One man has become a superb quilter and so any special quilting is given to him, as his stitches would happily compete along side the nineteenth century Amish women who were renowned for their exquisite quilting skills. A few men have shown a real talent for design and we encourage them to design their own projects and offer them magazines and books to show them what is being produced in the wider quilting world. We particularly look for work that is being made by men who are successful quilt artists.

When a piece of work is completed, the class are invited to admire the stitcherís success. The finished work is always labelled with the name of the quilt and its maker, the date it was finished and the name of the prison. We would like to think that some the quilts will be heirlooms in the future and become collectors items; they will at least have provenance! The finished work is always photographed and a copy given to the maker, so that they have a record of their work. Some men who have been in the class a long time have managed to build up a substantial portfolio.

The men in the class vary enormously in age, interest and motivation. We are teaching the basic sewing skills required to make small quilts, wall hangings, large bed quilts and some cushions. We are very pleased to undertake commissions. We tend to use traditional designs but have adapted some and made them our own. We have a popular pattern for a large quilt which we have called our Wandsworth Heart Wreath quilt. We also make a simple Heart quilt for babies' cots. We also have an attractive House quilt design for a small quilt, as well as many other patterns. Although the sewing techniques to make these items are not complicated, the men need to learn great accuracy and neat stitching to be successful; this does not happen quickly but we are committed to making high quality products so patience, practice and attention detail are all-important. Good hand-quilting only comes with a lot of practice and it is immensely gratifying to see how committed and talented some of the men have become. They have worked hard to finish quilts, sometimes stitching into the early hours to complete work for an exhibition or important sale.

We have had a few men who have entered outside exhibitions in the quilting world. Last year at a major quilt show held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham a stunning wall hanging entitled 'Jenesis' was on show, made by a former inmate. This same man was commissioned to make a wholecloth wall-hanging for an artist for display in a Paris gallery. Although such talent is not general in the class, most of the men manage to achieve a good standard of work and appreciate good workmanship.

These men have a history of personal failure and inadequacy, and with the problems and the poor environment of prison life, such as the sharing of cells intended for only one person, with the added problem of little access to good equipment, it takes stamina and great perseverance to keep stitching.