Thursday 31 May 2018

From the First Lady of Afghanistan

Good morning...

Earlier in the year one of our quilts was presented to the First Lady of Afghanistan on behalf of the outgoing Gender Advisor in Kabul as a thank you gift.

Yesterday I received a card from her that I thought you would like to see. 




I am told that the First Lady keeps her Aussie Hero Quilts where she can see it often to be reminded of the friendship and relationship between our two countries. 

Have a great day!

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

Jan-Maree  xx

Wednesday 30 May 2018

Happy Mail 30 May

Another month draws to a close and beautiful Blocks of the Month are arriving in my mail box
THANK YOU
to every wonderful contributor who has made the following blocks
These will all be used very soon in quilts for our Aussie Heroes, each one personalised 
to meet the requirements of each Recipient, by 
the Coffs Harbour Sewing Team

St James Quilting Ladies


June A


Jo-Anne H #1


Jo-Anne H #2


Susan P


Ann W


Until next time,

Sandy



Monday 28 May 2018

Visiting HMAS Rankin by Jenny N

Aussie Heroes had the privilege of going to visit HMAS Rankin today with a gift of laundry bags and quilts for the crew.

I took Jenny N with me and after we handed out the bags and quilts to a very happy crew she was able to tour the boat.  Here is her story.....

I was kindly asked if I would like to have a look inside the boat.(I’m always learning at Aussie Heroes , submarines are boats not ships!)

Well I couldn’t get on board quickly enough after such a kind invitation, and it beats anything on my bucket list!

After negotiating a fairly tricky ladder I was inside a sub.

I had a tour of the first level and saw tiny cubicles like a phone box, with a toilet and shower together…that’s clever with limited space. Further along was the galley where 4 meals a day are made to accommodate the hectic shifts of the crew.

The menu looked really nice today with lots of various curries YUM. Didn’t see any desserts, probably not a good idea to have too many of those on a sub…! 

Down a bit further was the Ops room with a lot of electronics and monitors. The mapping was electronic as well . However did they manage before electronics, navigating submerged with paper charts?

Food for thought. They were kind enough to let me have a look through the periscope , nice view of Fort Denison.

There is a lower deck with carpeted stairs so the crew don’t get woken up too often with changing shifts.

This area is called “The Chicken Coop” or the sleeping quarters. The racks (bunks ) are 3 high and the best one is the middle one I was told.

It was such a privilege to be invited aboard and see a glimpse into the daily life of a submariner. Myself, and everyone who volunteers at Aussie Heroes, would like to thank you for service to Australia .We appreciate the sacrifices you make and hope you all keep safe in the next leg of your deployment.  We send our best wishes with our laundry bags and quilts and hope they keep you warm beneath the waves.

Jenny N



We had not even made it home before we got a message showing me that the XO's quilt was already on her bunk.  This one made by Jean B and quilted by Philomena.  The laundry bag was made by your truly.



This very happily received laundry bag was made by Bridget.


And we have already received a couple of thank you messages. Please don't forget to share them if you receive one. This one was sent to Pennie. 
.....

Good morning,
Recieved my laundry bag this morning and it looks fantastic. The curvy writing looks great.
Thankyou very much.

.....

Good morning Clarissa,

I got my laundry bag this morning and it's amazing. It really made my morning on the day we're sailing. Thank you so much for this beautiful gift.
....

Good morning Anne,

We're about to sail,  but I just wanted to send a quick thank you for the personalised laundry bag. 

Everyone on board loves their own, but there is a bit of jealousy about the stitched submarine silhouette on mine. 
I'm not a massive fan of footy so you've done well. 

Regards, 


Till next time... keep spreading the word and always remember, DBF  :-)

Jan-Maree xx

Aussie Hero Request List 28 May 18


Hi all

Well we are now in our new house and I have to say I LOVE LOVE IT.   We are still waiting on some deliveries and some tradies have to finish but we are getting there.

PRIORITY QUILTS

There are four priority quilts on the list this week, numbers 2-5, and they need to be in the mail no later than the end of June.

Post by Date for other quilts

The post by date for ALL items on this list is 2 July please.  Some quilts are marked MUST BE IN THE MAIL BY 2 JUL and these are the ones that have no leeway.

PLEASE note the date and let me know if you have any problems getting your quilt/LB away on time. 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.

 PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE copy the ENTIRE line if you wish to nominate for a quilt or laundry bag. 
For example….
Marvel Theme. Ironman     M       LB      1

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 the line out as follows…  

The first column is the theme or preferences requested.
The second column indicated the gender of the recipient.
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
F= female
M= male

The last column with the number is a simple registration number for me to use… it is only relevant for this week only and will change if the request is still on the list next week. Once you have received the recipient’s details you will need to use those to refer to the recipient from then on if need be.


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…. ie 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.
  
If you don’t understand what people are asking for or where to get some of the bits and pieces then please ask me but the following might also be helpful.

Australian National Flag - you can buy panels at Spotlight – ask for them if you can’t find them.
Rising Sun, RAAF Crest, Navy Crest, Coat of Arms, HMAS Warramunga crest and other badges – ask me about them, I can often send you some to include if your request needs them.
 I have Afghanistan Flags I can send you… other flags are either easy to piece or can be printed… ask me.
If they want some text and it is too much for you to applique I can get it embroidered and sent to you to be sewn on the quilt or sewn into it.
 I can help you with football colours and logos of teams etc. Just ask me. Most of the logos are simple or you can just add team names if you want to … team colours are enough also.
Please think about what the request involves before you take it on. Google, ask questions, email me, make sure you can complete it to your satisfaction before you commit to it if possible please.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers

Jan-Maree 


my initials (MC), the Rising Sun and the RAEME corps badge would be great. 
M
LB
1
A-League Team: Adelaide United
M
LB
1
mulitcoloured Africa map
F
LB
1
My preference would be for a quilt with the main portion as the ANF with Op Accordion ROTO 45 across the top with a C130J-30 silhouette across the bottomwith under that.
M
LB
1
Harry Potter or Star Wars
M
LB
1
Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (motorbike) theme. A Honda logo would be good.
M
LB
1
pink and pretty
F
LB
1
Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls and/or King James Cleveland Caviliers
M
LB
1
Something that represents the Sinai Region - pyramids, MFO badge, camels, red sea/beach.  There is tons of sand and desert here.
F
LB
1
Colour (Red, White, Blue). Royal Australian Corps of Transport, Rising Sun
M
LB
1
Rising Sun
M
LB
1
St George Illawarra Dragons, with colours Red White and Black
M
LB
1
RAEME Armoury / weapons -  RAEME colours are red, yellow and royal blue.. And I can send you a RAEME Crest.
M
LB
1
something mechanical or areonautical on laundry bag
M
LB
1
Fav colour red also likes blue loves shooting and camping. Grew up on a cattle property in the Bush 🙂 MUST BE IN THE MAIL BY END OF JUNE
He's very proud of being in the Army and is currently serving in 3RAR
M
Q
2
Secret garden themed with green colour base MUST BE IN THE MAIL BY END OF JUNE
F
Q
3
AFL Team: Western Bulldogs (big fan) NRL Team: Canberra Raiders MUST BE IN THE MAIL BY END OF JUNE
M
Q
4
turquoise and purple and would like a desert/sand dunes/beachy scene at night. I have four children and a husband and would like our family to be represented in some way ie a group of six stars in the sky or six small desert flowers.  MUST BE IN THE MAIL BY END OF JUNE
F
B
5
BRISBANE BRONCOS, CARLTON BLUES, QUEENSLAND REDS -  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
6
POKEMON, MY LITTLE PONY, ADVENTURE TIME, PALM TREES  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
7
Brisbane Broncos  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
8
Mean Angry Asian Hulk from Marvel. Favourite Color is Green.  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
9
UN flag (I can send you one to piece in)  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
10
UN  ( can send you a UN flag to piece in) and world map  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
F
Q
11
Aviation Fire Fighting & Rescue related with Panther fire truck along with ANZAC and RAAF crest.  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
B
12
Aviation Fire Fighting & Rescue related with Panther fire truck along with ANZAC and RAAF crest (I can send you one).  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
B
13
Aviation Fire Fighting & Rescue related with Panther fire truck along with ANZAC and RAAF crest (I can send you one).  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
B
14
Aviation Fire Fighting & Rescue related with Panther fire truck along with ANZAC and RAAF crest (I can send you one).  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
B
15
Anything Aviation Fire Fighting & British and Australian flag incorparated in it.  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
B
16
Aviation Fire Fighting & Rescue MEAO 2004 Aussie and Canada  Coalition Fire services Brits and Aussies MER 2018  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
B
17
Aviation Fire Fighting & Rescue related with Panther fire truck along with ANZAC and RAAF crest. ( I can send you one)
M
B
18
North Melbourne AFL (Blue and White)  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
19
Magic/fairies/unicorns/goblins/mushrooms for eg, think Ferngully meets Labyrinth. Dark colours for eg: Dark purple/dark green/black/dark pink & red.  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
F
B
20
she loves Outlander but also something fairly simple would suit her.  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
F
B
21
Star Wars  MUST BE IN THE MAIL 2 JUL
M
Q
22
RA SIGS badge, Rising Sun ( I can send you both badges) and Australian flag featured. I follow the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL and am generally happy with any colour.   JUL
M
B
23
 Dinosaurs safari - Go nuts, use your imagination. (Jurassic Park) 
M
Q
24
Rick and Morty Theme
M
B
25
Marvel / Avengers / Super Heros / Transformers
Female
Q
26
NRL (Manly)
Male
B
27
Gold Coast Titans NRL team, Australian Flag, Military Aircraft (C17)
M
B
28
Colours (Black, White and Blue) Cronulla Sharks RLFC
M
B
29
Poppies
F
B
30
Australian Flora
F
B
31
Union Jack, and Australian flag.   With UK RAOC and Australian RAAOC colours Red Blue Red, Apples and cider with black and white
M
Q
32
BUNDABERG RUM LOGO WITH COLOURS BLACK, WHITE AND YELLOW
M
B
33
Botanical,Australian animals and plants
F
Q
34
Sci-fi - Star wars
M
B
35
NRL Team - North Queensland Cowboys – with name, PM keys and deployment details included.                                      
M
B
36
Bright Colours, Flowers, Butterflies,Drangonflies
F
B
37
AFL Team- Bulldogs and AFL Team Hawthorne emblem. With my nickname on it.
M
B
38
Australian Flag, rising sun ( I can send you one), Outdoors, shooting theme,

B
39
Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R, harley davidson  motorcycles.
M
B
40
Penrith Panthers (NRL Team), team colours around logo
M
B
41
Melbourne Storm (NRL)
M
B
42
Music orientated with different musical instruments eg. Guitar, drums, piano, violin, microphone, trumpet, saxophone, multi coloured
M
B
43
Beach, ocean
M
B
45
Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) Corps flag with the Corps colours of blue, red and white and Corps motto "Par Oneri"
M
B
46
RAEME Corps plus ARTE et MARTE - RAEME colours are red, yellow and royal blue.. And I can send you a RAEME Crest.
M
B
47
Yorkshire Rose as grandad served under the Yorkshire Rose OR anything to do with Barnsley FC football club from Yorkshire, England, would love the Rising Sun on it please.  Loves blue and green
M
B
48
Space theme for a three year old name available
M
B
49
FSE Kangaroo logo with Raeme colours
M
Q
50
Quilt:  Nature theme with a Family "tree" with four names of family on the branches.
M
Q
51
Boho inspired, pastel, watercolours
F
Q
52
Purple, Navy Blue, White and Gold - Melbourne Storm NRL
M
B
53