Sewing machines whirring, ladies laughing and the shuffling of bright fabrics set the scene at the Madison County Extension Center on Tuesday as about 30 volunteers stitched hundreds of teddy bears.

Each year, about 1,000 of the colorful, handmade stuffed animals, usually bears,dogs and other stuffed animals are donated by the Madison County Extension Homemakers to Baptist Health Richmond and St.Joseph Berea to comfort children admitted to the hospitals.

“Going to the hospital isn’t fun for anyone,” said Anne Poulter, a volunteer who brought the idea to Richmond when she moved from Pike County about 14 years ago.

“We are always eager to get them (the stuffed animals) to the hospitals because the children love them. It brings a little bit of lightness to a dark situation,” Poulter said.

The mood in at the extension center was joyous Tuesday as the project headed into its home stretch. Women who may not have known each other at the beginning of the two, day-long workshops engaged in animated conversation as they stuffed, embroidered and sewed as if they were old friends.

Madison County’s newest master clothier, JoAnn Grimes, said the volunteers were a blessing not only to the extension service for their help, but also for the children.

“Kids really love these stuffed animals,” Grimes said, holding up a yellow bear with brown, sewn-on facial features. “The volunteers realize that, and as they are creating them, they know each one will be loved.”

Although the bears are the main items, the Extension Homemakers also worked to create heart-shaped pillows for breast-cancer patients to use as post-surgery arm rests. And they made cat-cage covers for the Madison County Humane Society to shield the cages of nervous ferrel cats as they are transported to and from the society’s spay/neuter-and-return program.

“People like to give,” Grimes said. “This is a way to really sink your hands into it and help those in need.”