Happy Mail 25th June

Hi everyone, as you may know I have had an eventful week ( if you missed it... I had an accident with my rotary cutter.. quite serious... 4 stitches), so I am typing this at a slower pace.  You really don't realise how much you use your index finger till you can't use it.  For all of those who missed it... please be super careful it is so easy to do, and also thanks to all those that sent well wishes.  I am back to the doctor's tomorrow for a progress report.

Edit by Jan-Maree

To expand a bit- Caroline all but cut the fleshy pad off the bottom off her index finger - think of the part used for finger printing!  We are just hoping that the four stitches are enough for the pad to re-adhere otherwise it will be a problem.  Yes, her blade was sharp but this shows what a momentary loss of concentration can do.  Very tempted to show you the pic without the bandage but I know some of you would not appreciate that. 

Be careful people.  And yes, we will be organising an appropriately name KLUTZ glove for Caroline before too long!

OK back to the job at hand.  Here are all the great things that have turned in the post office this week.

First up from S Wild some lovely red white and blue June BOM's

These lovely laundry bags came from Robyn W.  The last 2 are front and back shots.  

They are wonderful.

What great bunch of beautiful quilt tops from Christine C.  She certainly has been busy.  Wonderful job.

Lastly Lyn has sent in this awesome quilt top as well.  Love it.

That's all for this week.  Next week we will have our latest Block of the Month coming out, so I hope you are all looking forward to that.

Happy Stitching

Caroline

A quick note - for anyone planning to come to the top of Castle Hill to say hello and share a glass of bubbly on Friday night in Townsville we are expecting to be there around 6pm.

Looking forward to seeing you if you are coming.  

Til next time...........stay away from the Rotary cutter Caroline and for everyone else....

Keep spreading the word and happy stitching!  JMxx

Grati-Tuesday 24 June

Hi all,

Only a few thank you messages today.  

Please don't forget to let me know if you hear from a recipient so that I don't have to email them and chase them up to make sure their quilt has arrived.  Sending all those individual emails is very time consuming so if I can cut down on a few that would be great.  

Also, if you do receive a thank you please share it if you can so that I can share it on the blog to encourage those who do not hear from their recipients.  I always remove all the personal information and identifying information.  If I think there is anything that is worth sharing but maybe sensitive I always check with the recipient and so far noone has ever said no.  In fact, most people are very enthusiastic about their message of thanks being shared.

..................

Dear Lynda, 

Thank-you very much for the quilt you sent to me, it was quite a surprise! I received it while in Dubai just a few days ago. It is quite hot here as summer is just beginning, however I know it will get good use back in Sydney when we return in winter. It will be something unique to remember this deployment by. 

We have had quite a busy and long deployment though we have seen and done some incredible things that I never thought I would have had the chance to do and also had the chance to visit some amazing countries. After leaving Sydney early January we transited around to Fremantle to pick up stores and ammunition. From here we stopped in at Kochin, India for some official functions and for some r+r before starting our official operation. Other countries we have visited include Tanzania and Muscat. 

Our average time at sea has been 4 weeks. During our operation we have seized over 6 tonnes of narcotics being smuggled illegally, coordinated a medical emergency onboard a merchant vessel, responded to possible pirate attacks on shipping vessels and been involved with a couple of Safety Of Life at Sea (SOLAS) incidences. It is nice knowing we have made a good contribution in the efforts to keeping the waters safe. 

The last 6-8 weeks is often the hardest, because even though there is not much time left before you get to see your loved ones, it still feels so far away. Thank you for all your efforts that you have put in to make such beautiful quilts and laundry bags, I know a lot of people around the ship have been thrilled to receive them and you have done a great job of keeping morale high. Also thanks for the chocolates, they are a treat among the crew and best enjoyed when shared! 

.....

Good morning/afternoon Mary 

 

I just wanted to send you this email to say thank you for your hard work on making my quilt, and laundry bag!  They are both amazing pieces of work and I truly appreciate every bit of effort you have put into them as they have come out beautifully!  The only downside is that it's too hot right now to use the quilt hahaha however, I will be using it the first night I get back into Australia as I'm told the weather is rather freezing hahaha.

I am doing well on my deployment, lots of interesting things you find out once you go, learning the cultures and adjusting to being out of your "home" environment was a big challenge for me as being a younger person myself (21yrs old). However you get heaps of support for your work mates and from people like you who send us care packages and these very beautifully designs quilts.  It makes the time away from home just that little bit easier.

Once again thank you very much for your hard work and effort you have put into making these quilts. I gather it must be hard doing this on top of your normal work routine but I definitely appreciate the hard time you have put in to making it for me.

Thank you

.....

Hello, 

I would just like to gave a big thanks to Jan-Maree, Lynn, Robin, Evelyn and anyone else involved in AHQ who makes the quilts (and Laundry Bags) come to life. 

I'm currently in the RAN on deployment in the middle-east. Jan-Maree will remember me because I've sent correspondence to her to help brainstorm ideas for the theme I requested. I received the final product in the ship's mail, a little over a week ago now, in Dubai and might I say that the end result is beautiful, I'm ecstatic to bring it home and show my fiance what you came up with when I see her in a month and a half. 

The effort put into it is beautiful and I'm waiting until I'm with my fiance so I can take a photo of it and send it to you. 

Its the small things that make moments memorable and its people like everybody at AHQ that help achieve that. 

Kind regards

.....

Dear Sandra, 

Thank you so much for your quilt I absolutely love it, you have done an amazing job.  I have been on board for 1 year and have been in the Navy for 6 years.  I enjoy my job and my time at sea though being away from loved ones for extended periods of time does get hard. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this quilt I will cherish it for as long as I have it.

.....

This email was to me but the recipient has also made the effort to write letters to the three quilters who contributed to his quilt, Louise, Maureen and Debbie

I received my quilt the other day and I must say it has far exceeded my expectations! The detail looks great. Thank you so much for your efforts, I know I didn't exactly make it easy for you and your team! 

.....

The message I got with this was "he loves it" and he is smiling behind the bag!  

.....

Dear Louise,

I just wanted to write a short message to say a big thank you for the quilt you helped make for me. I couldn’t be happier with it, and it has far exceeded my expectations! I can honestly say the work you all do is appreciated, and puts a smile on the face of every soldier who receives a quilt.

At 21 years old this is my 3^rd year in the army and my first deployment to Afghanistan.

The support from people like yourself back home is what makes serving my country all the more meaningful.

Thank you again for my quilt! Stay safe and best wishes.

.....

And this email was for a quilt made by Michelle :-)

Good morning Jan-Maree,

My Quilt arrived a couple of days ago, it is beautiful.

It has great colours and a picture of a Sheppard on the front, 

I would like to say thank you very much to all of you, you 

all do a great job and it is very much appreciated.

Thank you once again it means a lot.

Cheers,

.....

Have a good night.

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

Permission to use Army Badges and Operation Cover Cameron Update

G'day all,

Some important business tonight so please make sure you read the following.  

A few weeks ago it was brought to my attention that we are supposed to seek permission to use or reproduce the Rising Sun or any of the Army Badges on our quilts.   I had sought advice re this in the past but obviously had not been given the right information.  

Many people told me not to worry about it - that noone would care what we are doing and that if anyone ever complained it would be a really unflattering PR story if the Army were to take any action.  That is not the way I operate however.  I have worked really hard to establish Aussie Heroes in a Defence Hierarchy friendly manner.  It is important to me that we do things the right way even if sometimes that is not the easy way. As far as I am concerned it is all about respect....respect for what the badges mean, for what we do and above all, respect for those who wear them.

To that end, I wrote to Army Branding as they are called, sent them some samples of what we do and requested permission to continue on as we have been doing.  

I am pleased to say that we have been given permission, with certain limitations and guidelines, to continue to reproduce the badges on our quilts and laundry bags.   

It is important to note that approval is NOT normally given to use the badges in this way but has been granted because of what we do and who we do it for.  

This is the letter I received in response to my request.  

Hi Jan-Maree,

Thank you for your request to use the Rising Sun badge and other Australian Army emblems on quilts and laundry bags. As the quilts and laundry bags are made free of charge as gifts for serving members of the Australian Army the request is approved.

You are authorised to display the seventh and current pattern of the Rising Sun Badge, or current Corps or Unit badge, in its entirety and original form.

I have attached some artwork files that may assist you in increasing the accuracy of the designs. You can also refer to the Army website: http://www.army.gov.au/Who-we-are/Corps and http://www.army.gov.au/Who-we-are/Divisions-and-Brigades

In accordance with the Defence Act 1903 and the Trade Marks Act 1995, the Australian Army owns the copyright of the Australian Army emblems. The images are not to be renamed, cropped, manipulated or edited in any way, or used in part.

Aussie Hero Quilts are not authorised to assign or attempt to assign any right to a third party on the basis of this approval.

In order for us to keep accurate records of the use of the emblems, we request that you provide us with an email once a month that lists the quilts/laundry bags made using the emblems. We do not require a retrospective list.

So yes, we have approval to use the badges but as I said there are some restrictions. 

We must use the 7th and current pattern of the Rising Sun.  Unfortunately as you can see from the pictures above this is a very detailed and fiddly pattern however I like a challenge.  I am going to convert this to an applique pattern (in the next few weeks) and will stitch up a sample which I will send to the Army Brand Manager to make sure that they are happy with it.   Unfortunately the detail involved will significantly reduce the number of badges that can be made, not only by me, but also by others as I am well aware that not too many of you like to do such detailed work.  That can't be helped.  This is an iconic symbol and I am just very pleased that we have been given approval to use it at all.  Once I have created a pattern that the Army Brand Manager is comfortable with I will be able to distribute it to anyone who wishes to have a go.

The Infantry Badge is also another one that we have to adhere to and again, will be too detailed for many of you.  We have been doing embroidered versions of this and we can continue to do that if there are willing volunteers as this is probably the easier way to reproduce the detail in this badge.   I do have a better picture of the badge but it is not in a format that works on the blog so will have to get a better version.  

There are other badges that have been used on our quilts and laundry bags and thankfully, most of them are much more manageable.    

Please note that I have also been asked to send an email once a month listing the quilts and bags that have been made using the emblems.  Please take this into consideration and make my job easier but emailing me and letting me know if you intend to use one of the badges.  Please do not assume that because the quilt request asked for it I will remember you are including it.  Your assistance will be much appreciated.

It is important to remember that these badges mean a lot to those who wear them, a right that is often hard won, so it is incumbent upon us that we do them justice if we are going to reproduce them, out of respect for those who wear them and those who have gone before. 

I will also be writing to the Air Force Brand Manager to request permission to reproduce their badges and crests, 

particularly the Roundel, so if you wish to use one of those in the future please discuss it with me before going ahead

 I have also made contact with the Navy Brand Manager and again, we will need approval to use the Navy crest. So far we have not had a request for this but I will chase it up should it become appropriate.  

.

When it comes to using the ships' badges I am in contact with Navy Badges and they have been most cooperative.  I would ask that if you wish to use the badges you contact me first so that I can make sure you are using the correct image.  Most of them are quite detailed and I am not sure that too many of you will be wanting to give them ago.

If you wish to put something on your quilts and do not wish to attempt the badges there are often mottos that you can add which are appropriate and very welcome. 

and now for a change of pace...

An Update on Operation Cover Cameron. 

I did put this on Facebook for those who do not read the blog and emailed it to those on the volunteer list but wanted to make sure that anyone who was interested knew how we are going with this very special project. 

 Block by Claire

I thought you might like to know how we are going with the quilt for Cameron.  He is the young sailor on HMAS Darwin who has been sent home and is currently undergoing Chemo to treat his bone cancer.  
 
All the blocks have been received by Debbie and she is currently working on the front of the quilt.  I received a bunch of messages from the crew which were printed on fabric and sent to Lynn along with some GREEN fabric for the backing.  Lynn has pieced a central panel for the backing and that has now been received safe and sound.  
 
Debbie’s plan is to get the quilt in the mail to me at the end of this week and then when I get back from Townsville I will find out the best way of getting it to him sometime during the first week of July.
 
I think we are going to be really pleased with the end result and Cameron will be left in no doubt that as well as his mates on HMAS Darwin, there is an abundance of people wishing him well.   

The following are some of the comments that we received on the Facebook page when I posted the update there on the weekend.

Thanks JM - as you know my daughter is serving on HMAS Darwin with Cameron. Wish him a speedy recovery. What a great gift to him.

My heart goes out to Cameron as my own Son who is also in the Navy did battle with cancer and undertook Chemo. I am happy to say he has been in remission for several years now. Stay strong and there is always hope.

Awesome effort. I just love your dedication & hard work & kindness. Keep it up xo

How truly kind and thoughtful! I wish Cameron all the best for a good recovery xo

That sounds great

Congratulations to all concerned. Bless you for your kindness.

(From one of his shipmates) This is an awesome effort from you all

• 
  

Block by Steph

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

Weekly Dispatches 20 June

G'day all.

One week today and I will be headed to TOWNSVILLE for a very special weekend!!!

Just quietly, I can't wait.  

Don't forget, if you are in Townsville you are invited to join me for a glass of bubbly at Castle Hill for sunset on Friday the 27th.  I know a couple of quilters are coming but any recipients who might like to join us are also welcome.  Also, if you are not sure where to go I can be reached on 0422227019 but I don't land till around 430ish (from memory!)

If you are on Facebook you will know that my laptop had a temporary failure last night - oh the trauma!!!  But it has come back to life today and is going to be checked out thoroughly by someone far more knowledgeable than me!  (Doesn't take much really!)  

A relatively quiet week this week but that has to happen occasionally.   There is still lots happening in sewing rooms around the country.

520 quilts and 661 laundry bags for 2014.  

2875 quilts and 4492 laundry bags in total.

Starting off with one of our Block of the Month Quilts.  

This one was completed by Lynn and quilted by Cath M.  

You can't see it in the photo but it includes fabric that says "you will work hard and like it" and "because I said so, that's why" and "stand tall, be a man". I am sending it to a rather unsuspecting Warrant Officer. Seems rather appropriate don't you think?

Irene

Quilt top by Chelly, quilted and bound by Hilary.  

A couple of laundry bags by me.  

Quilt top by me, quilting and binding by Robin A 

Joan

Linda F

Noeleen 

Peggy (and the cutest ever photo bombers!)

Rita M  (front) 

and back

Robin A (front) 

And back

Robyn B

Sue N (front)

And back

That is all for this week.  

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

Thursday Short and Sweet Story

G'day all.

A quick reminder that the next sewing day at my home is Wednesday the 25th of June.  We will be doing some hand- sewing and can use all the help we can get if you can make it. 

Just a short and sweet story for you tonight. 

At the end of each post I sign off with "keep spreading the word and happy stitching".  Before you see the results of some of that "happy stitching"  I thought I would share a story about someone who has been doing both.

For those of you who don't know Lynn and collaborate on many quilt tops. I will do some applique and then send the pieces to her and she will craft a quilt top around whatever I send her.  We have been doing this for around 18 months now and the system works really well.  As well as the quilt tops that we collaborate on Lynn also makes make of the special request quilt tops depending on where the priority is and also when she has spare time, makes what we call random quilts - quilts that are not allocated to a specific person who which I can personalise if need be when a suitable request comes along or which can go off as is if appropriate.  

Yesterday Lynn told me that she ducked out to a small craft and fabric shop to buy some.......

 ....... you guessed it......... 

fabric!

  

While at the counter being served someone asked her what she was going to do with it.  Well, that is a GREEN light to an Aussie Hero Friend so she explained all about Aussie Heroes and what we do.  One of the ladies who was listening asked Lynn how many she had done.  Without batting an eyelid Lynn said she had made 186.  

(YES!!!! That is right!  ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX) quilt tops.  

That was enough for the lady behind the counter serving her to say well that is certainly enough to earn you 10% off this purchase!  As if that wasn't enough, one of the customers being served turned around and said she had been sorting out her fabric and was ready to pass some on.  She told Lynn that now she knew what she was going to do with it.  She swapped phone numbers with Lynn and within an hour had collected her fabric and dropped it around to Lynn!  She even said she was going to talk to her quilt group about giving their unwanted fabric to Lynn as well.  

And before I forget - I know sometimes people pass on stories to me and I never post them on the blog.   That is not because they are not good stories.  It is because I have to remember to write them up or just have to find time to write them up in the first place.  If you have passed on a story that you think should have made it to the blog please feel free to remind me!

The following people have sent off quilts and laundry bags this week.  If you think you should be on this list please let me know.

Irene
Joan
Noeleen
Peggy
Robyn A
Rita M
Robyn B
Sue N

Cheer for now.

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