There’s a moment in every family history search — especially in the search for birth parents — when the past feels close enough to touch. A quiet shift where old records, DNA matches, and a whole lot of heart finally begin to weave together.
For many people, especially those on low incomes, that moment feels out of reach. Genetic genealogy is powerful, but it comes with barriers — the cost of DNA tests, subscription fees, ordering records, travel to archives, and the hours of careful research needed to make sense of it all.
That’s why I’ve created The Family Threads Project.
What is The Family Threads Project?
The Family Threads Project is my way of turning creativity into connection.
It’s a community-supported pathway to help people who don’t know one or both of their birth parents — for any reason — access genetic genealogy research they may never have been able to afford.
This isn’t a big corporate program. It’s just me — Grandma Kylie, a South Australian genealogist, and enthusiastic maker of warm, colourful textile art — doing what I can to help people find their story.
Every person deserves to know where they come from.
How Genetic Genealogy Fits In
Genetic genealogy is the same method I use in all my birth parent cases.
It involves:
- DNA testing (usually Ancestry or MyHeritage)
- Analysing centimorgans and segment data
- Using tools like WATO, Leeds Method, and chromosome mapping
- Building family trees from DNA matches
- Tracking ancestors through records, newspapers, archives, and land titles
- Working carefully through possible parentage scenarios
It’s detailed, forensic-style work — but when it falls into place, it can change someone’s life.
Why I Started This
Over the years I’ve met so many people who ache for answers but simply can’t afford the costs that come with a genetic genealogy case.
People who never knew their father.
People who were adopted.
People whose fathers weren’t on their birth certificate.
People whose families are full of silence or mystery.
People who just want to know who they are.
These are the people this project is for.
How the Project Will Be Supported
Because I want this to remain accessible, The Family Threads Project is supported by donations and by sales of my textile art.
I’m a lifelong maker — felting, knitting, crocheting, weaving, stitching… it’s my happy place. And now, each piece I make becomes a small beacon of hope for someone searching for their beginnings.
As the project grows, I’ll have:
- Beanies
- Knee rugs
- Felt wall hangings
- Wraps and scarves
- And plenty more handmade loveliness
Every dollar from these pieces goes directly into supporting someone’s birth parent search.
If you’d like to support the project, donations can be made via PayPal:
kira0030@gmail.com
What Donations Help Cover
Genetic genealogy isn’t just my time (though there’s plenty of that).
Your support helps cover the real-world costs that make a search possible:
- DNA tests
- Ancestry and MyHeritage subscriptions
- Certificates (birth, death, marriage)
- Land titles and archival documents
- Digitisation fees
- Record orders from interstate archives
- Postage and handling for documents
- Occasional travel costs for on-site research
These are the things that can put answers out of reach for someone already doing it tough.
Where We’re At Now
Right now, The Family Threads Project is in its early days.
I’m spreading the word, gathering support, and getting everything ready so that when applications open, people who’ve waited years for answers can finally have a chance.
If you’d like to follow along, cheer from the sidelines, donate, or simply share the project with someone who might one day need it — you’re part of this. And truly, thank you.
Together, we can weave families back together, one thread at a time.
— Grandma Kylie