100 Wishes Quilt and More Quilt Squares

Dearest Family & Friends,

Since the wait for our child from China has continued. I have not yet put together the 100 Wishes Quilt for her. Since we can actually see an end in sight and she may even be home by Summer...it is time to get busy! I plan to begin putting together the quilt (or finding someone to do it) by the end of January. If you have the time we would love you to contribute to this wonderful tradition. To refresh your memory this is what it is all about:

It is a Northern Chinese tradition of celebrating a new life in the family by creating a “Bai Jia Bei” or “100 Good Wishes Quilt”. It is custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square of cloth along with a good wish for the child. The quilt is said to contain luck, energy and good wishes from everyone who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt becomes an heirloom and is passed from generation to generation.

It would mean so much to us for you to join us in this tradition. If you would like to participate, please send us one piece of cotton fabric measuring 9” by 9” (larger is okay if you don’t want to be exact). Any fabric that you choose, whether it’s new or “used and meaningful”, will be a beautiful addition to our quilt. Anything goes; life is an unexpected patchwork of happenings and events.

Along with the fabric, please include a wish for our child. Your wish can be simple or elaborate – of your own words, a prayer, favorite scripture, quote or poem. Please remember to sign your wish and include your city and state. Please attach a small piece of fabric to the wish that you are sending. The good wishes with the small piece of fabric will be put into a scrapbook. When our daughter is older, she will be able to match up the wishes and fabric to her quilt. The quilt will also give her some history. She will know that while she was in a Chinese orphanage, many people were thinking of her and praying for her.

To contribute and be a part of the quilt, please email me at starico32@yahoo.com . I will send you our mailing address. Thank you so much for helping us to make this gift possible for our daughter. Your kindness and support means so much to us!

Here are some of the latest fabric and wishes that we have received from family and friends:

These are from my Sister, Stephanie. They are all from dresses that either she or my Grandma made for me when I was a little girl. Love it! Love it! Love it!

Thank you all so much for your contributions! We love them and are so appreciative of the time and effort it took to put them together!