Sewing Faith Kathleen West Launched Ethically Sourced Boutique Inspired by Motherhood & Faith BY JE S S IC A R IN AU D O
Entrepreneurs have many sources of inspiration when launching a new product or jumping into a new endeavor, and Kathleen West is no exception. Her inspiration is rooted in the divine and her vocation as a mother. West, and her husband, Ben, are from opposite sides of the country – she from Vermont and he from Arizona. They met at John Paul the Great Catholic University in California. A job opportunity brought them to Cincinnati, where they now reside. They are parents to three little girls, and her business, Meadowcress Boutique, is West’s response to filling a desire for baby bonnets and accessories responsibly made from ethically sourced materials. “After Lucy was born, I was on Instagram a lot. I would see little shops that have bonnets and cute vintage style clothes, and I wanted them for her, but we couldn’t afford them,” West said. “And so, I decided that I would make her something. I borrowed a friend’s sewing machine because I didn’t have one at the time. And I made a bonnet that we still use.”
“Motherhood has inspired basically every part of my shop...” 2 2 | TH E C ATHOLIC TE LEGR A PH
She continued, “At that time I was also learning about fast fashion. I watched a documentary called The True Cost. ... It was really clear to me that supporting fast fashion was, to me, not in line with Catholic teaching and my moral convictions. ... I wanted to find a way to make ethical pieces for Lucy and have it be less expensive. And it was less expensive for me to make those things.” Drawing on the sewing knowledge her grandmother taught her in middle school, West began making clothes for her daughter. She
