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hmm, not sure about quite how specifically Identifying I want to be here, but I do want to post about something I've been making a lot of lately in my studio. Burial shrouds. For about seven years now I have been working with a wonderful person I'll call D, who is a celebrant, counselor, and now a teacher of Shrouding. I've learned that in some cultures, shrouding is the norm, while the conventions I grew up with were more to do with caskets and maybe cremation. The green burial movement has been changing the way many people think about What Happens Next.
It's been a journey, learning about shrouds, developing our company's product, and shifting gradually from all cotton to all organic cotton, to more and more upcycled fabrics. We've always offered the option of incorporating textiles from the customer's own closet, including so far quilts, tablecloths, sheets, saris, and bedspreads. Those are the most special. (we could also make a shroud out of Granddad's shirts, but I think so far the only ones I've actually done were the samples made from thrift store shirts)
During Covid, another friend of ours started a fabric thrift store, selling all donated material at a flat price (I think it was $4/yard to start and is now either $4 or $5). Very exciting for someone with an enormous stash, to feel secure knowing where it can all safely go when I am out of the picture! But also a fabulous source of much less expensive textiles for shrouds! and much more fun! Cotton damask home dec in place of boring tan canvas! (I'm hoping we can also shop at regular thrift stores for actually *used* textiles, this being an appropriate end-of-life use for fabric) D and I have begun thinking about how to engineer the transition to the next generation, when we are ready to retire, and how to set up a makers studio near the thrift shop, and how to train the next stitchers.
I'm happy to answer questions if folks have them.
It's been a journey, learning about shrouds, developing our company's product, and shifting gradually from all cotton to all organic cotton, to more and more upcycled fabrics. We've always offered the option of incorporating textiles from the customer's own closet, including so far quilts, tablecloths, sheets, saris, and bedspreads. Those are the most special. (we could also make a shroud out of Granddad's shirts, but I think so far the only ones I've actually done were the samples made from thrift store shirts)
During Covid, another friend of ours started a fabric thrift store, selling all donated material at a flat price (I think it was $4/yard to start and is now either $4 or $5). Very exciting for someone with an enormous stash, to feel secure knowing where it can all safely go when I am out of the picture! But also a fabulous source of much less expensive textiles for shrouds! and much more fun! Cotton damask home dec in place of boring tan canvas! (I'm hoping we can also shop at regular thrift stores for actually *used* textiles, this being an appropriate end-of-life use for fabric) D and I have begun thinking about how to engineer the transition to the next generation, when we are ready to retire, and how to set up a makers studio near the thrift shop, and how to train the next stitchers.
I'm happy to answer questions if folks have them.
