100 Good Wishes

OK, so another project Im doing to pass the time until the baby is home, is to start collecting fabric to make a 100 good wishes quilt. I was going to wait to start asking people to help until we had our approvals from everyone (still waiting on CIS), but Georges mom went absolutely bonkers over this idea, and has already started soliciting the help of everyone she knows (and probably a few strangers on the street). So I figured that I would just take the plunge and start too.

What a wonderful idea this is for any child, not just those who are adopted. To know that so many people were willing to take the time to send a contribution to their special quilt, and to enclose a wish for their future. Below is a copy of the letter we are sending to friends and family, explaining about the quilt, and asking for their help.

If anyone sees this and would like to send a swatch of fabric and a wish for our baby, please leave a comment and let us know. We would really appreciate it!

Dear:

While we are waiting for the arrival of our new baby, we are working on a project that we REALLY need your help with. We are creating something called a "100 Good Wishes Quilt."

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." It is a custom to invite 100 people to contribute a single square patch of cloth. The 100 patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.

We are asking you to please participate in this project. Although we arent adopting from China, but rather Vietnam, we love the idea of welcoming the baby into our home with a quilt that represents the good wishes you are all sending his/her way.

Here is what we would like you to do:
1. Choose ANY fabric that you like. It can be from clothing or from a fabric store. It just needs to be a design and color that you like.

2. Cut one 7"x7" piece of fabric. Tip... if you have no idea how to work with fabric, ask for assistance at a fabric store and show them this letter. They will probably cut it for you!

3. Include your "good wish note" and please remember to attach a small (1"x1") piece of the fabric to the note so the child can match up each square with who sent it. We will place all your wishes in a scrapbook that we will give to the baby someday.

Ideas for selecting fabric squares:
*Select a fabric that is meaningful to you.
*If there are several members in your family, please feel free to send more than 1 set of scraps. It would be so special to include good wishes from all members of your family!! In China, these quilts were originally made from garments of family and friends, which would surround the child with luck/good wishes.

Ideas for good wishes note:
Well... what would you wish for a newborn child to have in his/her life? Some ideas that come to mind are good health, perseverance, compassion, and sense of humor. Use that as a guide for your good wish note. Keep in mind that they will not see your note until he/she is older, of course.

Please take a few minutes from your busy schedules to help us create this very special keepsake for our baby.

Thank you!