Introducing Pauline a very special Thank you.

The next Sewing Day in Sydney will be at my home on Monday 21st January.  We will kick off at 10am and finish around 3ish.  BYO lunch please.  If you think you can make it please email me for details and the address.

:-)

A message to a follower who left a message on last night's post about getting together in Brisbane - I am not able to contact you to pass on details so if you really would like to get in touch please send me an email.

I want to introduce you to a lovely new Friend of Aussie Heroes.  

Her name is Pauline and she is 84 years young! 

And yes, I am allowed to tell you that!  

Back in October I received an email from Pauline’s daughter, Elaine, telling me she had just discovered the blog.  She said her Mum had just come to stay with her.  Elaine talked to her about making some laundry bags.  Pauline thought it was a great idea and felt this was a way to give back.

Elaine tells me that Pauline has recently had some health issues that have caused some challenges, however finding the AHQ site, and the idea of the laundry bags has been very therapeutic and helpful in the recovery process.  Pauline turned 84 on the 26^th of November and if you remember I wished her happy birthday on the blog.  Elaine says that being involved with AHQ has meant Pauline has had something to do each week to help fill in the days.   She hopes that the Laundry bags are suitable (they are fabulous!!!) and will look to make some more.  They might even attempt a quilt next year.

Pauline has had a long association with the defence forces one way or another.   Her parents met and married in the UK during WW1, her dad was Australian Digger (Signaller) and her grandfather on her maternal side was in India in the British Army.   Elaine can even remember her Mum baking fruit cakes to send to lads in Vietnam too.

After finishing the last batch of laundry bags Pauline said, what will I do this week now the laundry bags are finished.  So the plan is they will start in the New Year to make some more LBs and hopefully a quilt.  They have already bought some lovely feature fabric of aboriginal art work of native animals for the quilt.  I have reassured them that whatever they make will be gratefully received!

:-)

I just have to share this little story that Peggy shared on Facebook last night.

Your Monday giggle - I had just finished writing to my solider and wrote I hoped that the Tim Tams arrived safely etc, and then walked into the kitchen to find my box missing the aforementioned biscuits. Found my 2 yo stuffing her face with them .... never mind the TT's ARRIVING safely, they have to LEAVE safely first !

Too cute!

:-D

And here is another reason to smile, especially for Lorraine and her group who made the quilt and Sue S who made the laundry bag.

I have attached a photograph of myself with both my beautiful quilt and the most "Awesome laundry bag in the World"!!!! I really do appreciate the time and effort that was expended to manufacture both of these awesome gifts. It has not been cool enough just yet to use the quilt but the laundry bag is used everyday and is sooo cool! Being in Aviation it was a perfect fit and was specifically sent to me through Chaplain Stuart but do not know who exactly. Please pass this onto the person responsible, should you know who.

Thank you and your quilters again from me.  I and everyone who has received these gifts really do appreciate the time and dedication that you all commit to making these items and will always remind us of your commitment to supporting the deployed forces.




If you look closely at the laundry bag you will see that it is covered in helicopters.  Sue found that fabric at a market in Melbourne for a ridiculous price and managed to get two laundry bags out of it!  I have to admit that I was just a tad jealous of her find!

You never know just how much your parcel is going to mean to someone in addition to the fact that you are sending them a quilt and/or a laundry bag.    It is not unusual to receive a thank you in which you read that this is one of the few parcels a person has received, or maybe even the only one, or perhaps it has arrived at a crucial time.  The following two thank you messages are perfect examples of what I mean.

The following thank you message is for Sue R, a new Aussie Hero Friend - 

I arrived here two weeks ago and received the beautiful quilt made by you on my second day in this locality. Prior to receiving the quilt, I felt desperately homesick for my husband and our wonderful five children. Your beautifully made quilt, in all honesty, lifted my spirits and reminded me of the job I have to do here and why I am doing it.

So thank you Sue, thank you for your wonderful gift. I am very proud to be the owner of this very special hero quilt. Take care,

And this one for Kiwi Karen

Apologies for the delayed response. I have received the quilt, laundry bag and all the other goodies along with it. I have just returned from Afghanistan and didn't see them until late last week. Thanks heaps again for the personalized quilt and laundry bag. This was in fact the very first welfare pack I received since I've been on deployment and means a lot to me. I have no family in Australia and my parents live overseas. I moved to Australia a decade ago and decided to join the forces to give back to the community that provided me a new home to live. Really appreciate the work done by your team and would be grateful if you please pass on my gratitude and thanks to the wonderful people and kids supporting our soldiers on the front line.

Next is a very special Thank you message, published with the permission of the authors.

A thank you for a Fallen Warrior Quilt.

Dear Jan-Maree & friends

 We write to thank you and all those associated with making the most beautiful Hero Quilt we received in December, via Padre  XXXXX of Brisbane 6RAR.  It was a wonderful, thoughtful gesture by many people and it will be cherished on the wall dedicated to Robbie.  This wall will also have a small glass cabinet to display his medals, his hat and other special items he has earned or received since his death.

With sincere thanks to all for this special gift of love and support.

 Kindest regards,

 Hugh & Janny Poate

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

QOTW 19 October

657 Quilts 718 Laundry Bags to date!

:-)

It is another wonderful week of quilts and laundry bags again.  I just love seeing all the different designs and colours and styles coming in each week - from the traditional to the modern, the colourful and the more subdued, the simple, the fancy, the masculine and the feminine - there truly is one for everyone!

Now on with the show.

Rae from SA made this little beauty and the following laundry bag and I just love it!  How clever to use an apron in the middle.  I have made sure that this is going to someone very appropriate but that is all I am saying!

This little ensemble is Stephanie's work. Love the colours and that cool retro fabric!

Lorraine and her small quilt group made these three and sent them off this week.  
I love how they are all so different.

These next two were completed by my friend Louise.

Cat completed the following two just recently.

I do love stars!

This is also some of Cat's work except that she sent this to me as blocks and the quilt was assembled here.  Do you remember these Cat?

Kaye made this gorgeous bright quilt and a matching laundry bag!  I am not game to show the the LB just in case it is seen (if you know what I mean)!

Hilary pieced this striking red, white and blue quilt.  

And she made a very appropriate bag to go with it.  No prizes for guessing where this is going!

Now Liz made the next five quilts and laundry bags - she just managed to squeeze them in before heading off on holidays for a few weeks.  
She and Mr B are driving across country so be sure to wave if you see them!

 

 Those are not dirty marks on the laundry bags.
Clever Liz has hidden the initials so that noone gets a sneak peak!

  

This is another lovely quilt by Lorraine's group.

Melissa helped out with a few special order laundry bags this week.

This lovely quilt and laundry bag headed off from Miranda.

No prizes for guessing which footy team this fellow goes for though maybe only Sydney-siders will know!

The same lucky fellow scored this quilt - both by Michelle - another with the Dorothy McKellar poem on it.

Nancy got the next three quilts in the mail.

Karen B also sent off a great laundry bag for a special request.

 We have some great laundry bags by Sue and Aileen from SA.

Somehow I think those helicopter laundry bags will be pretty popular.

Naomi and her happy helpers (Terri & Wendy) had a busy day on Monday afternoon and they folded and packaged up the following quilts which are now on their way to Egypt.  Terri couldn't resist getting in on the act when the photo's were being taken....pity you can't see her do her impression of Gangnam Style (See the real one here so you know what it's all about) it's a classic, that's for sure!

In no particular order, here's all the lovely quilts, made by several different Riverland (Sth Australia) Quilters.

FYI: any dots/rings/circles you see on some of the pics, are something to do with the camera, and aren't faults/designs on the quilts!

And just because I find Friday nights very inspiring...

Each  Friday night I proudly show

all the wonderful quilts that we let go

across the sea and the land to they

that make us prouder every day.

They wear the uniform of our land

but on foreign soils they go to stand.

They are far from home and family

and they do it all for you and me.

They come from each and every State

and from all parts of this country great.

They are man and woman, young and old

but they are the best it should be told.

We are proud of them and they should know 

that we cheer them on wherever they go.

We want them to know that we really care 

and we want them to know while they are there.

So we stitch and we sew as much as we are able 

and on our quilts put a special label.

Aussie Hero is says in simple black font 

to say thankyou is all we really want.

Our quilts are all different, some fancy some plain

some bright, some muted, some bear a refrain.

Some have the flag, the Southern Cross or a roo

sometimes we do them with a special theme too.

We also make bags for their laundry as well.

To lose all your clothes must have been hell, 

but with our bags that is a thing of the past

and our bags are certainly made to last

Each week when I look at our quilts to date

I can’t help but feel that it’s really great,

And the laundry bags with each letter and patch;

Seriously each week is another great batch

To my Friends I hope you are feeling good

because for what youv'e achieved you really should!

To them "over there" on foreign sea and land

Please know that we are with you wherever you stand! 

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