100 Blessings Quilt

If I have missed any of you through email (or I didn't have your email address) and you would like to participate in Liam and Miles' quilts, please see the letter below.

Dear family and friends,

As you are all aware, Fred and I are in the process of adopting two little boys….one from China (Liam Benjamin-Bao Waite) and the other from Ethiopia (Miles Milton Waite). While we are waiting for their arrival, we are working on a project that we would be honored to have your help with. We are creating something called a "100 Blessings 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"….what we are calling a “100 Blessings Quilt”. Even though Miles is not from China, we plan to provide him with a Blessings Quilt as well. It is a custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square patch of cloth. The patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains blessings from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
If you would like to contribute to this project, we would love it! Here is what we would like you to do:

1. Choose ANY 100% cotton fabric that you like. It can be a design and color that you like or you think represents each child. It could be a bit of fabric that you've used to create something else wonderful for your family.
2. Cut one 8X8 square from the fabric for each child. Also, cut a scrap piece of that same fabric that you can attach to your blessing card for each child.
3. Include your "blessing note" and attach the scrap piece of fabric. Be as creative as you would like. It can be as simple as on a piece of paper, or you can make it like a scrap book card. We will place all your blessings in a scrapbook.

Ideas for selecting fabric squares:
*Select a fabric that is meaningful to you.
*100% cotton fabric is best, as it washes and wears well.
*If there are several members in your family, please feel free to send more than 1 set of fabric per child. It would be so special to include blessings 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 In China, these quilts were originally made from garments of family and friends, which would surround the child with blessings.

Ideas for blessings note:
Well... what would you pray for a child to have in his life? Keep in mind that they will read your note numerous times during their life.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedules to help us create this very special keepsake. This is something that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Much Love,
Fred and Kelly Waite
email me privatley for our address
lilymariew@yahoo.com - reference the quilt in the subject line