The Design Process

There is no charge to begin the design process, and we will move at whatever pace feels right to you.
It starts with a conversation about what your Burial Blanket could look like, and what role you’d like it to have in your life, your home, and your burial options. Once we have a final design I send an estimate for materials and labor, and once you are ready to make a payment I begin weaving. You are also invited to visit my studio in Chicago to weave a portion of your Burial Blanket while the cloth is on the loom.

The cloth we design can range from a pure white shroud of fine, crisp linen to an iridescent rainbow of soft, squishy bamboo. Thread can be shiny or matte, textured or smooth, and packed as tightly as a tea cozy or left lacey and open. Different patterns and colors can be combined within the cloth to create stripes, blocks, and borders, and many patterns have contrasting front and back sides. The natural fibers you can chose from include cotton, linen, hemp, wool, bamboo, and silk, and Burial Blankets are fully biodegradable down to the stitches in the hem. These are heirloom quality textiles crafted for a lifetime of use and enjoyment.

As we plan, I will help you understand the choices for different design elements, and how these will effect the final look, feel, and utility of your Burial Blanket. I’m happy to lead with suggestions based on a few things that are important to you, or follow your specific and detailed vision. Many people use this process to think deeply about their heritage, values, family members, and their relationship to their religious or spiritual practice.

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About Pricing

The main cost of a Burial Blanket is labor: preparing the hundreds of lengths of thread that will be held in tension on the loom, winding and threading these individually onto the loom, programming the wooden computer that controls the pattern, and then weaving the cloth one line of thread at a time. The thinner the threads, the finer the cloth, and the more time it takes to weave. Thicker cloth will have the weight and warmth of a summer blanket, finer cloth will feel more like a flannel sheet. Both will have a lovely drape that holds warmth, keeps its folds nicely, and smooths over the contours of the body or container.

I offer a sliding scale of $40 - $120 / hour (plus materials) and I encourage you to pay what you can, knowing that after taxes and small business expenses, $40/hour pays me a basic living wage in Chicago. After we finish the consultation, I will send you an estimate of the total labor and materials based on your design, with suggestions and options for different budgets. I ask for a materials deposit to begin the work and I happily accept payments in installments. There is no initial charge for a design consultation.

Sizes and Uses

Each Burial Blanket is unique and designed in collaboration with the artist. There are two sizes to choose from, mostly depending on how you want to use the cloth during life since both can be used for different forms of burial.

A model shrouded in a Full Size Burial Blanket, made of cotton and linen in cream, white, and silver.

Full Size Burial Blanket

These are about the dimensions of a queen size coverlet (130” x 80”) or a large tapestry. They are big enough to fully wrap the body for burial and no other container is needed.

Prices start at around $2000
Timeline for production is 6-12 weeks

A model covered in a single Pall Blanket made of cotton and bamboo in purple, blue, and turquoise.

Single Pall Blanket

These are the size of a very large shawl (~118” x 40” depending on height). They are meant to cover the body with a single layer of decorative cloth, and can also be used to cover a casket or other container.

Prices start at around $1500
Timeline for production is 4-8 weeks

Additional Mementos

We can also create small extra pieces of the cloth to give away to loved ones, frame and hang on the wall, finish into a baby blanket, or other ideas you have.

Burial Blankets are heirloom quality textiles that can be used in your home however you imagine.