When you decide to adopt from a foreign country, you don't always realize what it entails. Besides mounds of paperwork and money, that is. So, I've been learning about some of the customs from China and thinking about how to bring these into our home. The food part is easy! Yummy!!!! But, there are several festivals/traditions that I need to learn a lot more about!!! I found one idea that many adoptive families choose to make or have made for them. I think it's such a nice idea. Especially for a little girl who will be leaving her homeland and everything she's ever known. The sounds, smells and scenary will be totally different for her!
In northern China, the birth of a child is celebrated with a colorful Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." Originally, the tradition involved cloth contributed by the newborn's friends and family. The quilt is said to contain the energy, good fortune and loving wishes of the gift givers.
So, I have started a quilt! The design is a lantern that I found on a quilting website. My thought was to use 100 different fabrics and have people "adopt" a fabric and write a wish, a poem or a thought. I don't know how many fabrics I've used so far, but I thought that if anyone has a fabric that they would like me to include, by all means send it to me!!! I'd need about a quarter yard. Probably not even that much. I'm putting the wishes on 4 x 6 cards, so your wish needs to be able to fit on that. So.....Don't be surprised if I show up at gatherings toting my little "wishes" book! Be thinking about what you will write......You never know where I'll turn up! Spooky, huh?
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