100 good wishes quilt

In China, it is traditional to welcome a new child into a family by creating a 100 good wishes quilt. Essentially, the idea is that friends and family members contribute a patch of fabric along with a written wish for the child's life. The fabric is sewn into a quilt that will evenutally "wrap" the child in the good energy, wishes, and hopes of the contributors. The actual wishes go into a scrapbook that the child can reference as s/he grows older.

I have loved this idea since I first heard about it several years ago. It seems that the Chinese adoption community has welcomed the idea wholeheartedly, but I have seen little mention of it elsewhere. Personally, I see no reason why this tradition shouldn't be followed for every child. I think quite often about how our children will feel as they begin to search for their identity, and I feel that a 100 good wishes quilt (along with a lifebook and many other things) will help reinforce the idea that our children have been wanted, loved, and accepted from the very beginning.

Actually creating these quilts will be an ambitious proposition -- especially given the fact that I've never sewn anything in my life. But hey, I can't think of a better motivation to learn!