much,

 Kind regards,

Dear Keryn, 

I am the proud owner of a beautiful quilt that was handmade by you. 

What gives me a great sense of pride is people like yourself and your family who take time out of their lives to do thoughtful, generous acts of kinds to help aid others. Your gift was very humbling and i am deeply grateful to forever be able to have this quilt and remember the happiness and kindness it was given to me in. 

I am very lucky over here to have a small extended family which made Christmas easier and memorable. I was fortunate to be able to stay up late on Christmas eve and Skype with my family and watch the kids open their presents. 

I hope your Christmas with your family was as enjoyable and memorable as mine. 

The work you and all the other ladies do as part of Quilts for Heroes is magical. These acts of kindness are the foundation of the Australian way and they make me proud to be doing what I do for Australians like yourself. 

I am very humbled by your gift and proud of you guys back home. 

Kindest Regards, 

Hi Keryn 
I am writing this email to thank you for taking the time to make and send me a quilt. It has already come in handy a few times with the temperature dropping and a can't thank you enough for this. Thank you again for quilt and I wish you all the best in the New Year. It is good to know that there are people back home thinking of us. Regards,

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