I have seen a quilt spread over the casket instead of a flower spread, but not on a stand like this. If it came from a florist, does the florist sell the quilts, did someone make it and have it displayed on the stand from the florist, ...?

When my MIL died,4yrs, my husband wanted a lap quilt I had made her, placed in the coffin for viewing. It was very simple,a printed panel w/ the words of "AMAZING GRACE", the song, on it, that he'd found while we were vacationing! She called herself "AMAZING GRACE". We washed & ironed so it would look nice. My youngest asked "if it had to be buried w/her."She was in her mid twenties, we retrieved it and she keeps it as a memento of gramma!

I have to add my 2 cents on this subject. I'm a retired florist , now an obsessive quilter, so I think I can offer some insight.

Over the past 10 - 15 years funeral tributes have become much more personalized accross the country. In fact any good florist will ask the family about the life / interests of the deceased and incooperate something with the flowers along that line. Much more personalization. As families have scattered more, funeral customs have evolved. Funerals have only a small percentage of flowers that were used 35 yrs ago. Also with cremations, there is not the 2-3 day family wakes as in the past. Flowers are still appropiate, so are quilts and other momentos.

My mother loved flowers and always had a garden. For her funeral I personally arranged a vase of yellow roses, her favorite. For the last 30 years I lived 2000 miles accross the country from her. I sent her lots of flowers while she was alive. She died at age of 92 a few months ago. I had made a wallhanging using the paper doll pattern pattern to take to her. I knew she would love it. She never got to see it as she died as we were enroute on for a visit we had planned for months. I laid it over her feet when I saw her, where it still is. By the way Mom sewed and taught me not only to sew but how to get the most out of a piece of fabric. Before she died I was able to share the beginning of my quilting experience thanks to the telephone.

I'm sorry for your loss, no parent should ever have to go through this. I made a quilt for the newborn son of a coworker of my husband's. Everyone knew the baby had a less than 1% chance of surviving past the first week, but I wanted to give them something. I know that both mom & dad loved the quilt, but I don't know if they kept it or buried him with it, and I'm afraid to ask & poke the still-raw wound. :(

When my husband died recently I used a quilt on the casket instead of flowers. It was a wonderful idea that my daughter came up with.

Yes, at my sister's funeral one of her quilts was displayed. Recently a quilting friend passed and in lue of a casket wreath her last quilt was draped over the lower part of her casket. I thought it very approprate. Her daughter said that she had helped her mother put the binding on a couple of days before she passed away. There was also an arrangement of quilting notions in a basket with a few flowers. How fitting for a quilter.

When my mother died last year, we covered the casket with one of her quilts -- one she made for the Kansas Centennial celebration. Since she went back to Kansas for her final stop, I thought it very fitting. I also had several other of her quilts displayed around the room.

Since her funeral took place right after a blizzard, some of the flowers ordered didn't arrive, so the quilts really dressed up the place. Everyone their had received a quilt from her, so it was quite a trip down memory lane for all of us.

when my mom passed last year, we put a gramma's quilt my sister made years ago with all the grandkids pictures on it. She loved that quilt so much when she was alive, we covered her with the quilt in the casket and was buried with it.

WOW!!! what a fantastic idea...so much better than flowers. I am tearful at all your past losses and the thoughts of wrapping up and keeping the memory alive is so special. You people are awesome!

Yes, recently at my parents funerals. They passed a month apart.

The LQS is just around the corner from home, they are used to seeing me once a day;-)

During my mother's emergency stay in the hospital, I had taken a quilt project to work on (for her) while sitting with her through the night. On the long drive south, I stopped for gas and saw Boyd's Bears made with cloth that matched my project. I bought one to go with the quilt when it was finished. However, she passed before I could complete the long drive to the hospital.

When I returned home the next day to collect things for the funeral, I stopped to tell friends at the LQS why I would be out of town for a while. They already knew about the quilt that would never be finished, as several people there had contributed ideas to the colors and pattern selections.

I had spent the night before the funeral service designing, cutting, piecing and quilting a minature of the quilt I was to have made for my mother. I had wanted to surprise her with the colors and fabrics, which included her favorite yellow roses.

On the day of the service, my sister and I walked each other into the sanctuary ahead of the service schedule to check on things. Well, she had to catch me on my way to the floor . . .

There were four quilt-angels gathered and displayed around the coffin. My last thought as I hit the ground was how did they manage to do that in such a short time?

It turned out, a local florist had been providing quilt angels for some time.

The funeral director was very kind and helped us arrange the bear wrapped in the quilt miniature and place it in the casket.

Aardie.