Hi all,

A Small Favour…

While Aussie Hero Quilts never really sleeps, Jan-Maree does need a chance to recharge!

Between Wednesday and Sunday, many emails still find their way to Jan-Maree. To ensure she has the opportunity to step away from the computer, enjoy a well-earned break, and spend some time being creative, emails are not always answered over the weekend.

If you send an email over the weekend asking to take on a request or anything else that is not urgent, please don’t be concerned if you don’t receive a reply until Monday. Thank you for understanding.

17 October 2026

Aussie Hero Quilts Thank-you Dinner

12 weeks till the AHQ Thank you weekend including 15^th Anniversary Dinner. Have you got your tickets yet?

The dinner is a celebration of generosity, service, and the extraordinary connections created through every stitch.

The Aussie Hero Quilts Annual Thank-You Dinner brings together the heart of our organisation—our dedicated volunteer quilters, their partners, and the serving and former Australian Defence Force members whose lives have been touched by a personalised quilt or laundry bag.

For many volunteers, this is a rare and special opportunity to meet the recipients of their work face-to-face. It is an evening of heartfelt conversations, shared stories, laughter, and sometimes a few tears. Every quilt tells a story, and tonight we celebrate the remarkable people behind each one.

We are especially honoured this year to welcome members of the Australian Defence Force senior leadership team, together with Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Their presence recognises the dedication of our volunteers and the important role Aussie Hero Quilts plays in supporting Australia’s Defence community.

As we celebrate tonight, we also look to the future. This annual event helps raise vital funds to ensure Aussie Hero Quilts can continue providing comfort, recognition, and appreciation to serving and former Defence members for years to come.

Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to participate in our silent and live auctions, featuring beautifully handcrafted quilts, original artworks, unique experiences, and generously donated prizes. Every bid and every contribution helps us continue wrapping our Defence family in comfort, care, and gratitude.

PRIORITIES

Requests number 1-12 are priority for a variety of reasons:

• the last of their group,
• compassionate reasons,
• currently deployed but cannot receive their parcels whilst overseas so we would like them to receive them shortly after their return home.

.It would be good to get these done and to their recipients.

As always, the requests are listed in priority order. There are many new and interesting requests that have come on this week.

Please let me know if you can help.

POST BY DATE

The post by date for all Requests on this list is 1 September 26 please, or earlier if you can manage this.  If you cannot make that date, please let me know. Do reach out if you have any timing issues and we’ll resolve one way or the other. In fact, if you are going to be late posting it please let me know BEFORE you post it.  Also, if this time frame is too tight for you, there are options, just email me to discuss, thank you.

Request Information

When selecting a request, remember, you do not have to include everything they have asked for. Footy quilts do not need to have the logo or even the team’s name. Using the team colours is all that is required. Simple is perfectly acceptable.  A number of these requests have given you favourite colours as well as footy teams or other hobbies and interests. It is fine to make a quilt using their favourite colours and include only one of their interests.  It is fine to keep it simple.

If there is more than one request on this list that you would be happy to do I suggest that you send me a list of requests and tell me how many you want to be allocated….i.e. one of the following please….There are always a few requests that everyone wants to do (and I can never pick them) so if the first one you ask for is taken then I can allocate another from your list if I have a list.

Any queries you might have, please don’t hesitate to contact via the AHQ email as per usual with any queries and we will assist you from there.  We may not know the answer, but it will be our pleasure to research and get back to you.

A reminder, when you are ready to post the quilt or laundry bag you’ve created, please use the name given to you in any correspondence with the admin team.  This helps the volunteer admin team keep a track of what’s been sent etc.

CPL Wanda Quilt

TG 3456

AFPO XX

ADF

Sydney NSW 2890

Also, please use the Aussie Heroes PO Box address on your parcel in the event the parcel is Returned to Sender –  the PO Box is a safe place in the event of  any mishaps with postage.

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags)

PO Box 248

Cherrybrook NSW 2126

Don’t forget to take a photo of your completed quilt or laundry bag to email to AHQ with the name of the recipient and we can include in the Weekly Dispatches blog and add to the tally of quilts and laundry bags sent off to the troops.  I personally love viewing the photos of those projects dispatched – so inspiring.

If you are using a AHQ supplied prepaid satchel please kindly use the AHQ address for the return address– also for your own packaging – if a parcel is Returned to Sender it is likely we can expedite its journey to the recipient from Sydney.

Please also please hold on to the Tracking number (the pink sticker that you should remove before posting – we’ve experienced mail delays lately (haven’t we all?) and having the Tracking number is very reassuring to keep an eye on the parcel’s progress in arriving at its destination.

Don’t forget, if you look at today’s Request List and need help choosing, please feel free to get in touch to discuss, we will be ready to reply and offer guidance by email. Our goal is to help you find a request that you will be comfortable with doing. If you need a crest etc we may be able to post embroideries / printed fabric images or email some of these to you.

Helpful info may be gleaned here from Information For Those That Sew

I look forward to seeing the photos of completed quilts and LBs when they are ready to post off.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE copy the ENTIRE line if you wish to nominate for a quilt or laundry bag.

For example….

This is really important to make sure that neither you nor I copy the wrong number which could lead to me giving you the wrong details for specific request. If you find it hard to copy and paste, please copy or write the line out as above as:

Marvel Theme. Ironman   M   LB   1

Decoding The Columns:The first column is the theme or preferences requested.

The second column indicates the gender of the recipient:

F = female

M = male

The third column is as follows:

B = both quilt and laundry bag (feel free to nominate to JUST do the laundry bag if you wish)

Q = just a quilt

LB = just a laundry bag

The fourth column is the number of the request.

Please let the Admin crew know if you have any other questions….Just email co*******@******************rg.au

Looking forward to seeing what you want to make this week. Happy stitching!

Cheers,

Jan-Maree

P.P.S.  Don’t forget to check out AHQ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

REQUEST LIST