About Don & Peggy
It all began as a way for sailors to pass the time on the lightships of Nantucket. The sailors would weave baskets on molds that they had brought on board with them. The original baskets were purely functional. They were used to carry things like eggs and such.
Don Alexander began weaving his first Nantucket Lightship basket in 1997. He searched for classes to take on the art of basket making, but classes were hard to find. His first teacher was Linda Brown from Freetown, MA. He took several more classes from various teachers when he finally found Timothy Parsons on the island of Nantucket. Tim accepted Don as his apprentice and for the next four years Don traveled to the island to learn the fine art of basket making. Don not only learned how to construct a Nantucket basket, he studied and learned how to make each individual part of the basket for construction.
Don and his wife Peggy opened their Chatham shop in February of 2001 and have been teaching classes ever since. Don makes his own parts in their woodshop in Texas over the winter months. Bases, handles, rims, molds, etc. are made and brought to Chatham in May. The two of them try to create a new basket design every year. Their 3 sizes of totes they designed are the more popular classes for the intermediate basket maker. Classes begin the week after Memorial Day.
donandpeggy@alexandersbaskets.com