“When you love someone
all your saved up wishes come out!”
-Elizabeth Bowen
-Elizabeth Bowen
To welcome and celebrate the birth of a baby in China, there is a tradition to make a Bai Jia Bei or “100 Good Wishes Quilt”. It is customary to invite 100 family members and friends to contribute a single square of fabric. The 100 pieces of fabric are then sewn together into a quilt. The quilt contains the luck, energy, blessings and good wishes of all who contributed. It is then given to the baby and is intended to be passed down from generation to generation. I would love to wrap my sweet baby Emma in 100 good wishes when she comes home!Here’s how to contribute:
1. Choose any 100% cotton fabric that you like. Pre-wash for shrinkage. It can be any color, pattern or print. The fabric you choose for the quilt will represent your wish or blessing for Emma. If there are several members in your family, please feel free to contribute a note and piece of fabric for each family member. You may also include a family photo.
1. Choose any 100% cotton fabric that you like. Pre-wash for shrinkage. It can be any color, pattern or print. The fabric you choose for the quilt will represent your wish or blessing for Emma. If there are several members in your family, please feel free to contribute a note and piece of fabric for each family member. You may also include a family photo.
2. Cut a 9” square.
3. On a 4x6 card, write your wish for Emma and attach a small swatch (2” x 2”) of the same fabric to the card. Make sure to sign your name! These will be placed in a memory book for her to treasure throughout her life.
4. As I want plenty of time to complete Emma’s quilt and memory book
before bringing her home from China, I would like to collect all fabric and wishes by August 2008.
before bringing her home from China, I would like to collect all fabric and wishes by August 2008.
5. Leave a comment with your email address and I will be glad to send you my mailing address.
Thank you for taking the time to help me create this very special keepsake for my daughter. The miracle of her adoption has been nurtured by so many of my loving family members and friends. Your contribution will be so meaningful to her and to me! I plan to finish the quilting using red thread to represent an ancient Chinese belief. I have felt the red thread, like so many others, pulling my heart to China.
“An invisible red thread
connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.”
-Ancient Chinese Proverb
7 comments:
YES, YES, Yes, I want to do this with you. ajroach@ctc.net. I think I have your address but just wanted to make sure. LOVE YOU!!!
I will send you a couple of squares. I already have some cut and ready because I am in a quilt group with my agency. I have most of my squares but still need a few more. If you would like to send a couple my way, I would love to include them in Audrey's quilt. My mother-in-law is going to make it for her soon. My address is:
219 E. 10th Ave.
Johnson City, TN 37601
I love this tradition and think it will be special for our girls.
Angie, I would love to send you a square for Emma's quilt. What a neat tradition! Can you email me your address? angeltearsmc@hotmail.com . And I think it's awesome that you put your name on the Waiting Child/SN list - I know you will be blessed by Emma when she comes. :-)
YES!!! I would love to do this for you. You are so creative. I have tears in my eyes...I'm so excited for you. email me your address to: thinkshannon@gmail.com!
love and prayers to you and to Emma!
Angie--- what a great idea !! I would love to send a square or two or three or eight !! Send me your address please.
Ma Burdick
I will send you a square for each of us Gardenhours :) Probably have your address somewhere, but please email it to me anyway. dgardenhour@charter.net
YES! from Bailey Rash I love you and Emma and Max!!!!
Yea, she typed it all by herself (sort of!). Of course we would be honored to have our love and prayers wrapped around Sweet Emma!
You are all in our prayers and hearts (and usually in our daily conversations!!!)
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