About

Hi there!

My name is Kathleen (she/her) and I run Purple Thread Labels from my home just outside Vancouver, BC in S’ólh Téméxw, Stó:lō-Coast Salish territory. I look to the original caretakers of these lands, to people from the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Stó:lō Nations to learn how to live here in a good way.

 

(To find out on whose traditional territory you live, click here.)

The Story

I come from a long line of women who have worked with textiles. Generations of my ancestors wove linen in mills in Dunfermline, Scotland, and I grew up in clothes and with toys made for me by my mum, aunt, grandma and great-granny. They often included woven labels, and it was on a search for labels for my own projects which led me to launch this business in 2021.

For a number of years I have worn a thread wrapped around my wrist to remember my matrilineal ancestors. The name Purple Thread Labels is another way I can honor my connection to these women and their lives. Their fingerprints are all over my own craft and my business. Plus Grandma and Granny really loved purple!

Left photo: My granny on a day out with her fellow seamstresses in Dunfermline, 1908.
Right photo: Me with my mum and my grandma in my high school graduation dress, made for me by my mum, 1998. 

Purple Thread Labels is focused on building goodness in three areas:
 
  1. You: You are the rock star who dedicated the time, mental energy and skills to create your project. That is amazing! I want to celebrate and honor YOU and your hard work. 

  2. Our Earth: I am mindful of how this business impacts the environment. I am committed to using sustainable materials wherever possible. To be honest, as a very small business, this hasn’t been easy or even possible in the ways I had hoped. However treading lightly on the earth is important to me and, I continue to look for local, sustainable options in every part of my business.

  3. Community: It is important that the people who make the labels are paid fairly and work in safe working conditions. I work with manufacturers who have made a commitment to treating and paying employees fairly. In addition, a percentage of your purchase is donated to different organizations on a regular basis. To see a list of who you are supporting with your purchase, click here.
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