I'm Virginia. Raised on the prairie, now living in coastal California, I am a passionate handweaver and a dedicated proponent of small-scale, craft production. Selling Öxabäck looms and accessories brings together my love of weaving, my appreciation of finely crafted tools, and my commitment to sustainable manufacturing.
Across the globe at the family-owned and operated woodshop of AK:s Snickeri in Öxabäck, Sweden, a small team of highly skilled carpenters builds looms and weaving accessories by hand using locally sourced lumber and parts. I am honored to connect you to this multi-generational tradition of excellence and craftsmanship. Together we can bring the global community of makers closer together.
I send an occasional email newsletter, updating you about Prairie Coast Weaves and sharing weaving news. You can sign up here.
A little more about me and Prairie Coast Weaves' origin story...
I have an abiding appreciation for Öxabäck looms. I own two Lilla looms and two Ulla Cyrus looms (the Lilla’s bigger sister). My 100 cm Lilla, purchased from the Woolgatherers, was a gateway to the pleasures of weaving on a robust countermarch loom and the progressively more advanced weaving projects that followed.
I was fortunate to spend six weeks weaving in Sweden in the fall of 2024. On an epic road trip, I visited the Öxabäck loom workshop for the first time. Meeting Thomas, Solveig, and the crew at AK:s Snickeri was inspiring—a third-generation family-owned and operated venture making beautiful tools with staying power! With the retirement of the Woolgatherers, I realized the US could use another supplier of Öxabäck goodness. Located in Southern California, I could provide an accessible source of Lilla looms to weavers on the West Coast and in the western US. In early 2025, I returned to Sweden and visited Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands along the way—four of the happiest places on Earth. That’s when I decided to start Prairie Coast Weaves. Grab happiness and weave—preferably on an Öxabäck loom!
As for my Lilla loom customizations and other online offerings, here’s some context. I’m a former competitive cyclist, and my gearhead tendencies found an outlet in the possibilities offered by the flexibility of Scandinavian-style looms (I built my own drawloom to see if I could make it work!). I love tinkering almost as much as I love weaving. As an academic, my obsessive research impulses have found fertile ground in the vast weaving literature, especially books written by and for weavers. I love reading about weaving almost as much as I love weaving.
I aim to offer you high-quality tools, a curated selection of weaving accessories, and sound advice that draws upon my informed weaving experience, endless tinkering, thorough research, and dedication to the craft. I am inspired by your weaving adventure!