About

The Oxford Weaving Studio was founded by textile designer and handweaver Cassandra Smith (www.cassandrasabo.co.uk) to help more people discover weaving through beautiful materials, thoughtful tools and creative teaching.

Cassandra has spent more than a decade developing her own weaving practice, combining a strong understanding of colour and materials with a natural curiosity about how things are made. Before studying Textile Design at Central Saint Martins, where she graduated with First Class Honours, she studied engineering — a background that still influences the precision, problem-solving and practical thinking behind many of the studio’s products.

That combination of creativity and technical curiosity led Cassandra to design The Oxford Frame Loom® and a growing collection of weaving tools and learning resources. Rather than simply supplying equipment, she develops and tests products through her own weaving practice, considering how they feel to use, how materials behave, and how they can help makers explore their own ideas with greater confidence.

Materials are equally important. Cassandra works extensively with wool and other natural fibres through both The Oxford Weaving Studio and her wider textile design practice, and carefully curates the studio’s yarns and fibres for their quality, colour, texture and creative potential.

Teaching sits at the heart of the studio. Cassandra’s approach is exploratory rather than prescriptive, encouraging people to understand materials, experiment freely and develop their own visual language. She teaches frame and table loom weaving through workshops, private tuition, online learning and creative retreats, welcoming both complete beginners and experienced makers looking for fresh direction.

Travel is an important part of Cassandra’s creative life. She travels extensively with a curiosity about how things are made, the materials people use, and the craft and design traditions that shape different places. Along the way, she often finds herself in conversation with makers, designers and other curious people who share a desire to learn, make and understand more deeply.

Those experiences have reinforced her belief in the value of stepping outside everyday routines and spending focused time surrounded by people who share similar interests. For Cassandra, travel creates space to think differently, notice more and return to her own practice with fresh energy. It is this sense of immersion and creative exchange that she hopes to bring to Oxford through workshops, private tuition and future weaving retreats — giving people dedicated time to make, learn and reconnect with their own creativity.

Cassandra’s work has been exhibited internationally. She is a member of Design-Nation and recognised as a Homo Faber Artisan, reflecting her commitment to contemporary craftsmanship, material knowledge and thoughtful making.

The Oxford Weaving Studio remains an independent studio led personally by Cassandra, with a focus on high-quality products, natural materials, creative learning and a more individual approach to weaving.

Whether you are discovering weaving for the first time, returning to it after a break, or developing your own practice, the aim is simple: to give you the tools, materials and confidence to explore weaving in your own way.

Discover your weaving style.