BELIEVE it or not, the quilt Debra Schefe is holding up spent three months on a submarine.

Ms Schefe and the Roma Patchwork and Crafters have been busy making dozens of quilts for the men and women in the armed forces to use while on tours of duty, as part of the Aussie Hero Quilts initiative.

Many of the quilts were on display at the Hibernian Hall for Easter in the Country, before they are sent overseas to be used by an officer the maker has not met.

Ms Schefe’s quilt, which is one of about a dozen she has done in a year, has a special significance because it went to her cousin – naval officer Claire Goward.

She said the concept was a great way for ordinary Australians to give to the brave men and women in the armed forces.

“We normally send them to strangers – as a daughter of a Vietnam veteran and having seen what those men went through, I don’t want our service-people worrying that their country doesn’t care about them,” she said.

Ms Schefe said she likened a quilt to a “tactile hug”.

“A quilt becomes very personal – some of these have been on three separate tours of duty,” she said.

For more information on the group, send an email to romapatchwork.craft@gmail.com.