For over seven years a dedicated group of volunteers have been passing on their quilting and life skills to prisoners at Auckland Region Women's Correctional Facility.
A working bee with some of the Quilt-Stitch volunteers. All of the volunteers spend countless hours sorting, collecting and cutting fabrics so they’re ready for class. Photo: Quilt-Stitch Group
“I’ve was brought up with the basic premise of giving everyone a bit of a fair shake…and I saw no reason why we couldn’t work with women in the prison” - Mary Ann, Quilt-Stich Group team leader.
Quilt-Stitch is led by Mary Ann, who along with the other volunteers, wish to keep their last names anonymous.
Nearly every week, Mary Ann makes a 30 kilometre round trip to Wiri to impart not only the basics of how to thread needles, take measurements and choose colours, but also to drop in pearls of her own wisdom from life on the outside into the ears of her ‘Friday Girls’.
The Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award, which was won by the Quilt-Stitch Group for their volunteer work in 2012. The award was given to ARWCF Prison Manager Cheryle Mikaere and it sits proudly on her desk. Photo: Quilt-Stitch Group
In 2012 the group’s work was nationally recognised with a Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award.
Mary Ann says it was surprise but an honour to receive the award.
“No-one in our group is doing this with thoughts of honour and glory. We all acknowledge there is a huge need for prisoners to have some practical skills to take with them when they go back into the community,” she says.
“I’m not bleeding-heart liberal… no… but I’m practical and constructive and you like to think you’re making a difference.”
While there’s lots of chit-chat and laughter along the way, Mary Ann says there’s no greater reward than watching their protégés grow in self-worth and confidence.
For a few hours on a Friday morning, over a period of 30 sessions, the prisoners are able to leave behind the reality that they’re in and concentrate on producing beautiful quilts, bags, sewing kits and table runners.
“You never talk about what’s gone on, what’s led you to here, it’s always just straight into it, into quilting,” says one young prisoner.
“There’s no judgement... sometimes you might bring up what’s going on in your life… they’ll have a few bits of wisdom to impart on you and then you get on with your sewing. It’s detoxing.”
"Angel Quilts" made from donated fabrics and orphan blocks for sick or premature babies at Middlemore Hospital. All the “Friday and Saturday Girls” make at least one as part of the programme. The Quilt-Stitch group has permission to bring these out of the prison and donate them to the Middlemore Foundation. In between times the group photographs the quilts - one picture is given to the woman who made the quilt and another picture is kept in a record book for the group. Photo: Quilt-Stitch Group
The prisoners also produce Angel Quilts for new-born babies at Middlemore Hospital.
Added to packs of hand knitted baby clothes issued to parents, it’s a way for the women to be able to show their gratitude by giving something back to those in need.
So adept they become at their craft, many have more than one project on the go at any one time.
And nearly everything in the room that they use has been donated by individuals and charitable organisations from around the country… fabric, machines, thread and, of course, time.
Lisa Thompson joins Mary Ann and her girls and sees how some simple stitching skills are helping to change prisoners’ lives.
