I am collecting cloth for my daughters bai jia bei.
The bai jia bei–also known as the 100 Good Wishes Quilt–comes from a tradition in northern China in which patches of cloth are collected for family and friends, and used to make a quilt for a new baby. Bai jia bei’s, though a Chinese tradition have been adopted in the West, and are a phenomenon I have seen most often in the pagan community and among parents that are/have adopted a child from overseas.
There is a slight problem with this…
I’m not the best sewer in the world…not even in this town…in fact, if my life depended on my ability to sew a straight line, I think I would be dead. Really, the most I sew is to hem my uniform pants because I’m too lazy to drive to the tailors.
But…its for my baby.
Specifically for her first birthday, when we are having a birthday ritual (our version of a naming ceremony/wiccaning) for her…
So I guess I am learning to quilt…and for the forseeable future…I can’t quit learning to quilt…
Jennifer said,
November 3, 2007 at 3:15 am
Thank you for this post! I really enjoyed learning about the Bai Jia Bei and looking at the link you provided. I have a client who wants me to make 2 of them for her and I was very excited to learn more about them. Good luck making your quilt and I know your daughter will treasure it. Remember - love is in the quilt, not in how straight the seams.
Blessed Be