~HER STORY~

“It’s a meditation… when you’re sewing, it’s like you summon the ancestors, and the baskets sew themselves“.

At 8 years old, Mrs. Kathy was taught how to sew sweetgrass baskets by Miss Nettie, one of the elders in the community. What she really learned was how to clean discarded materials and follow directions — a task all who came before had to endure. What once felt like punishment would later become a gift when she was old enough to understand its purpose.

Her heritage is deeply rooted in the Lowcountry. In 1857, her great-grandmother was born in Georgetown, South Carolina. Mrs. Kathy herself was born in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in her family home — which was customary at that time.

At eleven years old she moved to Manhattan, New York, where she finished high school. Soon after, she landed her first job working for pastor and best-selling author Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, at Marble Collegiate Church.

In 1973 she married Rev. Oliver Burns Jr., and had two of their four children, while living in between Charleston and New York. She returned to Charleston for good in the 80s, and worked as a full-time chef in several beloved local restaurants.

In the early 1990s she was diagnosed with cancer under her right eye, which prevented her from continuing a traditional job. Still determined to support her family, her sister Mae Hall encouraged her to return to basket weaving. The lessons began again, bringing her back to that eight-year-old girl learning from the elders.

Some skills returned easily, while others were relearned through trial, patience, and the guidance of her sister. Before long, Mrs. Kathy became highly skilled and began teaching sweetgrass basket weaving throughout the tri-county area.

Her determination has been tested and proven. Not only did she defeat cancer, she later returned to school and graduated cum laude with double majors in Criminal Justice and Security and Counseling and Psychology.

Today Mrs. Kathy’s baskets can be found at Boone Hall Plantation and the Charleston Visitor Center, among other places. In partnership with Charleston County After-School Programs, she also teaches children how to craft palmetto roses and obtain permits to sell them around the city.

Her basket stand is located on North Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina near Advance Auto Parts (1677 N Hwy 17).

Mrs. Kathy is a beautiful soul, respected throughout the community. Everything she does is from the heart — always with grace and compassion.

Dedicated to Mae Audrey Scott Hall

November 27, 1940 - December 12, 2025.