Burial Blankets

A Burial Blanket is first and foremost a beautiful piece of handwoven cloth that is crafted for a lifetime of reflection and enjoyment. These memento mori (reminders of death) are also meant to serve as a blanket, bedspread, wall hanging, altar piece, shawl, or other important cloth in your home or spiritual practice.

Made from natural fibers, they are fully biodegradable and designed for “green” or natural burial. (They can also be used during cremation and conventional burial.) Burial Blankets come in two different sizes depending on how you want to use the cloth during life and your intentions for burial, and there are many possibilities for colors, patterns, and fibers. They can be tailored to the specific practices or requirements for burial in Judaisim, Islam, Christianity, Ba-Hai’, and many other faiths. Your family or congregation can also commission a Burial Blanket to be draped over caskets during funeral services and used over and again, uniting many generations under one cloth.

Burial Blankets are also meant to bring people together around the subject of mortality through care and beauty. While your cloth is on the loom, you and your loved ones are welcome to visit my studio in Chicago to see how it is made, weave a portion, and observe any rituals that are meaningful to you. Your commission can also include small additional pieces of the shroud to be given away as a memorial keepsake.