Our Weaving Heritage
Our weaving studio sits above our Main Street shop, where the art of handweaving has been practiced continuously since Nantucket Looms first opened its doors in 1968. Founded by master weaver Andrew Oates and business partner Bill Euler, the studio was created to preserve traditional textile craft and support local artisans. Today, Master Weaver Rebecca Jusko Peraner—who apprenticed under Oates—and her team carry that legacy forward, weaving every piece by hand with the same care, creativity, and dedication to quality that defined the studio’s beginnings.
Honoring the Tradition of Handweaving
Each piece is woven by hand on Macomber looms using all-natural fibers—wool, linen, cotton, mohair, alpaca, and cashmere—carefully selected for quality, texture, and durability. Our techniques, rooted in those developed by Oates at Black Mountain College under the mentorship of Bauhaus artist Anni Albers, prioritize simplicity, function, and quiet beauty. The result is a collection of timeless textiles that reflect the character of Nantucket: refined yet relaxed, durable yet elegant.
Heirloom Quality Craftsmanship
Our weavers work from start to finish on each product, from threading the warp to hand-finishing the final piece. Subtle variations in color and weave are not flaws, but signs of true craftsmanship—each one-of-a-kind and made to last. Whether you're selecting a mohair throw, a custom table runner, or a piece for your home’s interior, our handwovens are designed to be used, lived with, and passed down.
Our weaving studio is more than just a workspace—it’s the heart of Nantucket Looms, where history, heritage, and artistry come together. By choosing our handwovens, you’re supporting a tradition of American craft and a decades-long commitment to beauty, quality, and community.
All-Natural Fibers
Using only quality, all-natural fibers ensures our handwovens have practical, enduring beauty that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Mohair
Mohair is regarded as one of the world's most beautiful natural fibers, which comes from the fleece of the Angora goat. Noted for its many qualities, including high luster, durability, and its ability to hold bold, bright, colorful dyes, mohair is also revered for being a renewable and sustainable resource.
Cotton
Cotton is the most popular of the fibers we work with because of its versatility and comfort. The fiber grows in a protective case around the seeds of cotton plants. When spun into a yarn or thread, cotton is used to produce a soft, breathable textile that is widely used today. Our cotton is sourced from North Carolina.
Alpaca
Alpaca, a New World Camelid, is a very special fiber since it is naturally hypoallergenic with the property of trapping heat in cold weather and releasing the heat in warmer temperatures. Alpaca is also extremely strong and has a beautiful, elegant drape.
Cashmere
Cashmere is sourced from the undercoat of the Cashmere Goat, which is protected by a top coat of coarse hair. It is extremely soft to the touch durable and does not wrinkle. It is considered one of the most luxurious of all the natural fibers of the world.
Incorporating the Beauty of the Island
Inspired by Nantucket’s own colors found in her sea, in the moors and in the ever changing sky; our textiles reflect these beautiful tones that come with each season.
