Thanks on Thursday and another good story!

Written by AHQ

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22 August 2013

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Greetings all.

Another good story to tell tonight of a quilt being received………..eventually

and when we had just about given up hope!

Way back in late June I received a request for a quilt via a really lovely email some of which I can share

“I just wanted to write and let you know how much joy your quilts and laundry bags have brought to the base… People have been smiling for weeks when their quilt arrives and I know the laundry bags are a source of plenty of bragging rights!

I’m not sure how this all works, but I was told that if I was interested in potentially receiving a quilt to write to this email address and explain a little about myself and what I do here.

(Information deleted to protect the innocent)

I’m not sure exactly what I’d like in a quilt-I don’t have any real preferences and I’ve been really impressed with some the art works that my mates have received here. I don’t really have any favorite colors but at the moment its been nice to see some of the earthy reds, browns, and greens around that are so synonymous with the Afghans and their culture.

Please let me know if you need me to provide anymore details and Thanks again for all your wonderful work-it really makes a difference.”

Given that the mail can be a little unpredictable (little did I know) I didn’t think we had time to make a quilt and get it in the mail in time so I looked at the ones I have on hand here for just this sort of occasion. I picked out this Block of the Month quilt – one of my favourites – and thought the colours looked right and the stars made me immediately think of the stars in a night sky. I bundled it up and sent it off on the first of July. It should have been there within two weeks, if not less. That is how long mail was taking at the time.

I told the gent that his quilt was on its way and this was his response!

“The work that you and Aussie Heroes team do is simply amazing and there is a lot very very appreciative men and women here that want to pass on their thanks.

I’m intrigued by the quilt you described and can’t wait to see it. I think this is part of the BIG impact that these gifts can have -there’s so much anticipation in the build up to QUILT DAY!!”

That made my day………and then we waited. Finally on the 24th of July I could wait no longer and I emailed him to see if the quilt had turned up….

“I’m still waiting with baited breath 🙂 Shouldn’t be too long now…”

Not happy Jan!!!

Checked again early August by which time I had prepared a replacement quilt just in case….

“I still haven’t received anything on my end, but I’ll check again with the mail girls tomorrow… It would be a TRAGEDY if it was one of the packages that got ruined in the rain 🙁

I’m almost into my final few weeks now, so I’d hold off on sending it here as I may have already left…

Fingers crossed something will arrive soon and I’ll get in touch as soon as it does.

Thanks again for all your fantastic work!”

We had agreed that I would wait till he was home and then would forward the second quilt but we both kept our fingers crossed that something would happen and the original quilt would turn up!

Well thank you Aussie Hero Fairies! This morning I woke to this message…

“Hi Jan-Maree,

You’ll never guess what arrived in the mail today!

What an amazing quilt-I am totally wrapped! Thank you so much to all those involved for taking the time to put this together-(I’m guessing hours, although I’m sure it would take me months!)-it really made a huge difference to my day-and will continue to put a smile on my face right up until the end of my deployment. It’s currently taking pride of place above my bed and is serving as a nice reminder of all of the great people back home.

The timing couldn’t have been better in the end – I had just finished up working on a project that has taken up much of my time here, and it was a great “reward” when I had this parcel waiting for me! (apparently it is a fairly well traveled parcel as the post had taken a few wrong turns along the way – but all is (VERY) well that ends well…)

It was also great to be able to read a little about the fantastic folks who put these masterpieces together. A BIG thank you to Stephanie T as well as the ladies at the Penrith Sewing Days for donating their time and effort – I didn’t really know what to expect, but this has totally blown me away – I LOVE it! Thank you! The colors are fantastic and I will definitely cherish this as a special keepsake for a long long time!

Thank you to the Rodriquez tea towel company as well – what a lovely donation. The material is great and I’ll make sure to look out for more of their work when I get home.

The fact that you’ve been able to put together so many quilts is amazing! Because of you and your team, there is over 1700 incredibly happy people and I don’t think there are too many people in the world who can say that they’ve been able to put smiles on so many people’s faces – you should be very very proud!

Thank you again for the beautiful quilt and laundry bag… and for all that you’ve done to help and inspire the folks over here.

All the best,”

Did you note that he said we had sent over 1700 quilts? In every covering letter I tell people how many quilts and laundry bags we have sent to date. We are up to over 1900 now – that is how long his quilt has taken! I am sooooo glad it got there.

And then there is this story, passed on my Meg,

“Here’s a little story to make you smile- My mum was channel flicking the other day; or it could have been the other week, it doesn’t seem long ago, but easily could have been last year, and caught a bit of BTN (not sure if you know what that is. It’s ‘children’s news’ on the ABC) and they were doing a segment on the navy. They showed a room (or whatever the naval word is for that) complete with quilt on the bed! Almost certainly an Aussie Hero Quilt!”

Just so you know, I have been busy sending chase up emails to lots of those people on Newcastle who are on our list. I am checking on any quilts that were sent in May, June and early July and if I hear anything I will let you know. The chaplain is helping me to check them out too. 🙂

…..

Morning Joan and Robin,

Thanks very much for the laundry bag. It’s brilliant!

I love the colours, patterns and the fact that it’s double sided. There appears to be a few of us floating around with the Aussie Hero Laundry bags, so thanks for all the support that you guys have provided to us. We are here for a fairly lengthy deployment and will have completed almost 9 months away from home by the end of our tour. The days can be very monotonous and it’s things like the quilts and bags that puts smiles on our faces.

The room on barracks are generally very sterile and there is very little colour in them, unless you count white as a colour :). As you could imagine, the Aussie Quilts are the centre pieces of most bedrooms, if they were lucky enough to receive one.
Thanks again for all your support.
…..

Jenny

I received the quilt that you sent me, it came in the mail today and is absolutely beautiful. It is for my lovely daughter & I am sure that she will love it. What you have done has made my week, so thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. I will send you a photo of my daughter with her new quilt when I return to Aust.

Thankyou again, you are doing an amazing job with the quilts, and it is definitely making a difference.

…..

Hi Angela,

Thankyou so much for the time invested in making this great looking quilt. I received it yesterday and was totally amazed at the detail and effort you have made and I really appreciate your thoughts and letter also. My mother will be so proud when she sees it as she lost a close friend some time ago who was a passionate and talented quilter. Initially when I saw it I was reminded of that. I found your letter very interesting and I am sure with all the work you do you must be kept very busy.

Regards,
…..

hello Jan-Maree,
thank you for my quilt its exactly what I wanted did bring my morale up plus the crews everyone has been really happy with what they all got and appreciate that each quilter put in to get the quilts as good as they were so thank you for this.
cheers
…..

Dear Jan-Maree,

My quilt has arrived, thankyou.
It has served me well as it’s not too warm but keeps me comfortable during these varying climates.
I’m sure it will continue to serve me well when I return home when I pass it on to my young son Jacob.
Pass on my gratitude to all at Aussie Hero Quilts, it’s satisfying to know that we haven’t been forgotten and there’s more people out there besides our family that appreciate and understand the effort and hardship that we endure whilst away.
…..

Dear Debbie,

Firstly a very big thank you for the greatly appreciated gift. As our time here is winding down the little luxuries are starting to disappear, so the biscuits and reading material will go a long way.

(Had to leave out heaps but it was a lovely newsy letter!)

Thank you again for your support and well wishes. All the guys on my team who have received an Aussie Hero Quilt are very appreciative of the time, effort, dedication and commitment that go into making them.
Stay safe, healthy and happy.
…..

This is another quilt that took far too long to get to its owner! Phew. Glad it made it.

Good Morning Jan,

I arrived this morning to find a package which contained my beautiful quilt. I am very appreciative of the work and effort that your members put into making the wonderful creations. It is a wonderful organisation that you have going with so many wonderful people willing to donate their time to creating the fabulous laundry bags and quilts.

Do you require more sewers to come on board and help make quilts and laundry bags? At home I am a member of the XXXXXX Lions Club and if I could help you by getting you name around and maybe recruiting a few more sewers that would like to donate their talents and time to what you are doing I would love to help you if I could. If you do, please let me know any details and I will gladly do some ‘recruiting’ for you.

Once again thank you to you and your wonderful group of sewers. I will of course be sending my personal thanks to Pam Y who made my quilt.
…..

Jan,

I did indeed receive my laundry bag, and it is awesome. But I have lost the piece of paper which detailed my quilter.. could you possibly send me the email address if you have it?(already done it!) If not I will have a search of my rack again to try find it… Either way, my Metallica Laundry Bag is the bomb. Thank you very much!

Yours Aye,
…..

Dear Julie,

I received a laundry bag from you today, thank you! It is a great encouragement to know that people are thinking of us here and supporting us. It is great to have my classic mustangs on display not only because they are cool, but also because its a reminder of the support from back home.

Again, thank you for your time and effort it is really appreciated.

…..

Both the quilt and the laundry bag are now in use and very much appreciated. Louise and Joan have really put out a great piece of work and I feel immensely privileged to have been the recipient. Louise can’t possibly have known this, but i have a primal fear of sharks, so its only apt that a horde of these terrifying creatures stand watch over my bedspace. Joan’s pattern handiwork was one of the first things i noticed after the main design. Please pass on my regards to both ladies for their work!

I’ll be making sure that both the laundry bag and the quilt make it back to Aus at the end of the trip. Who knows, when I finally have my own kids they may end up inheriting them 😉

Thanks again for all your hard work and diligence. Please know, and pass on to those that assist you, that your time is very well spent and very much appreciated over here.

Wishing you all the best,

If you have sent off a quilt or a laundry bag this week then your name should be on the list below. If you are not there, and you think you should be just email me. Sometimes I might hold back a photo for a few weeks until the item has been received but any doubts just ask. If you have sent something and have not sent me the photos please send it as soon as you can so I can add it to the post for tomorrow night.

Angela

Clare and the Valhalla Talking Threads

Jenny and Gale

Joan

Laurel

Lee T

Lenore

Liz

Lynn

Michele

Pam

Peggy

Steph N

Stephanie T

And just before I go…..

A very big Happy Birthday to Evelyn! Hope you had a lovely lunch out and were spoilt rotten.

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

Bobbie S and the Mystery BOMers. Emb Joan Quilted by Philomena and added to by Bridget
LB Ruth S

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Good afternoon Hilary P,

I am writing to say thank you so much for the lovely quilt, laundry bag and letter!

I am amazed at the detail and thought you have put into the quilt for me and I can not thank you enough!It is something I will treasure for a long time and I will definitely be using the laundry bag on my next deployed or trip!

I really appreciate the time you took to write the letter noting how busy you and all the other volunteers are at AHQ. I hope the annual dinner in Canberra goes well. You all deserve to be celebrated for the work you do.

Even though I am back from my deployment now, I am honoured to know there are people like you out there, looking out for those of us away from family, friends and loved ones.

Thank you again!

Kindest regards,

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Dear Sue-Ellen S,

I’m in the Royal Australian Navy posted to HMAS Stuart and currently on deployment in Asia. I am 25 years old and I grew up in Melbourne and joined the RAN when I was 19 and I now live in WA. The other week I received the laundry bag you made along with your letter. Thank you so much for the laundry bag as its well made and the perfect size. I greatly appreciate the work you do with AHQ and at your local RSL (pulling beers is essential work ) and all others who volunteer. As a sailor a sturdy Dhobey bag (laundry bag) is very nice to have and makes life onboard just that bit much easier as the standard issue bags tend to rip and tear. I enjoyed reading your letter and hearing about your family military history. I hope your retirement is going well and I wish your sons the best.

Kindest regards,

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Hi Ruth S,

I just received my laundry bag that you compiled. It is fantastic, so thank you for your time and effort to make us veterans feel people care.

Again, thank you and take care

regards

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Good evening Sue-Ellen S,

I'm an electronics technician in the Royal Australian Navy, proud father to a rabbit named Pickles, and as of the other day, the even prouder owner of a majestic blue laundry bag covered in platypuses (or platypies... whatever the plural may be).

I must admit, I wasn't originally looking for a new laundry bag we get issued a fresh one with every new posting, after all. But the moment I saw that vibrant blue pattern and the platypuses (which happen to be my mother’s absolute Favorite animal and that felt a little bit like the universe was trying to tell me something), I knew I had to grab it right away.

Fun fact about the humble platypus: because they lay eggs and produce milk. So, if you're ever stuck in the bush craving an omelette a platypus is your one-stop shop!

On a more personal note, I hope your sons are doing well. Reading your letter, your pride in them and the work they do shines through so clearly. They are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive mother in their corner.

I personally have not attended one of the charity dinners for the Doby bag cause, however a ex of mine has in 2024, and apparently it was quite the shindig.

Thank you so much for everything you do with your local RSL. The support you provide isn't just vital to active service members, it's a massive morale booster for the entire veteran community.

Please make sure to enjoy a well-deserved pint (or several) after reading this. You’ve more than earned it.

Warm regards,

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Dear Hilary T,

I would like to express my gratitude to you for the beautiful laundry bag that you so skilfully created. I was gifted it after completing a deployment. The design and craftsmanship is impressive.

I am a member of the Australian Army Reserves and work as a signaller. I too originate from overseas- I am Scottish, and like you moved to Australia for better weather and more of an outdoor lifestyle for our children to grow up in. It has been such a beautiful country to live in and we appreciate all of the opportunities that we have been given. I joined the Reserves as a way of serving and giving something back. (I am a Sonographer in my full time job. )

I will be proud to use the laundry bag whenever I am away with Army and once again, thank you so much.

Kindest regards,

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Good Afternoon Clarissa L,

I'm a Soldier at the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and was very fortunate to receive a laundry bag sewn by yourself from Aussie Hero Quilts. I know I and everyone who received one was very grateful for your token of appreciation and to know that we're being thought of. It will be very handy as I'm about to step off on a six week task within Australia. Again thank you very much for giving up your valuable time to help ADF Personnel across the globe, it's greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,

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Dear Janice L,

Thank you so very much for my new laundry bag (its going to get a good work out) it is very hot on our current deployment.

I just wanted to tell you a little about myself. I’ve been serving in the Royal Australian Navy for 15 years now. During that time I have had the opportunity to work across Submarines, Supply ships and ANZAC Class frigates. (currently on HMAS Stuart) It’s been a challenging career, but one that I am proud of and enjoy. I have also been lucky to have some incredible experiences.

I have a wife and Family of 4 children (not including our dog JJ) back home in Rockingham, WA. We come from Brisbane but I had to move to WA when I started working on Submarines. One of the hardest parts of the job is spending time away from them.

The Navy is a big part of my life but my family keeps me grounded.

I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am. Thank you to Aussie Hero quilts and your self for the quilt.

Kind regards,

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Hello Hilary T,

I'm the recipient of the Bag you made and had sent to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. I'm writing to thankyou for the lovely bag / letter and to express my gratitude for your support through Aussie Hero Quilts.

To let you know abit about the recipient of your bag, I was born and raised in Newcastle so I'm well aware of the beautiful country that is the Nelson bay area and try to take the opportunity to show it to my Cairns born partner whenever I get the chance, it just goes to show how close we probably were at one point even though we know live on the other side of the country.

I joined the Army in 2020 and commissioned through the Royal Military College - Duntroon in Canberra and was allocated to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps as a Cavalry Officer. Since then I have been posted to the School of Armour in Puckapunyal as an instructor then to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Townsville.

I thankyou again for your work and hopefully you know how much these bags were appreciated by everyone at the Regiment.

Kind regards,

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Hi Janice B,

I just wanted to email you and let you know I received my quilt and laundry bag.

I love them. I have read the Eragon series and recognised the Dragon right away. Not gonna lie, I squealed a little.
Also I did test the laundry bag and kept laughing.

My uncle was a submariner as well so we have a lot in common it seems! I loved reading your letter and about all your
adventures.

Thank you once again for my quilt and Laundry bad. I love them and appreciate all the effort you and your team put into
them.

Kind regards

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Hi Lois S,

Thank you so much for the beautiful quilt. I received it in perfect condition, and I wanted to let you know that it was exactly what I was after. The design, colours and space theme are fantastic, and I can see the incredible amount of work and care that went into creating it. The embroidered patches, ISS, Saturn V and Space Shuttle are particularly impressive, and knowing that they took around 250,000 stitches makes me appreciate it even more.

I also really enjoyed reading about your time in Florida and your visits to the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. Watching the launch of Discovery STS-120 must have been an amazing experience.

Like you, I have been to the Kennedy Space Center multiple times, and I honestly think it is one of the best places to visit in Florida. Every visit has been memorable, and as someone with an interest in space exploration, I never get tired of seeing the exhibits, launch facilities and history on display.

Thank you again for your generosity, time and effort in making the quilt. It will be something I treasure for many years to come. I truly appreciate the support you and the Aussie Hero Quilts community provide to veterans.

Kind regards,

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The following letter was published on the 26th August so it may be familiar. We have now received permission to publish the photo so I thought it was very tied in with the letter, it deserved a second publishing:

Dear Shirley D,

I hope this email finds you well.

I recently received the amazing laundry bag that you made for me through Aussie Hero Quilts while serving with the Australian Contingent in the Sinai as part of the Multinational Force and Observers. Thank you for the incredible time, care and generosity that went into making it. Receiving a parcel from home is always appreciated, but receiving something handmade by a complete stranger was something quite special and I couldn't be more grateful.

I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to write such a personal letter. I genuinely enjoyed reading about your family, your textile art, and the remarkable work you have done supporting Australian service personnel since 2015.

Of everything you wrote, it was the story of your father that resonated with me the most. During this deployment, I had the privilege of leading a battlefield study of Alexandria and El Alamein four our contingent, where we walked the ground, visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery and reflected on the actions fought there. Reading about your father's service with the 2/24th Battalion, and the sacrifices he made at both El Alamein and later in New Guinea, made me incredibly proud of his service and privileged to have stood on the same ground where he and so many other Australians fought. It also struck me that, more than eighty years later, an Australian soldier is serving in the same region while receiving a laundry bag made by the daughter of one of those veterans. That is a connection I will never forget.

I also wanted to say how much I appreciated the Egyptian theme of the laundry bag. It was clear how much thought went into making something that reflected where I was serving, and the pyramids, the colours of sand and the kangaroos could not have been more fitting for my deployment with the MFO. It has already become one of my favourite keepsakes from my time in the Sinai and will be coming home to Australia with me when I return.

I've attached a photo taken overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba at South Camp shortly after I received your parcel. I thought you might enjoy seeing where your laundry bag ended up.

There are many people who contribute quietly to Australia's military capability without ever wearing a uniform. Your generosity, talent and countless hours of volunteer work are part of that contribution. Although we have never met, your kindness reached me on the other side of the world and made a genuine difference.

Thank you again for everything you do for Australian service men and women. It is deeply appreciated.

Kind regards,