Hey all,
Only one photo but a great array of wonderful messages to read tonight…
Enjoy the read
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Hello Raeleen,
I would like to thank you personally Raeleen on making the quilt. The amount of time & craftsmanship that went into the quilt is fantastic and beyond anything I was expecting. You clearly have put your heart and soul into making these beautiful quilts for so many Soldiers. The Morale went through the roof when we were all handed our very own quilt over different periods of our deployment. I especially loved the personal letter. I am 13465km from home so to see such a quality product from Australia made my heart melt. We are all so appreciative of the effort that went into making the quilts.
As one of the many soldiers here in the Middle East on operation I thank you. I am so looking forward to coming home for Christmas.
Kind regards
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Dear Ms Ball,
It was with surprise and great delight that I was presented with your very special gift, a remarkable ‘G’Day Mate’ Aussie Hero Quilt. Our Consulate-General colleague WO Colin Burrows presented the quilt and poppy pin, and your letter, just before ANZAC Day. We have taken the liberty of placing a photo on our post’s Facebook page of WO2 Burrows presenting the quilt to me on the balcony of our building, overlooking lovely Honolulu with Pearl Harbor in the distance. I will find a suitable wall within our Consulate-General to permanently display our quilt. please pass on our thanks to Lynn Field, Keryn Mulrooney and the Mystery Quilt Team for this wonderful gift.
We were also delighted that WO2 Burrows was able to source your ANZAC biscuits which we gave out on ANZAC Day with a label promoting the Aussie Hero Quilts group. In my welcome remarks to our ANZAC Day Reception, which took place aboard the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbour for more than 32 guests, I said:
“As WO Col Burrows has explained, we have gifts of hand-made ANZAC biscuits for all guests. The makers of those biscuits have also hand-made for me a very special quilt, which I shall display with pride at our Consulate-General.
The Aussie Hero Quilts group represent all the grace and virtue of what we Australians call ‘mateship.’ Amongst other things, this group produce Wounded Warrior Quilts for Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere – they make sure that no Australian service person who is seriously wounded goes uncovered by one of their quilts.
We thank Jan-Maree Ball, OAM, founder of Aussie Hero Quilts, and their expert stitchers and biscuit-makers, for their cherished gifts.”
I do hope that one day you or your members are able to visit Honolulu, so that we might thank you all ‘in person.’
Please accept our deep appreciation for all that you do, all you hold dear, and all you represent. You are such important good-will ambassadors for Australia.
With kind regards,
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Good Morning/Afternoon Noelene,
I wanted to thank you for the laundry bag you made for me that I was issued on 27thSeptember 2018.
You bag caught my attention, as I am quite the fan of bright loud colours! My usual attire consists of bright shirts and hats, and even my bed sheets and doona cover on my rack onboard HMAS Success are multicoloured!
Thank you also for the note you included, it is always great to know that people out there appreciate the sacrifices we make without asking anything in return.
I have become quite attached to HMAS Success after all this time and multiple deployments around the world, and was due to decommission her in July 2019, however I have been offered a role in Cairns beginning in January 2019 where it is very likely I will be promoted and go to sea on the new patrol boat class of ships. This is something I have been chasing since joining, and the sea change is a long time coming from Sydney to a more relaxed Cairns.
I can ensure you that the work Aussie Hero Quilts and all of those who contribute with sewing and even just well wishes are very cherished by every person in the military.
Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and hope to hear from you again in the not too distant future.
Best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy 2018 and beyond to you and your loved ones.
Thank you,
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Hello Noelene,
Thank you so very much for the lovely laundry bag that you crafted for me, as well as the goodies. It’s absolutely awesome, I love it!
Once again thank you very much for the lovely laundry bag, it has brightened up my day.
Take care,
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Dear Jenny,
Thank you so much for your beautiful laundry bag you made me with the purple stars. It gave me such a morale boost today when I opened the package. I think you all do such an amazing job and your work really does brighten our days.
Thanks again
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Dear Lyn,
Thank you so much for the quilt, I really LOVE IT!!
How special to have put the nurse emblem on it and our motto.
The poppies are just perfect.
I too love to travel, we have a camper van, and I can’t wait to get home and use it with my fiancé (soon to be husband).
Our two dogs and both of us love to get away.
I love the laundry bag too!! I hope to get some use out of them. I will treasure them always and take them with me on every adventure around Australia!!
God bless, thank you Aussie Hero Quilter.
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Dear Cath,
Words cannot express how this quilt made me feel, I had a very emotional week and when the quilt arrived it just brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart more than you could ever imagine.
This quilt had exceeded every expectation, everybody that has seen it loves it!! J My room is so much brighter, the colours and the detail are so amazing.
This is everything I am; I love the 1950’s style. The pink and grey are the colours I have in my lounge back home, so this will take pride and place in the lounge for years to come.
The quilts and laundry bags that the troops receive from all the Aussie Hero Quilts volunteers are appreciated more than anyone could imagine.
I would like to thank you with all my heart xoxo
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Dear Jenny,
This week I received the package you sent me with the Aussie Hero Laundry Bag, and other goodies!
I would like to thank you very much for such a wonderful gift – I absolutely love the colours and the detail you have put into it, which reflect my love for the ocean.
It is so vibrant and beautiful, and to go to the effort of also putting my initials on there – makes it extra special.
I have been serving in the Middle East now for about 5 and a half months and I will be going home in another 4 weeks.
I’m looking forward to going home – to Melbourne.
I am looking forward to going back home to my new house which was almost completed when I deployed, but I haven’t yet seen the finished product! It is down the Victorian Coast.
Given that you live on the scenic central coast of NSW – you would probably understand how excited I am to be going back to a house on the coast (its just a bit colder down in Victoria where we get the Antarctic winds!)
Although some cooler weather will be a welcome change from the almost 50 degree days here, in the middle of the desert!
Thank you for all your well-wishes and I would also like to personally thank you for the volunteering you do for deployed troops. Everyone here is so excited about receiving something from the Aussie Hero Quilts!
Best Regards
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Dear Cath,
First of all THANK-YOU! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the lovely care package and the laundry bag.
It is almost as if you knew me before making the care package, all of the colours are my favourite and everything in the package was exactly what I needed. Your letter was very touching; the fact that you take time out of your busy life to put together such detailed and personal care packages for Deployed ADF members admirable. I bet your son is very proud of your contribution.
Once again, thank you Cath, I am so appreciative.
It is such a joy watching everyone receive their quilts and washing bags so eagerly. It is the highlight of everyone’s weeks here as it brings so much excitement into our trip. Your hard work and effort does not go unnoticed.
Kind regards,
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Hi Sheena,
Firstly I would like to say a big thank you for taking the time and effort in putting together my quilt and laundry bag.
It was a pleasant surprise and something that bought a big smile to my face. You have quite a talent for quilt making with a lot of others saying it’s one of the best they’ve seen!
Once again, thank you very much for the quilt, it is something I will cherish and look upon fondly for a long time to come.
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Ashleigh,
Thanks for my quilt and Laundry bag. How did you know I prefer to be called MOG. No one knows me as Michael so it is fantastic. I am currently bouncing round the back of the C130J-30 which you have no doubt got used to seeing in the local area. I am hopefully home just before Christmas as this is my fourth tour here with the mighty Herc.
Thanks again
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Hi Kathy,
Thank you very much for the time and effort you have put into creating a beautiful quilt for me.
You have done an amazing job, and it put a huge smile on my face when I saw the photos of my family! I was not expecting the photos at all.
Thank you for your support and gift.
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Hi Sue
Thanks so much for the quilt, it is awesome. I have placed it on my bed from day one and it looks fantastic. It’s a shame the Cowboys did not have a good year this year but there is always next year. Thanks again for taking the time to do the quilt, it makes a huge difference to us guys and gals over here in this sandy desert.
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Dear Cath,
The laundry bag you kindly sent me is outstanding. And all the goodies made it here relatively unscathed and definitely well received.
My two-year old son and I both absolutely love animals hence the request; he also loves his Peter Alexander PJ’s always pointing at the dog when he wears them, so it only seemed fitting that I got something that can be shared with him. We also have a dog, a 10 year-old spaniel x Labrador. He is very much a loved member of the family.
My current deployment away from home is only a few weeks away from ending now, and I think I can safely say on everyone’s behalf who receive quilts and laundry bags that it is definitely a highlight they look forward to.
One thing you notice here is how much Australian’s do support us while overseas, we constantly get care packages and letters and it is very comforting to know how much everyone at home cares and thinks of us. Particularly the amount of letters we receive from schools; it speaks wonders for the culture of support for each other that our nation has developed.
So again, thank-you very much for the laundry bag and other gifts that have already been consumed by my co-workers and I; and thank-you for your continued support to Aussie troops overseas, we definitely do appreciate it.
Kind regards,
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Raeleen,
Firstly I would like to thank you so much for a awesome quilt.
A little about myself; I have been in the Army for 25 Years and have served in three Corps (Infantry, Armoured and Transport), I do enjoy being in the army.
It’s been lovely to receive the most wonderful Quilt you have made.
Kind Regards
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Dear Beverly,
This week I received the package you sent me with the Aussie Hero Quilt. I would like to thank you very much for such a wonderful gift – I absolutely love the design and colours you have put into it, which combine my love for the ocean with the landscape where the ocean meets the desert sands.
It is so beautiful, and to go to the effort of also putting my name and deployment details into it – makes it extra special. I have been serving in the Middle East now for about 5 and a half months and I will be going home soon.
I am looking forward to going back home to my new house which was almost completed when I deployed, but I haven’t yet seen the finished product! This quilt will take pride of place in my new home!
I would also like to thank Joan McK for the sewing, and Bridget for the quilting – sounds like it was a great team effort.
Once again, thank you Beverly.
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Hello Clarissa,
I would like to thank you for the wonderful Queensland Laundry Bag that you made for me. I really appreciate it and there is now no confusion in the laundry as to who’s clothes are in what washing machine. I share a tent with the Operations Officer and the Australian Aviation Doctor and they are both very impressed with it as well. I should say one maybe more then the other, as the Doc is a NSW supporter so he was not as happy with it as us QLD supporters.
I would like to thank you again for the QLD Laundry bag and I can assure you it will get a lot of use over the coming years.
Cheers,
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Dear Anne,
I am an Officer of the Watch on HMAS Success. I am writing this email to thank you for the laundry bag that you made, it is the one with the Tropical Fish in it. It has pride of place in my cabin space as it brightens up my area and my day when things get a little tough.
A little bit about me. I am 40 and have a lovely wife and two children (5 and just turned 2). I chose the bag design because I knew they would love it as they are really into fish and we all enjoy our day trips to the Aquarium.
Thank you once again for your laundry bag it is very much appreciated. Good luck to your grandchildren in their upcoming exams.
God Bless,
Dear Kay
Thank you so much for the lovely card & beautiful quilt. There are so many flags on there. It will provide me many hours of entertainment explaining to my baby boy where they are in the world.
I know Mansfield well as I have done some white water kayaking near there, a lovely part of the world.
Your trip sounded amazing and I can’t wait to travel myself with my family.
Many thanks once again
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What a great bunch of messages.
Till next time… keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree xx
Wonderful