As someone who invites more conversation about death and grief than most—both in and outside of work—I get to hear a lot of stories. While these stories are often weighted with loss, at their core they revolve around deep, enduring love. Recalling and sharing memories becomes a way of maintaining connection to what—or who—we’ve lost.

This is the magic we live among. Our memories are portals to times past.

Objects carry this same power. Whether we are making, engaging with, or simply holding them, the things we surround ourselves with shape our reality. When we create in honor of someone, their presence lives on in us. When we wear a loved one’s shirt or wrap ourselves in their blanket, the evidence of their life immerses us. Their absence becomes presence again—for a moment.

I believe textiles are especially potent in this way. Cloth is a deeply intimate medium—we are always in contact with it. It touches our skin, shapes our days, absorbs our tears.

I’ve been lucky to hear and read many stories about the ways textiles keep people tethered to what they love, even across insurmountable distances like death.

Maybe you’ll tell us yours and be a part of The Tapestry…