Quilters help babies stay snug

Quilters from Dargaville, Denise Powell, left, and Bronwyn Bernard, present new mother Nicole Allen and her premature baby Sariah with a new blanket. On the right is Whangarei Hospital operations manager maternal and child services, Yvonne Hunter. Photo/John Stone

Tiny babies can rest easy thanks to a group of Dargaville quilters.

Bronwyn Bernard and Denise Powell are members of a social group that quilted 40 blankets for premature babies at Whangarei Hospital.

Ms Bernard has been quilting blankets for prem babies for a couple of years, and proposed the idea to the social group.

"I did it initially to use up my scraps. I figured I could do something with them and know someone would benefit."

Ms Powell said, "It's just absolutely lovely to think they can take them home and keep them forever."

Whangarei Hospital operations manager maternal and child services Yvonne Hunter said such donations were hugely beneficial to the Special Care Baby Unit.

"It's great for the babies - they get to take some home with them, which is great for families who don't have a lot."

Nicole Allen is the mother of Sariah, a 23-day-old baby who was born eight weeks prematurely, and lay content wrapped in her new quilted blanket.

"It's lovely - it's really nice [of the quilters]."