No, you're not nuts, but people grieve in different ways. I can top that one--when my FIL died, they waited a few extra days to bury him until it was his birthday and then all eleven kids signed a birthday card and put it in the casket to be buried with him. Did I mention also that the children dug the grave by hand and then once pops was in the ground, placed his beloved deceased dog on top of the casket? Yes, they dug the dog up to place it with him and threw a 6 pack of beer in too, before filling in the grave. Then the coolers of beer and the hard liquor hidden behind the next headstone came out and they started drinking! I have never, in my entire life, seen such a scene!
I would take it as a compliment that she was buried with the quilt. She obviously loved it; it gave her great pleasure and comfort. She must have reflected the joy of the quilt to others also, and I would bet that when others saw it in the casket, they recognized it as having great meaning to her.
Sometimes the homemade, personal items give the family pain until they can accept the death, too, so maybe this was their way of not having to deal with the pain of seeing it as they weren't ready.
Originally Posted by quiltinNsmilin
I live in Florida and most of my family is RI and MA. It's sad that there are a lot of people who don't appreciate the love, the thought, the time and the money it costs to make such a unique
gift. I always think of my lap quilts as long-distance hugs. Several years ago my SIL's mother was quite ill. I made her a lap quilt.
The 24 squares had all different machine embroidered 4 inch butterflies and the quilt was latticed, bordered & backed with a gorgeous butterfly fabric. Georgie, the Mom absolutely loved. My
SIL called me after Georgie died to say she put the quilt in the coffin with her Mom. I have to say that totally freaked me out. Perhaps I should have seen it as a supreme compliment, but I thought it was weird. Why not keep it as a nice memory? Am I nuts?