Weaving Wonders
By Lea Cramer • Photos by Jamie Conners
Nestled on the misty shores of Whidbey Island, Regina “Reggie” Kastler does more than weave baskets; she intertwines narratives, traditions, and a profound passion into every strand of reed. For the owner and weaver behind Basket Works N.W. by Reggie, the creations are more than just containers; they overflow with resourcefulness and personal history.
Kastler’s foray into basketry was woven from a life rich with familial artisanal heritage. Her father and grandfather were more than woodworkers but master carpenters. They crafted not only looms and spinning wheels, but also the very fabric of Kastler’s creative identity. She bought the second loom her grandfather ever made and now owns her mother’s loom, which was also made by her grandfather. It is the only one left in the family and is her most coveted heirloom.
Her mother, a draftsman and artist, added further threads of inspiration, and encouraged a young Kastler to explore and expand her creative horizons. The spark that ignited her passion for basket weaving came from her twin sister, who in the early 1980s, took a basketry class and unknowingly set Kastler on a self-taught path that would lead to a lifetime of weaving.
As a youth, Kastler played with woodworking, sewing, fashion design, and stained glass—each contributed to the robust foundation from which her basketry would later