Once again thank you for you time and support, it’s nice to know people at home are behind us.
…..
Hello Jean
I love the laundry bag, the colors are great and I’m happy that you have put a surfer, snowboarder and a climber on the bag. I’m very busy at work. Over here we are working 12 hour days and don’t get much time off. It can also be hard being away from family for such a long time. It feels really good to receive something from home in Australia that’s been made just for me. Thank you so much, I’m stoked and you have made my day! Thank you for putting so much effort in and I appreciate the support.
…..
Dear Michelle,
I have been so excited watching other people open their parcels from Aussie Hero Quilts and today…. Today for the first time I got to open the Parcel from you…. and I was left speechless.
THANK YOU so very very much for your incredible quilt and laundry bag. I’m so super happy and seeing my kids names embroidered at the top was amazing and I teared up a little bit.
I have to tell you I had a lot of reservations about leaving my family for the first time to come here, but it was what I joined the defence for and I needed to remind myself of that.
I’m so glad you made my quilt and wrote me that lovely letter. I’m so very grateful for this and can already see my daughter wanting to put it on her own bed at home.
Thanks again.
PS – The fantails are a personal favourite of mine and won’t last very long. lol 🙂
…..
Dear Lynn,
Thank you so much for the wonderful quilt which I received in the post yesterday. I was very surprised to receive the parcel because I had not requested anything.
The quilt is perfect! The ASLAV, tank and kangaroo are so meaningful to me and the Essendon Football Club colours just top it off. My friend was right about my passions and you ladies have absolutely nailed it.
On behalf of Task Group Taji, I want to thank you for the wonderful work that you and the other volunteers from Aussie Hero Quilts are doing every day. You really are the unsung heroes. I wish you could see the smiles on the faces of our men and women when they receive one of your quilts; it’s absolutely priceless! Your contribution to the morale and well-being of deployed servicemen and women is significant and should be acknowledged more publicly.
I can assure you that unlike our Vietnam Veterans, no contemporary Australian soldier, sailor or airmen would have any doubt that they are returning to a grateful nation. The work that you and your team do fully reinforces that sense of all important support from the home-front.
Thank you again Lynn for everything that you do. You have certainly put a big smile on my face.
…..
Hi Julie – just a quick note to say thanks a heap for the laundry bag, it is lovely workmanship and I appreciate your kind effort.
I got over to the Sinai, Egypt in early August this year and am due to be home Mid August next year. There are only 2 x Aussies who do 12 months, and all the rest do 6 months.
All is going well over here and we have a great team and are lucky enough to work within a multinational force, including members from USA, UK, Canada, France, Italy, Fiji, Columbia, Uruguay, Norway and NZ.
Well once again, thanks very much for the bag, it has been great to use to take my clothes to the laundry. All the best and I hope you are able to make some more laundry bags to make someone else’s day like you did mine when it arrived.
(Also I nearly forgot – I loved getting the lollies and everyone was able to pick out their favourites – mine are the sherbies!)
thanks heaps and hope you enjoy the warm weather coming up, the heat has finally passed here for the summer which is a welcome reprieve.
…..
Hi Jean,
I just wanted to write an email to say thank you very much for the laundry bag and I really like it.
The bright colours certainly do brighten up the room and make a nice change from camouflage uniforms.
Thanks again for the time and effort you put into making my laundry bag. I really appreciate it and will make use of it for years to come.
Regards,
…..
Hi Leah,
I just wanted to write an email to say thank you very much for the quilt.
I very much appreciate the time and effort that you and Flynn put into making it. It is a fantastic quilt and my partner will love it when I get home as it’s exactly her style. We are all very appreciative of the support from home while we are away and I am very thankful for the time and effort that you’ve put into making the quilt.
Regards and thanks again,
…..
Hi Marilyn,
Thank you very much for my quilt, its excellent! Thank you also for the treats, I shared them with the rest of the guys. I got the quilt around 2 weeks ago but haven’t had time to send a thank you message.
My job in the army is a fitter armourer, I work on and keep all the weapons functional for everyone here.
Anyway thank you very much again for the quilt, you have done a great job.
Thanks,
…..
Hello Rita (Granny Smith).
Thank you so much for the quilt. I received it in the mail only a few minutes ago. Your work is outstanding. I, and all of the others who receive these gifts are truly grateful.
Thank you again for your time, effort and thoughts. I cannot properly explain how much we appreciate these gifts.
Yours sincerely
…..
Dear Kate,
Thank you very much for the awesome Port Adelaide quilt! It adorns my office over here, and gets commented on by everyone who comes in. Port didn’t have the greatest of years in 2015, but we’ll be back stronger next year I hope. I’ve played rugby union ever since joining the Army many years ago, but in fact grew up in Adelaide. My dad’s family are all from Port Adelaide, so I’ve been a keen supporter since I was old enough to be carried to games.
All the quilts and laundry bags that we’ve been sent over here are a huge hit. Everyone who has received one is extremely appreciative – myself included. We know we are well supported back at home, but actually receiving things like the quilts really does serve as a reminder to everyone that there a lot of people thinking about this and who want to ensure we have a few reminders of home with us.
Thanks again for the quilt. I’ve already munched on the M&Ms and had a few of the instant coffee mixes – very tasty.
…..
For a quilt that was made by Lenore M
Jan-Maree,
Thanks for the effort your team put in to supporting those of us that serve our nation. I am pleased to inform you that my quilt and laundry bag have both arrived today. The artistic design is great and a wonderful impression of my two diverse areas.
Thanks again.
…..
And finally a last word on our Aussie Hero Dinner from Joan…..
Robin and attended our third Annual Dinner for Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) last Saturday. We had a grand time, with good food and great conversation. It set me to thinking why do we do what we do, by we, I mean the people who quilt and the people like me who make laundry bags and Jan-Maree who looks after the logistics.
I think if we are honest with ourselves we sew because we like it and enjoy what we produce. We can have altruistic feelings that we are providing random acts of kindness to our deployed Australian Defence Forces and there is no doubt we do that. But I do think none of us would do and sew unless we enjoyed what we do, feeling good is an added bonus.
Often in conversations the appreciation felt by the personnel receiving a quilt or laundry bag is discussed and expressed in glowing terms. As sewers when we receive a thank you we are equally pleased.
Last Saturday, BC a commander who has served in many places including Kandahar, spoke and expressed his thanks to Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags). He explained to us the appreciation felt by a recipient that someone who does not know them would take the time and effort to make and send a quilt and bag together with a personal letter. More importantly, as far as I am concerned, he explained the level of tension felt by his teams, the level of focus required to do their job and the reluctance to allow anything to intrude on that focus.
So, we will continue to sew for the pleasure it gives us, for the joy it gives to the recipients and focus on the fact that our troops are very focused on doing the job that they are asked to do, sometimes in very difficult conditions.
I would like to express a big Thank You to Jan-Maree and David for their hospitality; a grand time was had by all.
Cheers
Joan
……
Till next time…………………keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree xx
Lovely stuff indeed/ And well said Joan.