Grati-Tuesday 1 Dec 15

Written by AHQ

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1 December 2015

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1 Comments

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Hi all

Some special messages today. Enjoy!

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G’day Ruth P!

I received your wonderful creation 10 days after you posted it which is amazing. I joined the Air Force on the 22nd of April 2008 and was handed my first uniform on ANZAC Day. A very special moment for me.

Now on the 11th of November I’ll remember that a complete stranger sent me a parcel in appreciation of what all serving members past and present have contributed. Remembrance Day now becomes a tad more special for me as well.

Over here, we all can’t wait for the postal delivery to the Hangar. Yesterday I got a tad more excited when I heard there was a parcel for me.

Bye golly gosh you should have seen the boys’ faces when I pulled my quilt and laundry bag out of the box. They were in hysterics! They all rib me for being an aeroplane nerd and you nailed the perfect design for me. I love it!

They then laughed harder when they saw you had included washing instructions on the envelope as I am renowned for being hopeless at all domestic chores.

So your parcel really did bring some much needed joy into our section. The TimTams and lollies were shared out and very much appreciated too.

I am constantly amazed at the professionalism, work ethic and team work that occurs in our section. All the rumours I was told about the Australian Defence Force before I joined up are true. We just get on with the job and make it happen! We also have that Aussie larakin sense of humour that other countries just don’t understand.

As the extreme Hot weather here has now gone, the nights are now getting chilly and your quilt will be very much appreciated.

Kindest Regards

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Dear Shirley,

I received the amazing laundry bag you created for me and I love it. Thank you for taking the time to create such a special bag for me. I am not a golf fan but I am sure I can find someone at my location that will love the magazine.

It is warm where I am also, a bit too warm for my Tasmanian born skin, but I am acclimatizing slowly.

Once again thank you for the bag and the gifts. It is an amazing thing you all do for us service men and women and we really do appreciate it!!!!

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Hi Pam,

I hope this email finds you well. I received your quilt a few days ago. Thank you very much.

I thought I would send you an email to let you know but I will be writing a letter as well, I like letters they always feel more personal than emails and I am a bit of a traditionalist too. I promise I’ll try to not double up to much.

The work that your groups do is really appreciated by all the men and women here, it is always such a boost when someone receives a parcel.

I have been with the Air Force for a bit over 14 years now and have been all across the globe but this is my first time to a conflict zone. It was a tough decision to come as I left behind my 18 month old little girl and my wife.

Take care and thank you again.

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Dear Marilyn S,

Thank you so much for the quilt and goodies I received today, I absolutely love it. The pattern is perfect, it’s exactly what I was after, but the quilt isn’t for me, I have asked for it for my son who is 18 mths old. We have a sort of pirate/nautical theme going for him, only from my partner’s obsession with all things nautical. So when I get home at the end of February I will get a photo of my son with his new pirate quilt and send to you. It will be his to treasure for years to come as the quilt he got from a special lady because his dad went away for a long time.

I like that you enjoy making the quilts because we sure do appreciate them and enjoy receiving them, it’s nice knowing that people other than family and friends are thinking of us, and as my partner said when I sent her a photo “what a beautiful gesture” so thank you. It’s kind of like Christmas in a way when someone gets theirs, everybody is eager to see what each other’s quilts and laundry bags looks like. I tell you what, it really made my day today collecting my parcel from you. Yes the rooms are quite bright with all these different quilt designs, the guy that I share my room with has got an Australian Army themed quilt which also looks quite good, has the rising sun emblem embroidered in the centre of it. But mine will be staying in it’s post box for when I return home.

So once again thank you so much for my quilt, lollies and deodorant. I’ll be taking my lollies in tomorrow to share with my section.

Regards,

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Hi Sophie,

I received the amazing Laundry bag you made for me and I absolutely love it.

Everyone at my location is extremely grateful to all you wonderful ladies that take the time and effort to make these gorgeous bags and quilts. They really help to brighten up our living space and make it more like home. When you’re away like this it is the small things in life you miss, like showering without thongs on, or drinking out of an actual glass.

We all look forward to mail day. The little reminders that home still exists and surprises like yours that remind us why we do what we do. Its nice to know that there are people out there that understand and appreciate the work we do.

From the bottom of my heart Thank you and know that what you do for our service men and women IS appreciated.

Cheers

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Dear Chris,

Thank you kindly for the lovely treats you sent through with my laundry bag.

I’ve set them up in the coffee room and needless to say they have been a huge hit!

I hadn’t drunk coffee in three weeks (since we ran out) so the Robert Timms coffees you sent were just perfect! The tea won’t go to waste either with all the Brits around here!

Plus, we mostly drink green tea over here, so it’s nice to come home to some Australian quality Bushells black tea at the end of the day.

I am greatly humbled by your words of appreciation. None of us would, or could, be here if it wasn’t for people like yourself and Donna.

Donna, for instance, serves Australia admirably as a Nurse Unit Manager – a very tough and important job that not just anyone can do! So I thank you both very much.

I hope your family are both safe and well leading up to the crazy season.

Kind regards

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Dear Donna,

I’d like to thank you kindly for sending through such a beautiful quilt, I will cherish it forever.

I think you are so wonderfully talented and I am in awe of how intricate the detail is and how much effort it would have taken to have made this quilt.

I love it very much and have it on my bed at this very moment.

I also think it is a lovely coincidence that you are a Nurse Unit Manager, so is my Mother. I think it must be my connection to my Mother that somehow you were the one to make me such a beautiful quilt. Funny how the universe works sometimes – I’m sure you’d understand being a Mother yourself.

I hope you and your four children are well and that your son who wants to join the Army is able to do so. I wish him the best of luck, it is a fun, challenging and rewarding career.

Thank you again for taking the effort to make such a beautiful quilt for me, please know that it is very much appreciated.

Kind regards,

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For Jeann P

Thank you so very much, I love it

My hubby and I share our Facebook page. …I can’t tell you how much he loves this….All your ladies that quilt do an amazing job for our troops….Please thank the lafy who made this one for him….His wife

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For a quilt made by Kate C

Hi Jan-Maree,

I received my Aussie Hero Quilt recently and I can confirm that it is awesome. I’m really pleased with the way it turned out, especially considering that I didn’t give much of an indication as to what the design should entail. I can see that the quilter has put quite a lot of thought and creativity into it and the end result is spectacular.

Please pass on my thanks to the quilter and also thanks to Aussie Hero Quilts for providing me with a bit of home grown comfort to help get through the deployment.

Regards,

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Hello lovely Aussie Hero Quilters! I received my Laundry Bag and I absolutely love it! It is a beautiful piece of artwork, so much so that I only use it to collect my clean laundry in, as I believe it to be almost a sin to place dirty laundry in! A very big thankyou to Wendy F for her amazing work-womanship and the lovely words on the card. Also for the beanie and sweet goodies which I will enjoy!

Many thanks and I cannot wait to meet Jan, Wendy, Lynne (and as many of all the other fabulous ladies) who take time out of their own lives to make beautiful (and highly practical) pieces that greatly assist with deployed members’ morale as well as decorating varying degrees of drab rooms, tents, bunks, etc.

My sincere thankyou to Aussie Hero Quilts.

Kind Regards,

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Hello Lynn and Arthur

I was very delighted to receive my quilt this week. The stitching and quilting is amazing, the very thing I was hoping to get when I requested something so specific, (or something very close to it)

I am always pleased to hear that people from the public are giving their time to spread a little joy to the deployed personnel from the ADF. Especially those who have the talent and creativity.

I love hearing that our younger generation are thinking of, or at least know of, the commitment that the ADF is giving, trying to bring peace to the deployed nations that we are helping. Please let them know that this quilt went to an Infantry soldier in Afghanistan.

Once again thank you for the quilt. I love it and will always have it as a reminder of the time spent deployed. Also the knowledge that people appreciate and care about members deployed, and the great work that AHQ do for ADF.

I respect your personal thank you very much.

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Good Afternoon Jean,

I received the laundry bag today in the mail, the bikes are great. I like all types of motorcycles

so its perfect with dirt & road bikes on it.

Thank you for the kind words, this is my first time overseas with work so I am enjoying the time

here as its all new to me. Yes being away over Christmas will be hard for the boys but they know

Daddy has a job to do.

Kind Regards,

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Dear Kaye,

I hope this letter finds you well. I apologise that this is not hand written, but as aircraft maintainers, our handwriting is worse than a Doctors!

Thank-you for the laundry bag, it is awesome! It’s so good in fact that I have to keep a close eye on it when I do my washing so that the other boys don’t ‘mistake’ it as theirs and it disappears. As I was the only one who received some goodies with their laundry bag I shared them around. The Tim Tams were a treat and the girls loved the nail files!

We are based at an airbase in the Middle East with a lot of camels and of course…..sand. The thing most of us miss, even though a cold beer and maybe a barbecue would be high on the list, it would be a cold shower. With the temperature at approximately 55 during the day and 30 overnight, it doesn’t get cold enough to cool the water down, so it’s a hot shower all day every day.

Keep up the sewing, you’re doing a great job and from all of us over here,

Thank-you!

Cheers,

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Hi Sue,

I received the quilt you made me last week. It is absolutely amazing. It reminds me very much of home and the things I love, I can’t imagine anything that I would want different.

I’m a father of two wonderful children and my wife is a primary school teacher. We also have a cat and two little dogs – but the cat is the boss!

Thank you so very much for the quilt – it will be a treasured keepsake

Warm Regards

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Jan-Maree, my quilt has arrived and thank you to everything that the organization does.

Sue the quilt is perfect and amazing. It will certainly remind me always of my deployment and service. I will have this on my bed at sea for many years to come!!

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Good afternoon Fiona

Thank you so very much for the lovely quilt you made for me (and for the extra delicious treats too!)

I have been in Afghanistan for almost six months now and it is such excellent morale to get gifts in the mail, especially a beautiful hand crafted present made just for me.

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Good Evening Anne and Alan

I recently received a Brightly coloured Laundry Bag from you and the AHQ gang.

I’m writing to thank you

Unfortunately I had to delete most of a really lovely emails that Anne received as it was personal but suffice to say this fellow wrote great email.

I hope this wasn’t too much information all at once but your Laundry Bag is the most thoughtful gift I have received in all my time of service, and will serve me well for the next 15 years. The Effort and time taken is greatly appreciated and I watched a couple of boys spend the time to admire the patterns and fabric chosen by you and your wonderful team at AHQ (maybe AHQ really stand for Amazingly Helpful Queens).

I would like to wish you and all of your family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year full of love and cheer.

Your Sincerely

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Good Morning Joan & Robin,

Thank you for the laundry bag it is much appreciated. Joan you need not worry about the choice of material as every time I see the bag the pirate island theme makes me smile, I love it.

I will send you a picture as soon as I can get one taken.

Cheers

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Good afternoon Joan and Robin,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag, Its pretty handy and looks way better than my white mesh one and it certainly brought a smile to my face to know there is people out there that appreciate us and think of these things to brighten our day.

Again thank you very much

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Hi Pennie,

I am writing this e-mail to thank you for your kind package you sent me a couple of weeks ago.

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and found all these ‘goodies’ from back home. You sent me some of my favourites, and they remind me of where I come from ( the prettiest place on earth ). The laundry bag has definitely come in handy, I think my old plastic shopping bag I used before could not hang on much longer!

You wrote in your letter you are an emergency nurse working in a major hospital, I would like to also thank you for your service back home in the community.

I feel privileged you would take time out to send myself this much appreciated package, and for this I thank you.

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Hi Denise.

Thank you so much for the well wishes and the Frozen quilt you made me. I have a confession to make. It’s actually for me. One of my mates told me that in the Navy when you go out to sea you use something really kiddie as your blanket to kinda brighten the mood. I’m in the Army but I thought I thought it was a great tradition. It’s nice to see something bright and cheerful when I get back to my room.

Thanks again Denise,

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Dear Julie Ann

Please accept my thanks for the lovely gift (a laundry bag) . It means a lot to me to have strangers acknowledge my service to the nation and the service of my colleagues in this way. It reinforces our reasons for firstly joining the military and then leaving our families to deploy on operations.

This deployment has been fairly low tempo, training the Iraqi Army. Generally, the soldiers of the Iraqi Army are not much different to ours. They are friendly and ask lots of questions about us and life in Australia.

I hope I have contributed in a positive way by helping the Iraqi soldiers with their training, so that one day soon they will free their country of trouble and bring peace to Iraq. Hopefully.

Once again thanks for the laundry bag and know that your thoughts and sewing skills are very much appreciated.

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Dear Leanne,

Thank you very much for the quilt it is amazing. Anything from home always brings a smile while you are away from family.

I chose the Pikachu character as this is my sons favourite Pokemon character. It reminds me of him when I see the quilt through out the day . It is his birthday the day I return to Australia and I plan on giving him the quilt so he has something special to remind him that there are people out there like yourself who care about the happiness and well being of others!

Thank you again for the lovely gift and I hope you have a safe and merry Christmas.

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Dear Sue,

I am currently deployed with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) also known as Operation ASLAN back home in Australia. I have been with the navy for 19 years. I’m married with two kids. I’m over in Africa for 7 months and will return to Australia just in time for ANZAC Day 2016.

I work in the Joint Operations Command for the UN mission and have one of the most interesting positions in the deployment. From the Operations centre, we get to see everything that is happening in the mission, so am usually the first of the Aussies to know when something is going on. In the very short time that I have been here, I have helped to coordinate the negotiations and rescue of 30 hostages captured by the rebels in the north of the country as well as having to help coordinate the recovery operation at the scene of an air crash. Whilst not in the thick of the action from a military sense, I’m certainly doing some rather unusual yet interesting tasks for someone stuck in a headquarters.

South Sudan is the world’s newest country and probably the poorest place I have ever visited. I’ve seen a figure quoted that states there are only 42 kilometres of paved road in the country. I’m lucky because I think two of them are on my drive to work! The other 8 km are dirt roads more like I would call a 4WD track at home. (The roads are so badly pot-holed and bumpy that the drive to work is called an African Massage)

The laundry bag you made for me arrived last week, thank-you. The timing was brilliant as I’d had a big day at work and coming back to our compound to find a gift in the mail really made my day. It was also a complete surprise because I had no idea about the laundry bag ( some of the advanced members of our contingent had forwarded my details to the Aussie Hero Quilt team). I was very pleased because I am a keen fisherman (although not very successful) so the fish design on my bag was brilliant.

Thank-you again for the bag and also for the support that you and the other quilters have shown us. It is humbling and gratifying to know that Australians support and appreciate the work we do when we are away from home.”

Wishing you a safe and productive deployment.

Yours Aye

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Good morning Jenny.

I received my Aussie Hero quilt and I am so happy with it. It is beautiful. I am thinking of using the white panels for everyone in my unit to sign their names.

I have been in the Army for 7 years. This is my second deployment. My twin sister and older brother are in the Army and have also deployed. As you can imagine my poor mother has spent the last 4 years worried. I am based in Townsville and I am currently working as a Postal Operator. I love my job. I get to work in the post office and I get to deliver all the Aussie Hero Quilts. I always make people open their parcels so I can see what master pieces the ladies from Aussie hero Quilts have come up with.

I appreciate the time and effort spent on my quilt and I hope you continue with it.

P.S thank you for the yummy treats 🙂

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Good Morning Sue N,

I received the quilt you have sewn for me today.

I would like to greatly express my gratitude for the time you have taken to sew this quilt for me, believe me when I say receiving mail is like Christmas every time you get a parcel and is a massive Morale booster.

I could not have asked for a better gift from yourself and the support you have provided is extremely heart warming, given you have taken time out of your day to support us forward deployed and I can not thank you enough for your thoughts and kind words.

I honestly cannot express enough kind words for yourself, you are an outstanding lady and should be extremely proud of your efforts to support our troops. I have a smile from ear to ear, the quilt is perfect.

Kind Regards,

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Hi Karen,

I am currently deployed in the Middle East. I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the washing bag you made for me, it’s something I will treasure and look back at when I’m at my ‘lows’ whilst I’m here.

I am 22 years old and this is my first deployment to the Middle East. It is very hard to be away from my family as this will be the first time I will miss Christmas.

Being in a place like this makes me really appreciate Australia. I can see exactly why so many people flee and seek refuge in Australia.

It rained for the first time the other day, the rain brought excitement and happiness as the dust settled and the cool air hit our skin.

Your washing bag has made a massive boost on my morale!

Merry Christmas Karen, I wish you and your family much happiness through to the New Year.

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Dear Joan and Robin,

I am a Sailor on HMAS ARARAT based out of Darwin currently involved with Operation Resolute, our border protection operation, We are tasked with ensuring our Northern coastal waters are safe and additionally to ensure no illegal fishing or immigration is taking place. We consider this to be an important role and involves a great deal of Patrolling away from home. I have just received the hand made Laundry bag that you sent, and I am sending you just a quick note to thank you for your lovely gift, clearly a lot of work has gone into this and it is greatly appreciated. It is a wonderful feeling to know that the general public, and yourselves in particular appreciate the work we do and to show your appreciation with a handmade gift certainly makes us more determined to do our job well.

Once again thankyou for your gift, it will be well used I assure you.

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Hi Joan & Robin ,

Thank you ever so much for my washing bag!

Due to the nature of my work I can’t send a photo but I wanted to say how much I appreciate the kindness that you both have shown in taking the time to make such a great laundry bag !

All your work never goes unnoticed and I can ensure you that it brings great joy to all serving personnel .

Thanks again

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This is a North of the Yarra Quilt top that Leanne added applique to and then completed.

Morning Leanne,

First I would like to say thank you so much for your support, we greatly appreciate it. Second, I absolutely love the Quilt, I can tell a lot of time and effort went in to it. It now takes pride of place on my bed.

I thank you again for the time and effort you have been putting into all the quilts you have made. I know every one over here appreciates it so much.

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Hi Rita M,

Thank you for the lovely quilt I received today. My boss signed me up without telling me so it was quite a surprise when I unexpectedly had mail today. Spirits were definitely raised today within the Task Group as the colourful quilts and laundry bags easily broke up the monotony of deployed life.

I hope you don’t mind but I think I’ll send my quilt back home to my wife, it’s so dirty here that I think it will just get ruined if I keep it here. She sends me packages all the time but I never have anything to send her back so I hope the quilt can cheer her up as much as they all cheered up everyone else here. This is my third deployment so I am fine but we only got married in April so she is a bit depressed with me being away.

I think you and everyone at Aussie Hero Quilts are doing such an amazing job. You may not realise how comforting it is for everyone here to receive such expertly crafted items from people back home. When you are so far from home for such a horrible reason, it is easy to forget how nice people can be in the world.

Once again thank you for the quilt. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

Regards,

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

Jan-Maree xx

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,