Lausanne Allen

Lausanne Allen

Lausanne Allen is a handweaver with a deep respect for the history and traditions of the craft. Equally at home working on an early 19th-century barn frame loom or a modern 16-harness Macomber floor loom, she creates blankets, rugs, shawls, and garment fabrics for family and friends. Her lifelong fascination with weaving, however, began with band weaving.

She first learned to weave on an inkle loom in college in 1971 — a double-sided mahogany loom she still treasures and uses today. Over the years, her curiosity about woven color and design has only grown. In 2013, her husband, a blacksmith, built her a period tape loom, renewing and expanding her interest in inkle weaving. This continuing passion has inspired her to study band weaving traditions from around the world and to connect with fellow weavers across cultures.

She has shared her knowledge by teaching Swedish and Norwegian band weaving traditions at the New Hampshire music and dance camp Nordic Fiddles and Feet, and in 2013 she founded Strands, a local weaving group that continues to meet monthly to exchange skills, ideas, and inspiration.

Today, she teaches weaving at the Shelburne Craft School as well as privately from her home, where she delights in helping others explore their own creativity and bring their fiber design ideas to life.