Bai Jia Bei - a.k.a. 100 Good Wishes Quilt

While we anxiously await the arrival of our new daughter, we are working on creating 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, energya nd 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 for people to help with this project. We love the idea of welcoming our newest addition with a quilt that represents part of her culture and contains the good wishes of all those who love her, too.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Choose ANY 100% machine-washable cotton fabric that you like (we would love patterns that have Asian influence - ladybugs, dragonflies, pandas, red color, Chinese characters, etc… - but any pattern you like will work fine).

2. Wash the fabric, to prevent future shrinking and bleeding.

3. Cut (2) 8” squares from the fabric.

4. Include your “Good Wish Note”. We will place all your wishes in a scrapbook that we will give to Baby K someday. (Please use a 4x6 or 5x7 piece of cardstock, decorated however you’d like, for your wish. Your wish can be simple or elaborate, of your own words or a quote from a poem, song or proverb. Please include a small piece of the fabric on the card so that we can match the wish to the square on the quilt. Please remember to sign your wish with your name, city, state & country.)

5. Since I don’t want to post the address online, please send an email to bsilvers@peoplepc.com to let me know you want to contribute. If you are creating a quilt and need additional squares, let me know that too! I have lots of fabric and good wishes and would love to help!

6. I would love to have all squares and wishes by the end of April so that I can get started. I know we have a long wait, but it takes me forever to complete any project so I need as much time as possible!