Bedford Babies - at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, NY is a maximum security prison for women. Within the facility, there is a very special program called The Children’s Center for those who are pregnant upon incarceration and are serving short sentences for lesser crimes, usually drug-related. These women are housed in a separate building from the “general population.” They are allowed to keep their babies with them until the age of 12 – 18 months, at which point the mother has completed her sentence and they both go home. The mothers attend classes in parenting, vocation, GED; some are beginning college classes.
Our quilting program is called “Bedford Babies.” A group of our members volunteer at The Children’s Center teaching the mothers to make quilts for their babies. Many mothers are bitten by the quilting bug and progress to larger and more elaborate quilts. Scissors are not allowed within the center, so other Guild members pre-cut fabric for the quilts. The mothers at the Center have made well over 2,500 quilts since the program began in 1997.
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, NY is a maximum security prison for women. Within the facility, there is a very special program called The Children’s Center for those who are pregnant upon incarceration and are serving short sentences for lesser crimes, usually drug-related. These women are housed in a separate building from the “general population.” They are allowed to keep their babies with them until the age of 12 – 18 months, at which point the mother has completed her sentence and they both go home. The mothers attend classes in parenting, vocation, GED; some are beginning college classes.
Our quilting program is called “Bedford Babies.” A group of our members volunteer at The Children’s Center teaching the mothers to make quilts for their babies. Many mothers are bitten by the quilting bug and progress to larger and more elaborate quilts. Scissors are not allowed within the center, so other Guild members pre-cut fabric for the quilts. The mothers at the Center have made well over 2,500 quilts since the program began in 1997.
Westchester News12 image http://westchester.news12.com/story/38471529/bedford-hills-prison-celebrates-20-years-of-inmate-quilting-program
Bedford Babies Quilts - 2017
Attached are three photos of quilts made by the mothers in the Nursery Quilting program that we run at Bedford Correctional Facility. We are not allowed to take our own photos but they have been kind enough to send us three so that we may show you what your donations have produced. As you can see, the mothers create their own designs from the squares we bring in. They sew the entire quilt by hand and we also teach them tying to finish the quilt. Some of the women have embellished their quilts with hearts, and with quilted stitches. We have even had a few who want to continue quilting when they are released.
Bedford Babies Quilts - 2017
Attached are three photos of quilts made by the mothers in the Nursery Quilting program that we run at Bedford Correctional Facility. We are not allowed to take our own photos but they have been kind enough to send us three so that we may show you what your donations have produced. As you can see, the mothers create their own designs from the squares we bring in. They sew the entire quilt by hand and we also teach them tying to finish the quilt. Some of the women have embellished their quilts with hearts, and with quilted stitches. We have even had a few who want to continue quilting when they are released.
Bedford Babies at XMAS
Prep Session for Bedford Babies
Read the article in NQA Summer 2009 about the grant that Bedford Babies received ...
Read the article in NQA Summer 2009 about the grant that Bedford Babies received ...
Click to read article
"Thank you so much for the beautiful quilts. We can tell that each one
was made with extraordinary love and care. We are delighted to be the
recipient of such labors of love."
Sincerely,
Mary Bostwick
Nursery Manager
"Thank you so much for the beautiful quilts. We can tell that each one
was made with extraordinary love and care. We are delighted to be the
recipient of such labors of love."
Sincerely,
Mary Bostwick
Nursery Manager
