Eight reasons why people choose a burial quilt
End of life care is a deeply personal issue, but I would offer the following reasons why people should consider a burial quilt:
Burial quilts can be enjoyed in this life too. You can’t say the same for a casket. The burials quilts I make are designed to cover the bed in life, and then when the time comes, to cover the body in the earth.
Burial quilts are soft. The body is finally at rest, so it makes sense to me to drape it in a quilt that has brought that same body comfort before.
Burial quilts can be colorful and celebratory. In the West, the traditional color palette for a funeral tends to be limited to black. However, we often bring in large bouquets of colorful flowers. Why not being these colors to the body of person being memorialized?
Burial quilts can be made of special textiles like clothing of loved ones. Personally I love the idea of my family and friends all having a presence in my burial quilt, even if they’re not able to be present in the burial itself.
Burial quilts can be customized to match your vision. What an all-white burial quilt for religious reasons? Want to include pieces of a wedding dress or a baby blanket? All of these things can be done with your own burial quilt.
Burial quilts are an environmentally-friendly alternative to a casket. My burial quilts are made from all-natural fibers —cotton, linen, silk, and wool— and that includes the patchwork on top, the batting, the backing, even the 100% cotton thread that stitches it all together. They are often made from repurposed materials. Burial quilts contain no toxic varnishes or sealants like caskets often do.
Burial quilts can provide peace-of-mind. Most people wait most of their lives to begin making end-of-life care decisions. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t experience a certain anxiety about the unknown. Having a burial quilt selected and in your home can be a death-positive reassurance that relieves some of that anxiety. It’s one thing you know about a time where there is so much unknown.
Burial quilts remind us that although life is short, art is long. A body wrapped in a burial quilt is a beautiful tribute to the creative and vibrant lives we lead, and forms part of a visual memory that will last in the minds of loved ones for a lifetime.
Making decisions about end-of-life care is a deeply personal subject. If you’d like to talk more about burial quilts, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email me.
